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On June 7, 1951, Wichita’s former
Municipal Airport became Wichita Air Force
Base. Honoring Wichita’s flying McConnell
brothers — Fred, Thomas and Edwin — all of
whom distinguished themselves in combat in
World War II, the base was renamed in their
honor on April 12, 1954. |
Today, McConnell Air Force Base is home to the
22nd Air Refueling Wing of the Air Mobility Command,
the 931st Air Refueling Group of the Air Force
Reserve, and the 184th Tanker Wing of the Kansas Air
National Guard. McConnell is the world’s largest
tanker base, and one of only three KC-135 Stratotanker refueling wings in the Air Force. The
aerial presence of the KC-135s over the region’s
skyline is a constant reminder of the estimated
one-half billion dollars this and all of Wichita’s
military installations and units contribute to the
Wichita area economy. But more than money, the
people who belong to these units contribute in
untold ways to the fabric of the community, engaging
in a host of community and public service
activities. More information on the McConnell Air
Force Base can be found at
www.public.mcconnell.amc.af.mil. More
information about the McConnell Family Support
Center can be viewed at
www.mcconnellfsc.com.
Air Force
The 22nd Air Refueling Wing is the base’s
host unit. The 22nd oversees the 58 KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the wing in order to
fulfill its mission to develop and maintain
capabilities in air refueling operations supporting
command objectives in any part of the world, in any
condition or climate. The wing is assigned to
support the Department of Defense’s contingency
situations, from protection of strategic forces to
humanitarian assistance.
The 22nd divides responsibilities among four
organizational groups: Operations (OG), Mission
Support (MSG), Maintenance (MXG) and Medical (MDG).
Air Force Reserve
The 22nd Air Refueling Wing supports the
Air Force’s first KC-135 reserve associate unit, the
931st Air Refueling Group, activated in Wichita in
January 1995. The group flies the 22nd’s KC-135s
with reserve crews. Its first mission came on May 3,
1995, in the refueling of a B-2 bomber.
Air National Guard
The 184th Tanker Wing operates a fleet of
10 Tankers out of McConnell Air Force Base. Part of
the Kansas Air National Guard, the wing also
operates the Smoky Hill Weapons Range near Salina,
Kansas, a test-firing facility used by military
aircraft based throughout the Midwest. The Air
National Guard unit plays a conventional role during
national security strategies conducted worldwide.
More information is at
www.ks.ngb.army.mil/kang.
Army Reserve
Wichita is headquarters for the four-state
89th Regional Support Command of the U.S. Army
Reserve. The headquarters command comprises staff
responsibilities for personnel, operations,
logistics, comptroller, force management,
information management, inspector general, public
affairs, advocacy and medicine.
There are two Army Reserve training centers in
the city. They accommodate detachments at work in
public affairs, military history, medicine and
medical logistics, military intelligence, legal
support, maintenance and engineering.
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard, composed of
infantry and support battalions, trains from three
local armories in Wichita and nearby Augusta. Troop
command is at 620 N. Edgemoor in Wichita, with four
Guard recruiting offices locally. More information
can be found at
www.ks.ngb.army.mil.
Navy Reserve
The Navy Reserve unit based in Wichita
trains and administers approximately 180 reservists
in the area. Three separate units constitute the
Navy Reserve here: a detachment of Seabees
(construction battalion), a fleet hospital
detachment and a ship’s intermediate maintenance
detachment.
Marine Reserve
The Marine Corps Reserve in Wichita is
composed of nearly 200 troops. This reserve unit
staffs an inspection / instruction detachment, an
electronic maintenance company and a detachment of
engineers.
More McConnell
As the center of the city’s military
presence, McConnell Air Force Base is more vital,
more contributory to the Wichita economy and more
closely defined in the nation’s overall defensive
posture than ever before. While military
installations are closing all over the country,
McConnell continues to upgrade its already
impressive facilities.
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