174th Air Refueling Squadron The 174th Air Refueling Squadron ( 174th ARS ) is a unit of the Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refueling Wing . It is assigned to Sioux City Air National Guard Base , Iowa and is equipped with the KC - 135R Stratotanker aircraft . History . World War II . Established on 27 April 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base , Virginia , as the 386th Fighter Squadron , equipped with P - 47 Thunderbolts . Deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England . Arrived at RAF Gosfield , Essex on December 23 , 1943 . Their first combat air field training resumed for two months . On February 22 , 1944 , the squadron flew their first combat mission and over the next one to two months gradually converting from escorting Eighth Air Force heavy bombers to their fighter - bomber mode under Ninth Air Force that continued to the war ' s end . The squadron was instrumental in determining the maximum bomb loads for the P - 47 . Two one - thousand pound bombs and an external fuel tank on the Billy Rack . They were the first group to fly a dive - bombing mission with that bomb load . Their firepower was eight fifty caliber machine guns and their total arsenal included rockets and napalm . This armament was standard for all thirteen P - 47 fighter - bomber groups shortly after the D - Day Invasion on June 6 , 1944 . Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command , the squadron flew in direct support of General Hodges First Army . Their mission was two - fold . Protect the ground forces from enemy air attack and destroy any and all obstacles on the ground that prevented our forces from advancing . On two occasions to support Patton ' s Third Army . The first was shortly after August 1 , 1944 . The second was during the last months of the Battle of the Bulge . The squadron was active against specific targets on D - Day before , during and following . This was the first company breakthrough in the Battle of the Bulge in taking Germany . The squadron was part of the first group to move into Germany on March 17 , 1945 at Aachen and the first to fly a combat mission off a German soil . The 386th Fighter Squadron flew combat from February 22 , 1944 through May 4 , 1945 , totalling 14 . 5 months . They flew combat from eleven air fields or air strips moving more times than any other fighter - bomber group in the Ninth Air Force . Iowa Air National Guard . Was transferred to the new Iowa Air National Guard in May 1946 and became a P - 51D Mustang squadron , receiving federal recognition on 23 August 1946 , one of the first Air National Guard squadrons activated . Assigned to the Sioux Gateway Regional Airport , a former training field during World War II used to train B - 17 Flying Fortress aircrews . Was assigned to the Iowa ANG 132d Fighter Wing , which consisted of the 124th , along with the 123d Fighter Squadron at Des Moines , and the Nebraska ANG 173d Fighter Squadron at Lincoln , Nebraska . The initial component of the unit included 9 rated officers , 7 non - rated officers , and 46 enlisted members for a total of 62 members . Today , the 185th consists of nearly 1 , 000 traditional and full - time military members as well as over 300 air technicians and state contract employees . Engaged in routine training exercises , and was upgraded to F - 84B Thunderjet jet aircraft in early 1948 . Korean War federalization . Activated to Federal Service during the Korean War , sent to Dow AFB , Maine Used by TAC to train replacement pilots in F - 51D Mustang ground support operations , also deployed unit members to Japan and Korea to fly combat missions . The 132d was moved to Alexandria AFB , Louisiana in May 1952 again with F - 51s replacing the federalized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter - Bomber Wing which was deployed to France . Performed training as a tactical fighter unit until relieved from active service and returned to Iowa ANG jurisdiction in January 1953 . Cold War . In July 1953 , the unit converted from the F - 51D to the Lockheed F - 80C Shooting Star . In 1955 , the 174th FS was reassigned to Air Defense Command and re - designated the 174th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and was transitioned to the F - 84E Thunderstreak . As a component of the 132d Fighter Interceptor Wing , the unit won the ANG Gunnery Meet . They also placed third in the USAF Fighter Weapons meet that year . For their accomplishments , the 174th was awarded the Spaatz Trophy as the most outstanding Air National Guard squadron in the nation in 1956 . The unit also was awarded the Wing Flying Safety trophy that year as well . In 1958 , the unit changed aircraft and its primary mission , being reassigned back to Tactical Air Command . It was re - designated the 174th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and flying the RF - 84F Thunderflash . As a reconnaissance unit , the 174th was awarded the top “ Operational Readiness Reconnaissance Unit ” in the nation in 1960 . In 1961 , the unit was re - designated the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron and converted to flying nuclear - capable F - 100C Super Sabre aircraft . The squadron flew the F - 100 from 1961 until 1977 , a period of 16 years . On 26 January 1968 , the squadron was recalled to active Federal service as a result of the Pueblo Crisis . The 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron , augmented by many of the other group personnel deployed with their F - 100s to Phu Cat Air Base , South Vietnam on 11 May 1968 . During their year in South Vietnam , the 174th flew 6 , 539 combat sorties totaling 11 , 359 hours of combat time . One pilot was killed in action and two airmen were killed on active duty . The unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award . Individually , its members were awarded 12 Silver Stars , 35 Distinguished Flying Cross es , 30 Bronze Stars , 115 Air Force Commendation Medal s , 325 Air Medal s , and 1 Purple Heart . On 28 May 1969 the personnel and aircraft were returned to Sioux City and released from active duty . In addition , the 174th Fighter Squadron won the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with a designation of valor . The “ Bat ” depicted on the tails of the aircraft and the shoulder patch of the pilots during the Vietnam War became a legendary symbol of the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron . “ Bat ” was the call sign of the 174th during its Vietnam War service , and the “ Bats ” became renowned for their outstanding performance . The squadron converted to the A - 7D Corsair II in 1977 . While flying the A - 7s , the unit won the Spaatz trophy for the second time in 1990 , recognizing them as the best Air Guard unit in the country . The Unit also was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit award five times – 1985 , 1986 , 1987 , 1989 , and 1991 . In 1989 , the unit won the 12th Air Force A - 7 gunnery meet for the second time . Modern era . On December 19 , 1991 , the squadron received its first F - 16s . The F - 16 “ Fighting Falcon ” would be the last single - seat fighter jet that the unit would fly before the conversion to KC - 135 tankers in 2003 . As part of the Global War on Terrorism , the squadron has participated in Operation Enduring Freedom , and Operation Iraqi Freedom .