931st activates two maintenance units, Tiahrt commemorates growth

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jason Schaap
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Two new aircraft maintenance units, the 931st Maintenance Squadron and 931st Maintenance Operations Flight, activated here Sunday during a ceremony officiated by Kansas Rep. Todd Tiahrt.

The activation marked a new era not only for the Airmen of the 931st Air Refueling Group, but for the community called Team McConnell.

"For 15 years, we struggled to be an adequate partner for our host wing," said Col. Edsel "Archie" Frye Jr., 931st ARG commander, near the start of the ceremony. "Today I think marks the day (a better partnership) begins."

The 931st ARG stood up at as an associated Reserve unit here in 1994 to help fly and maintain KC-135 Stratotankers owned by its host, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing. The 931st's flying unit, the 18th Air Refueling Squadron, went on to become the largest tanker squadron in the world.

But in 1997, it was determined the 931st, unlike most other Air Force Reserve units, would remain group-size. Growth of the agencies that support the flyers, to include maintenance, was halted. The result was a long-time 931st practice Colonel Frye likened to "borrowing the (22nd's) sugar and not bringing it back."

"Today," the colonel said, "I can tell you we're bringing the sugar."

The 931st ARG is again growing. More than 500 Airmen are assigned to the unit for the first time ever. And many of the 931st Airmen who attended Sunday's ceremony saw something they have been wishing for as far back as 1997.

Inside the ceremony program, symbolizing a hope for the future, were the words, "What we are to be." Below the statement were the proposed patches of the just-activated units and two shields: one read, "931st Maintenance Group," the other, "931st Air Refueling Wing." Chief Master Sgt. John Boulett is one of those inspired by the possibility. Now the superintendent of the Group's aircraft maintenance squadron, he joined the 931st in 1995.

Rekindled hope of becoming a wing has worked "wonders for morale," Chief Boulett said, "especially for the guys who have been here for a while ... finally, we're being recognized for what we bring to the table."

Tiahrt secured more than $5 million to help make the 931st what he called a "true partner" with the 22nd, some of which will pay for a renovated maintenance hangar to house a more-integrated 931st and 22nd maintainenance team. Never in his 33 years of military service, Colonel Frye said, had he seen a legislator work so hard to support the Air Force.

During the ceremony, Tiahrt didn't speak about the 931st as a separate entity, but an integral part of the McConnell team. He talked about the great relationship between that team and its surrounding communities. Local people understand the value the 931st and the other units at McConnell AFB brings, he said, not just to their economy, but their freedom.

Even when notoriously loud B-1B Lancers were assigned to the base, Tiahrt said, the only call to a complaint hotline "wasn't really a complaint." A woman in Derby wanted to know when the planes would stop taking off for the night because her dog liked to bark at them.

"She didn't complain about the B-1's taking off. She was worried about offending her neighbors because of a barking dog," Tiahrt said to appreciative laughter.

Colonel Frye and the congressman unveiled the Group's two new maintenance guidons before Lt. Col. Sherry Teague and Maj. Bradley Garcia assumed command of the units in a subsequent ceremony. Lt. Col. Jeff Pickard, the 931st's deputy commander for maintenance who "personally spent six years" working to grow the 931st, introduced and welcomed his new commanders.

Colonel Teague, an Air Force Academy graduate with more than 23 years of service, assumed command of the 931st Maintenance Squadron.

"Building the squadron from the ground up is a unique opportunity," she said. "We get to establish culture and tradition, set the standards, outline our vision ... our fingerprints will be on every piece of the puzzle for years to come."

Major Garcia, also an Academy graduate, with more than 17 years of service, assumed command of the 931st Maintenance Operations Flight.

"I want our time together to be one where I help facilitate your success," he said to his maintainers, "where the associate relationship we have with our active-duty brothers and sisters in the 22nd ARW could be classified as symbiotic."

Prior to his comments, the major could see the Reservists of the 931st were already ahead of him. Borrowing a 22nd tradition, they shouted "Air Power" every time someone said "Team McConnell" during the ceremonies. The day, they showed, was about their total Air Force team future.