190th Air Refueling Wing

190th Air Refueling Wing
A Kansas ANG KC-135E landing after its last mission before retirement, 2004.
Active	1962-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Kansas
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Air Refueling
Size	900+
Part of	Kansas Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Forbes Field Air National Guard Base, Topeka, Kansas.
Tail Code	Blue tail stripe "Kansas" in white letters
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Ronald W. Krueger
Insignia
190th Air Refueling Wing emblem

The 190th Air Refueling Wing (190 ARW) is a unit of the Kansas Air National Guard, stationed at Forbes Field Air National Guard Base, Topeka, Kansas. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 190th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) provides Global Reach for the United States Air Force through the in-flight refueling of fighters, bombers and other aircraft using the KC-135 Stratotankers.

The 190th ARW comprises four main organizations as well as the Wing Headquarters

On 15 October 1962, the Kansas Air National Guard 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 117th TRS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 190th Headquarters, 190th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 190th Combat Support Squadron, and the 190th USAF Dispensary.

The unit continued to operate its RB-57A/B Canberra photo-reconnaissance aircraft at Hutchinson ANGB until 1967, when the 190th TRG and its personnel, aircraft and equipment permanently relocated to Forbes AFB, near Topeka after Strategic Air Command vacated its facilities and transferred Forbes AFB to the Tactical Air Command. The 117th continued to operate the RB-57s until 1972 when the aged aircraft were retired and sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

In return the 190th began to receive the Martin B-57G variant that were modified as night intruders for use in the Vietnam War under a project known as Tropic Moon. B-57Bs were modified with a low light level television camera plus a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) set and a laser guidance system. The laser guidance system now made it possible to carry four 500-lb "smart bombs" on the underwing pylons. With the receipt of the B-57Gs from their combat service in Thailand, the unit was re-designated as the 190th Tactical Bombardment Group on 12 June 1972. The service of the B-57Gs was short, as operation of these B-57Gs proved to be expensive, and the aircraft were hard to maintain in the field. They served until 1974, when they were consigned to storage at Davis Monthan AFB.