134th Air Refueling Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 134th Air Refueling Wing


caption= 134th Air Refueling Wing emblem
dates= 1957-Present
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison= McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
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The United States Air Force's 134th Air Refueling Wing is a unit located at McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Air National Guard.

History

The 134th Fighter Interceptor Group received recognition in December 7 1957, as an Air Defense Command (ADC) unit equipped with F-86 aircraft, and performed an ADC daylight alert commitment until July, 1960, when it converted to the F-104 aircraft. In January, 1961, the 134th assumed an ADC twenty four hour per day alert commitment until the unit was activated during the Berlin Crisis in November, 1961.

During the Berlin Call-up, while stationed at Ramstein Air Base Germany, the unit set a U.S. Air Force, Europe, jet fighter monthly flying record of 836 hours with its seventeen F-104 aircraft. The 134th returned to state status in August, 1962.

In March, 1963, the unit's F-1047s were reassigned to the active duty Air Force and the 134th converted to the F-102 aircraft. The 134th achieved combat ready status and passed an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) in the F- 102 six months after starting the transition.

Another aircraft conversion occurred in April, 19647 the fifth in less than seven years when the 134th received the KC-97G and changed to Tactical Air Command. Having no previously qualified KC-97 aircrew or maintenance personnel assigned, the 134th became the first KC-97 unit to achieve C-2 status in only eight months after receipt of the aircraft. The previous conversion time was two years.

After conversion to the KC-97, the unit participated in numerous CONUS, Southeast Asia South American and European deployments. A major commitment was Operation Creek Party, a year round commitment in Germany for two weeks every three months.

Effective 1 July 1976, the unit converted from Tactical Air Command (TAC) to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and the KC-135A aircraft.

The 134th has received eight United States Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards and was selected as thinner Force Outstanding Flying unit by the Air Force Association in 1982.

The unit flew 177 sorties and off-loaded 4.5 million pounds of fuel in Operation Desert Shield.

During Operation Desert Storm, one hundred and nine members of the unit were activated and deployed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There the unit was part of the 1713th Air Refueling Wing, Provisional, commanded by Colonel Frederick H. Forster of the 134th ARW. During Operation Desert Storm, the 1713th ARW(P) flew 568 sorties and off loaded millions of pounds of fuel to combat and support aircraft.

60 personnel and three planes from the Air National Guard's 134th Air Refueling Wing based in Knoxville were sent overseas to support the NATO's Operation "Allied Force" in Kosovo in April 1999.

The 134th ARW operates KC-135E "Stratotanker" aircraft in world wide support of the U. S. Air Force. The unit provides air to air refueling to all types of U.S. Air Force bomber, fighter, airlift and support aircraft; plus many NATO aircraft.

In 2005, BRAC recommended to give the wing the KC-135R.

Assignments

Major command

*Tennessee Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command(1992-Present)
*Tennessee Air National Guard/Strategic Air Command(1976-1992)
*Tennessee Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command(1964-1976)
*Tennessee Air National Guard/Air Defense Command(1957-1964)

Previous designations

*134th Air Refueling Wing (1995-Present)
*134th Air Refueling Group (1964-1995)
*134th Fighter Interceptor Group (1957-1964)Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0

quadrons assigned

*151st Air Refueling Squadron (1957-Present)

Bases stationed

*McGhee Tyson ANGB (1957-Present)

Aircraft and missiles operated

*KC-135 Stratotanker (1976-present)
*KC-97G Stratotanker (1964-1976)
*F-102 Delta Dagger (1963-1964)
*F-104 Starfighter (1960-1963)
*F-86 Sabre (1957-1960) [world airpower Journal. (1992). US air force air power Directory. aerospace publishing: london, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

Decorations

* [http://wwa.afpc.randolph.af.mil/AwardsNet/SearchUnitAwards.aspx?Mode=Graphics Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)]
**2004-2006

References

External links

* [http://www.tnknox.ang.af.mil/ McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/134arw.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 134th Air Refueling Wing: Tennessee Air National Guard]