161st Air Refueling Wing
The Copperheads, as a result of the national recognition as one of the best air defense units in the US, were chosen to fly the new high performance jet fighter.The 161st FIG was called into active service in November 1961 as the construction of the infamous "Berlin Wall" pushed the world to the brink of war.In 1972, military requirements resulted in a change in mission when the group was reassigned from MAC transport duties to the Strategic Air Command (SAC).From the start and for the duration, tankers servicing the conflict left Phoenix weekly, loaded with maintenance and support technicians who worked in the Saudi Arabian desert up to 45 days, and in some cases more.As the allies prepared to move against Iraq, aircraft crews, maintenance personnel, medics, fire fighters, security forces and food service technicians were dispatched to bases in Europe and the United States.Before the war in the Persian Gulf was concluded more than two-thirds of the force assigned to the 161st Air Refueling Group had served on active duty in some capacity to support the Middle East effort.Nearly 200 unit airmen served on active duty for about two months, flying 125 missions to offload almost 2.5 million gallons of fuel.
United StatesArizonaAir National GuardArizona Air National GuardGoldwater Air National Guard BaseTankerPhoenix Sky Harbor International AirportUnited States Air ForceAir Mobility Command197th Air Refueling Squadron197th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronNational Guard Bureau34th Air DivisionAir Defense CommandF-86L Sabre InterceptorF-104A StarfighterMilitary Air Transport ServiceC-97G StratofreightersCaribbeanEuropeSouth VietnamThailandAustraliaVietnam WarPhilippinesMilitary Airlift CommandStrategic Air CommandKC-97 StratofreighterKC-135 Stratotanker1991 Gulf WarSaudi ArabiaPersian GulfLos Angeles Air Defense SectorWestern Transport Air ForceTwenty-Second Air ForceAir Combat Command197th Fighter-Interceptor (later Air Transport, Military Airlift, Aero Medical Airlift, Air Refueling)Sky Harbor AirportF-86A SabreC-97G StratofreighterKC-97L StratotankerKC-135A StratotankerKC-135E StratotankerKC-135R Stratotankerpublic domain materialWayback MachineAlabamaAlaskaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeVermontVirgin IslandsVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAir National Guard ReadinessANG AFRC TestI.G. Brown Air National Guard Training and Education113th ASOS285th Civil Engineering SquadronRED HORSEDepartment of the Air ForceSecretary of the Air ForceUnder Secretary of the Air ForceAir StaffChief of StaffVice Chief of StaffDirector of StaffChief Master Sergeant of the Air ForceFour-star generals1940–19592000–20092010–20192020–presentHouse Armed Services CommitteeHouse Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesSenate Committee on Armed ServicesSenate Subcommittee on AirlandSenate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesStructureReserveField Operating AgenciesInstallationsDistrict of WashingtonOperational Test and Evaluation CenterUSAF AcademyMajor commandsUSAFE–AFAFRICA