185th Air Refueling Wing

185th Air Refueling Wing
185th Air Refueling Wing KC-135R Stratotankers on the ramp at Sioux City Air National Guard Base
Active	1962-present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Iowa
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Air Refueling
Size	900+
Part of	Iowa Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa
Tail Code	Yellow Tail Stripe "Sioux City" in black letters
Commanders
Current commander	Col. Lawrence Christensen
Insignia
185th Fighter Wing emblem

The 185th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Iowa Air National Guard, stationed at Colonel Bud Day Field, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The mission of the 185th Wing is to provide air refueling and mobility sustainment in support of the global mission of the Air Force. As a community-based organization the wing and its subordinate units are also tasked to support the state of Iowa in the event of a state emergency.

The 185th Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units:

The wing was first organized on 1 October 1962 as the 185th Tactical Fighter Group as a single headquarters for the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron and its support units. This reorganization nearly doubled the authorized personnel of the Air National Guard at Sioux City Municipal Airport to over 800 officers and airmen. This era would also mark the longest continuous period the group fles one model aircraft. The 185th flew the North American F-100 Super Sabre from its establishment until 1977, a period of 15 years.

On 26 January 1968, the 185th was called to active Federal service as a result of the Pueblo Crisis. During its active duty period, the group moved to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, but became little more than a paper unit. Its 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron, augmented by other personnel from the group, deployed with their F-100s to Phù Cát Air Base, South Vietnam on 11 May 1968 where it was assigned to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing. During the course of the next 90 days, the balance of the 185th was deployed to six military bases in South Korea and others in the United States. During its year in South Vietnam, the 174th flew 6,539 combat sorties totally 11,359 hours of combat time. The unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Individually, its members were awarded 12 Silver Stars, 35 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 30 Bronze Star Medals, 115 Air Force Commendation Medals, 325 Air Medals, and 1 Purple Heart.