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| 22d Air Refueling Wing | |
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 22d Air Refueling Wing shield |
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| Active | 22 December 1939 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Aerial Refueling |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | McConnell Air Force Base |
| Motto | Ducemus - "We Lead" |
| Decorations |  DUC AFOUA PPUC |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Donald Halpin |
| Notable commanders |
Howell M. Estes II Hansford T. Johnson |
The 22d Air Refueling Wing (22 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force. It is the host wing of McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas.
Colonel Donald J. Halpin is the wing commander. Colonel John D. Zazworsky, Jr. is vice commander, and Chief Master Sergeant Peggy J. Savage is the Command Chief Master Sergeant.
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Mission
The 22 ARW primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed. It is one of only three supertanker KC-135 Stratotanker wings in the Air Force.
Subordinate organizations
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22d Operations Group (22 OG)
22d Maintenance Group (22 MXG)
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22d Mission Support Group (22 MSG)
22d Medical Group (22 MDG)
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Additionally, the 22d Comptroller Squadron (22 CPTS) reports directly to the wing staff.
History
Lineage
- Established as 22 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940.
- Redesignated: 22 Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 11 Feb 1944
- Redesignated: 22 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 15 Jun 1946
- Established as 22 Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 28 Jul 1948. Activated on 1 Aug 1948.
- Redesignated: 22 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 15 Mar 1963
- Redesignated: 22 Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 1 Oct 1982
- Redesignated: 22 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Sep 1991.
Bases stationed
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Aircraft operated
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United States Army Air Forces
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United States Air Force
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World War II
The 22d flew training missions from, 1940-1941 before going on to fly antisubmarine patrols off the west coast of the United States from December 1941-January 1942. The group then moved to the Southwest Pacific early in 1942. In support of the Allied offensive there, attacked enemy shipping, installations, troop concentrations, and airfields in New Guinea and New Britain. The 22d earned two Distinguished Unit Citations, one for air raids over enemy forces in Papua (July 1942-January 1943) and another for destroying enemy entrenchments that were preventing the advance of Australian ground forces in New Guinea (5 November 1943). In February 1944, the group traded two-engine for four-engine heavy bombers. It bombed Japanese airfields, shipping, and oil installations in Borneo, Ceram, and Halmahera. The 22d began raiding the southern Philippines in September 1944 to neutralize Japanese bases in preparation for the invasion of Leyte. From December 1944 to August 1945 the group struck airfields and installations on Luzon, supported Australian ground forces on Borneo, and bombed railways and industries in Formosa and China. The 22d moved to Okinawa in August 1945 and flew some armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan.
Late 1940s
The 22d transferred without personnel and equipment to the Philippines in November 1945 and to Okinawa in May 1946, where it was remanned and equipped with B-29s the next month. On 1 August 1948, the 22d Bomb Group joined the newly created the 22nd Maintenance and Supply Group and the 22nd Air Base Group that made up the newly established the 22nd Bombardment Wing. The 22nd Wing's headquarters was non-operational and its components. detached.
The new wing was assigned to March AFB, California on May 10, 1949. It was not operational, so it shared a commander with the First Fighter Wing. The 22nd Bomb became operational on July 1, 1949. The First Fighter Wing was attached to it and both wings shared the same commanding officer.
Korean War
Detached from the wing, the 22d Bombardment Group deployed its B-29s in early July 1950 to Kadena AB, Okinawa, where it came under control of FEAF Bomber Command (Provisional). On 13 July, the group flew its first mission, against the marshalling yards and oil refinery at Wonsan, North Korea. By 21 October, it had amassed fifty-seven missions against the enemy, attacking bridges, factories, industrial targets, troop concentrations, airfields, marshalling yards, communications centers, and port facilities. During four months of combat, the group flew 335 sorties with only fourteen aborts and dropped over 6,500 tons of bombs. It redeployed to the United States in late October and November 1950.
Cold War
Following the return of the Bombardment Group the wing trained for proficiency in global strategic bombardment, adding air refueling to its mission in 1952. The wing deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, September-December 1951, and at RAF Upper Heyford, England, December 1953 - March 1954.
From April to July 1957, it deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The wing was not tactically operational 11 March 1963 – 15 September 1963, while converting to B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers. The wing supported Fifteenth Air Force's post-attack command and control system with EC-135s from, September 1964-March 1970.
The 22d was a "super" wing from 1966-1971, with two bombardment and two tanker squadrons. From 10 March to c. 1 October 1967 the wing was reduced to a small "rear-echelon" non-tactical organization with all tactical resources and most support resources loaned to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing continued to support SAC operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia through 1975, and from 10 April 1972 to 29 October 1973 again the wing had all its bomber resources loaned to other organizations for combat and contingency operations. It’s KC-135 resources were also on loan from 10 April to September 1972; afterwards a few tankers returned to wing control.
The wing maintained a strategic bombardment alert posture from, 1973-1982, but in 1978 it added conventional warfare missions, including mine-laying and sea reconnaissance/surveillance.
From 1982, the wing provided strategic air refueling and airlift in support of worldwide U.S. Air Force and other Department of Defense operations and training exercises. In 1983, the wing moved personnel and cargo in support of Chadian resistance to Libyan incursions and conducted airlift and refueling missions during rescue of U.S. nationals in Grenada. The wing also provided specialized refueling support to SR-71 aircraft reconnaissance operations worldwide from, c. 1985-1990.
Post-Cold War
The 22 ARW supported F-117 deployments to Saudi Arabia and contributed aircraft and personnel to logistics efforts in support of the liberation of Kuwait from, 1990-1991.
On 1 June 1992, the 22d ARW was assigned to the new Air Mobility Command, and from the end of 1992 to 1994, the wing flew humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia. It also provided air refueling in support of deployments to Haiti in 1994.
On 1 Jan 1994, the wing was reassigned w/p/o/e from March AFB upon the base's closure to McConnell AFB, Kansas, replacing the deactivating 384th Bomb Wing. Various air refueling squadrons were reassigned from other units as follows:
- 344 ARS from 68th ARW, Seymor Johnson AFB, NC
- 349/350 ARS from 100th ARW, Beale AFB, CA
- 384 ARS from deactivated 384th BW.
After the realignment, the 22d ARS deployed crews and aircraft to support no-fly missions over northern and southern Iraq and over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1999, wing aircraft and crews deployed to the Mediterranean to refuel NATO aircraft over Serbia. After the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. in September 2001, wing-supplied tanker crews and aircraft air-refueled combat aircraft on missions to the Afghanistan area.
Operations
- World War II
- Korean War
- Operation Urgent Fury
- Operation Northern Watch
- Operation Southern Watch
- Operation Deliberate Force
- Operation Allied Force
- Operation Enduring Freedom
See also
References
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This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain. |
- This article contains information from the 22d Air Refueling Wing history factsheet which is an official document of the United States Government and is presumed to be in the public domain.
- Futrell, Robert Frank (1983) The United States Air Force In Korea, 1950-1953, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0912799714
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- [1] Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Heritage and Legacy: A Brief History of the 22d Air Refueling Wing and McConnell Air Force Base
External links
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