McConnell Air Force Base

McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield
Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)
Located in southeast Wichita, Kansas
Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers based at McConnell in formation as they taxi down a runway.
Coordinates	37°37′23″N 097°16′02″W / 37.62306°N 97.26722°W / 37.62306; -97.26722 (McConnell AFB)
Type	Air Force Base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1941 – present
Garrison information
Garrison	22d Air Refueling Wing

Airfield information
IATA: IAB ICAO: KIAB FAA LID: IAB
Summary
Elevation AMSL	1,371 ft / 418 m
Coordinates	37°37′23″N 097°16′02″W / 37.62306°N 97.26722°W / 37.62306; -97.26722Coordinates: 37°37′23″N 097°16′02″W / 37.62306°N 97.26722°W / 37.62306; -97.26722
Website	www.mcconnell.af.mil
Map
KIAB Location of McConnell Air Force Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 1L/19R 12,000 3,658 Concrete 1R/19L 12,000 3,658 Asphalt/Concrete
Sources: official web site and FAA

McConnell Air Force Base (IATA: IAB, ICAO: KIAB, FAA LID: IAB) is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans. It is the home of Air Mobility Command's 22d Air Refueling Wing (22 ARW), Air Force Reserve Command's 931st Air Refueling Group (931 ARG), and the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Intelligence Wing (184 IW).

McConnell's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed. The Commander of the 22d Air Refueling Wing is Colonel Albert G. Miller, the Vice-Commander is Colonel Bruce P. Heseltine, Jr., and the Command Chief is Chief Master Sergeant Shawn M. Hughes.

Major units at McConnell are:

Associate Units:

Tenant Units:

McConnell Air Force Base was known during the first part of its existence as the Wichita Municipal Airport. Although the field was designed originally to serve only municipal civil airport needs, it had an Air Force connection almost from the beginning.

McConnell's history began in October 1924, when the city of Wichita hosted more than 100,000 people for the National Air Congress. The event was used by city planners to raise funds for a proposed Wichita Municipal Airport. The event was a success and ground-breaking ceremonies for the airport were held on 28 June 1929.