MISSION / HISTORY
The 931st Air Refueling Wing (ARW) is an associate unit with the active-duty 22nd Air Refueling Wing (ARW) at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. More than 700 air reserve technicians, active guard reserve, traditional reservists and civilians are assigned to the wing.
McConnell Air Force Base is a unique Total Force Installation consisting of the 22nd ARW (host active-duty unit), the 184th Wing (Kansas Air National Guard), and the 931st Air Refueling Wing (Air Force Reserve). All three wings and their community partners work together to form Team McConnell.
The 22nd ARW and 931st ARW share responsibilities for aircraft maintenance, with flying operations conducted by both units, using the KC-46A Pegasus.
The 931st ARW began its heritage in January 1963 as a Troop Carrier Group, operating C-119 aircraft. Since then, the 931st has operated various aircraft, to include the U-3, O-2, A-37 and KC-135. The group flew the KC-135 from 1978 as a component of the Air Force Reserve at Grissom AFB, Ind., until its inactivation in 1987.
Congress re-designated the 931st in September 1994. The 931st ARG activated at McConnell AFB in January 1995, becoming the first KC-135 associate tanker unit in the Air Force. Flying operations resumed in May 1995, refueling a B-2 bomber christened "Spirit of Kansas."
In April 2016, the 931st Air Refueling Wing was re-designated again as the 931st Air Refueling Wing. The wing continued to grow in January 2019 when Team McConnell received the first KC-46 in the Air Force's inventory. As a result of this arrival, the wing's last KC-135 mission took place in June 2020.
Today, Team McConnell is on the leading edge of the Air Force by leading integration and operations for the KC-46.
DEPLOYMENTS
The 931st ARW has been and continues to be involved in a number of operations around the globe. Since 2002, several hundred unit members have volunteered in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
In 2003 more than 100 members of the 931st ARG were mobilized in support of Iraqi Freedom, with another 18 mobilized for Enduring Freedom from 2001-03. In 1999, more than 70 members deployed to Moron, Spain and Souda Bay, Crete under a Presidential Selected Reserve Call-Up in support of Operation Allied Force.
Airmen assigned to the 931st ARW have also supported Operation Northern Watch, Operations Noble Eagle, Deliberate Guard, Deny Flight, Phoenix Duke, Joint Forge, and a number of tanker task forces.
In March 2011, the 931st ARW responded to a short-notice deployment tasker in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. Within 23 hours of the official notification 931st ARW Airmen were on an aircraft bound for southern Europe. The unit provided aerial refueling to NATO aircraft supporting a no-fly zone over Libya.
931st Airmen continue to deploy and serve around the world.
AWARDS
Meritorious Unit Award (Sept. 11, 2001 - June 20, 2004)
Outstanding Unit Award (1995 to 1997, 1997 to 1999 and 2002 to 2003)
The 931st was the first military unit to win the Kansas Award for Excellence on Oct. 21, 1997.
In 2014, the 931st received the Raincross Trophy, recognizing the wing as the top unit in 4th Air Force.
KANZA ORIGINS
With the introduction of the 931st at McConnell AFB, the group's first commander sought to affiliate the unit with the distinct heritage of the local area. The leaders of the Kaw (Kanza) Indian Nation accepted an offer to honor their tribal heritage through the Air Force Reserve. The tribe's ceremonial headdress, known as the Kanza "roach," subsequently became a 931st ARG logo.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The 931st ARW has a total economic impact, which includes payroll, local contracts and purchases, of more than $77 million on the local community.
(Current as of May 2024)