Flying the Boeing built KC-135R Stratotanker, the 507th Air Refueling Wing is one of more than 45 flying units in the Air Force Reserve. Assigned to the Fourth Air Force at McClellan A.F.B., California the 507th is the only Air Force Reserve unit in Oklahoma. The primary mission of the 507th is to augment and support the active duty air force should war or national emergency arise. During peacetime, the unit trains reservists for worldwide deployment and employment.
Training includes mobility exercises and weekend training.
Approximately 1,200 men and women are assigned to the unit. Most are reservists who meet one weekend a month and two weeks annually. In the early 1990s, active duty Air Force units were undergoing a downsizing and restructuring process to match the current military doctrine of Global Reach, Global Power. One theory behind the restructuring process was to create a smaller Air Force capable of rapid deployment, self-sustainability, and battle readiness. The 507th was restructured in 1992 to align itself as a ready partner, able to rapidly blend in with active forces in time of need.