The 931st ARG celebrates 20 years at McConnell

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The 931st Air Refueling Group stood up at McConnell on Jan. 1, 1995.  From the unit's first mission, the refueling of the "Spirit of Kansas," a B-2 Bomber, to partnering last year with the  22nd Air Refueling Wing to offload 87 million pounds of fuel, the men and women of the 931st Air Refueling Group continue to contribute to the Department of Defense.  

In addition to being selected as the first Reserve unit to fly and maintain the incoming KC-46 Pegasus tanker, 931 ARG members have travelled all over the world acting as a major defense force. This past year alone, the unit deployed 98 of its 659 members, providing mission-critical backfills for active duty, accumulating more than 6,700 deployed man-days in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and other Overseas Contingency Operations.

These efforts, past and present have not gone unnoticed by Air Force leaders.  Just this past year, the 931 ARG reached a major milestone when it was announced as a recipient of the Raincross Trophy, recognizing the group as the most outstanding unit in 4th Air Force Command for 2014

To celebrate these efforts and its heritage, more than 300 members of the 931 ARG, past and present, gathered together at Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita, Kan., Aug. 1, 2015, to celebrate the group's twentieth anniversary.  Of the members attending, approximately 25 were with the unit when it originally stood up.

Master Sgt. Jennifer Bilby, 931st Operations Support Squadron Intelligence NCOIC, who dedicated nearly a year to organizing the event, commented on how excited former 931 ARG members were to reunite

"The military was a huge part of their life to them, so to be able to come and relive their youth and part of their golden years was exciting," she said.

Master Sgt. Jeffrey Killian, 931 ARG Logistics Management Specialist, who has been at McConnell since 1991, agreed. 

"It was nice to see everyone again, especially since some of these guys I've been able to keep in contact with, but others I haven't been able to see since they've retired," he said.

As former co-workers and old friends gathered at the event,   Col. Mark S. Larson, the 931 ARG commander, spoke of the importance of the group's heritage, and where he sees it going in the future.  He also took time to acknowledge the hard work of members both past and present.

"Our Airmen have travelled all over the world and played a major role in defending the United States," he said.  "Whether it's in the air or on the ground, the 931st has proven time and time again that it's a small unit of people that make a large contribution to the Air Force."