136th Air Refueling Wing

136th Air Refueling Wing
USAF · Public domain · source
Unit name	136th Air Refueling Wing
Dates	1943–present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Role	Aerial refueling
Garrison	T. F. Green Air National Guard Base, Warwick, Rhode Island
Equipment	Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

136th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Rhode Island Air National Guard assigned to the Air Mobility Command and stationed at T. F. Green Air National Guard Base in Warwick, Rhode Island. The wing operates Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft providing aerial refueling and air mobility support to units such as the United States Air Force's strategic and tactical forces and coalition partners. It traces lineage to World War II predecessors and integrates with state and federal missions including support to NORAD and joint expeditionary operations.

Overview

The wing functions as an Air National Guard refueling and support formation under Air Mobility Command, coordinating with elements of United States Transportation Command, Air Combat Command, and allied air forces including Royal Air Force, Canadian Forces, and Royal Australian Air Force during multinational exercises. Its peacetime responsibilities include fuel projection, aeromedical evacuation coordination with U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman elements, and contingency response alongside Federal Aviation Administration coordination at T. F. Green Airport. The unit provides personnel and aircraft to operations directed by the Secretary of Defense and the Governor of Rhode Island when called to state active duty.

History

The wing's antecedents were activated in World War II, participating alongside formations such as the Eighth Air Force, the Ninth Air Force, and theater units during the European Theater of World War II. Postwar reorganizations aligned the unit with the newly formed United States Air Force and the reshaped Air National Guard system following the National Security Act of 1947. During the Cold War, the unit transitioned to air refueling roles paralleling the expansion of the Strategic Air Command tanker force and supported alert operations related to the Cuban Missile Crisis and NATO deployments to RAF Lakenheath and Aviano Air Base. In the post–Cold War era, the wing contributed to operations including Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, furnishing tanker sorties and personnel to Combined Air Operations Center taskings and Coalition forces refueling networks.

Operations and Missions

Primary missions include in-flight refueling for receivers such as Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor; airlift augmentation with aircraft like the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III; and aeromedical evacuation coordination with platforms including the McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale. The wing supports global mobility taskings under U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command and participates in multinational exercises such as Red Flag, RIMPAC, and Vigilant Shield. It also executes homeland defense missions in conjunction with NORAD and state emergency responses encompassing hurricane relief alongside Federal Emergency Management Agency and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.

Organization and Units

The wing comprises operations, maintenance, mission support, and medical groups aligned under Air National Guard organizational structures akin to units at Andrews Air Force Base and McGuire Air Force Base. Component elements include an operations group housing aircrews and mission planners, a maintenance group responsible for Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker sustainment, a mission support group handling logistics and security forces comparable to Security Forces (United States Air Force), and a medical group that coordinates aeromedical evacuation capabilities. The wing routinely integrates augmentees from other ANG units such as those based at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst and Griffiss International Airport for large-scale deployments.

Aircraft and Equipment

The wing's primary aircraft inventory has centered on the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, reflecting the wider USAF tanker fleet modernization that paralleled introduction of platforms like the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus. Historically, predecessors flew types similar to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and the North American P-51 Mustang in fighter roles before conversion to air refueling. Ground equipment includes tanker boom systems, aerial refueling pods, and maintenance support vehicles similar to those used at Travis Air Force Base and Scott Air Force Base. Communications and command equipment are interoperable with systems fielded by United States Northern Command and theater headquarters such as the Combined Air Operations Center.

Decorations and Honors

Over its history the wing and its antecedent units have received awards paralleling recognitions bestowed on ANG formations, including citations analogous to the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and campaign emblems associated with Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. Individual members have earned decorations consistent with service during major contingencies, aligning with awards such as the Air Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. The wing's sustained support to national and allied operations has been noted in state and federal proclamations and historical summaries within Rhode Island military commemorations.

Category:Air refueling wings of the United States Air Force Category:Military units and formations in Rhode Island