92d Air Refueling Wing The 92d Air Refueling Wing ( 92 ARW ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force . It is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base , Washington . The wing is also the host unit at Fairchild . The 92d ARW is responsible for providing air refueling , as well as rapid and reliable passenger and cargo airlift and aero - medical evacuation missions supporting U . S . and coalition conventional operations as well as U . S . Strategic Command strategic deterrence missions . Its 92d Operations Group is a successor organization to the World War II 92d Bombardment Group . It was the first VIII Bomber Command B - 17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group to carry out strategic bombardment operations against targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany from RAF Bovingdon , England in September 1942 . Active for over 60 years , the 92d Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command ' s deterrent force during the Cold War , as a strategic bombardment wing . The 92d Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Brian M . Newberry . Its Vice Commander is Colonel Marc Van Wert and Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Rudy Lopez . Overview . The 92d ARW operates 34 KC - 135 R / T Stratotanker refueling aircraft valued at $ 1 . 6 billion and 58 aircrews to support worldwide military missions . As the host unit to Fairchild Air Force Base , Wash . , the wing controls and 1 , 248 buildings . The wing employs over 2 , 200 active - duty military , as well as over 700 civilian employees . It supports Air Mobility Command ' s mission , providing global reach air power and deploying expeditionary combat support forces in support of worldwide contingency requirements . The 92d ARW capability of aerial refueling enhances the Air Force ' s ability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power . Units . The 92d Air Refueling Wing is structured under four groups : Operations , maintenance , mission support and medical , as well as 12 staff agencies organized under the Director of Staff . Wing staff agencies consist of a variety of functions . These functions include legal , plans and programs , safety , command and control , chapel , public affairs , military equal opportunity , sexual assault prevention program , protocol , history and the inspector general . History . Strategic Air Command . Served as a double - sized B - 29 wing , November 1947 - April 1950 , and May 1950 - April 1951 , although one bomb group was generally deployed overseas for training or combat in Korea . Supervised a Reserve corollary bomb group , June 1949 - February 1951 . Pioneered mass B - 36 deployments to the Far East , August – September 1953 . Deployed at Andersen AFB , Guam , 16 October 1954 – 12 January 1955 and 26 April - 6 July 1956 . Added air refueling operations to bombardment mission in September 1957 . From July 1961 to August 1965 , controlled an Atlas missile squadron . Supported SAC activities in Southeast Asia from early 1965 to December 1975 through deployment of bomber and tanker aircraft and crews . In 1969 , supplied aircraft for Operation Giant Lance over Alaska , a secret mission designed to intimidate the Soviet Union into backing away from supporting the North Vietnamese . From March – September 1968 , March – September 1969 , and June 1972 - October 1973 , all wing B - 52s and many KC - 135s , plus aircrews and support personnel , were involved in Southeast Asia operations . After 1975 , performed joint USAF / Navy sea reconnaissance and surveillance missions . In 1983 , the Wing ' s B - 52Gs were modified to carry AGM - 86B Air - Launched Cruise Missiles ( ALCM ) . In 1985 , upgraded to B - 52H with improved strategic weapons carriage and offensive electronics capabilities . Earned the Fairchild Trophy in 1953 , 1986 , and again in 1992 when it won SAC ' s last competition and retired the trophy . Also won the Saunders Trophy for best air refueling unit in SAC for 1992 . Provided KC - 135 aircraft to tanker task forces in the US , Europe , and the Pacific through 1992 . Post Cold War era . Ended B - 52 alert duties in September 1992 , and ended bombardment mission in 1994 . On 24 June 1994 , a B - 52H practicing for an airshow crashed on the airfield while making an unauthorized , low altitude , steep turn . The aircraft exceeded 90 degrees of bank , entered a stall and impacted the ground killing all on board , including the squadron commander and chief of standardization - evaluation . Pilot error and failure of wing and higher headquarters supervision were identified as causes of the mishap . . Operational squadrons routinely augmented AMC ' s overseas tanker task forces in Panama , Europe , Turkey , and Southwest Asia to support contingency operations . Deployed personnel and aircraft to expeditionary bases in the United Kingdom , France , Germany , and Spain to support Operation ALLIED FORCE in 1999 . In 1999 the Wing became the 92d Air Expeditionary Wing at Morón Air Base in Spain , tasked with providing fuel to Operation Allied Force . In addition to serving as the HQ 92 AEW ( serving units in France , Crete , Sicily and Spain ) , Morón hosted 37 tankers ( KC - 135 and KC - 10 ) and 800 personnel . The 92 AEW became the largest Tanker Wing since the Vietnam War and held the distinction of being the largest tanker base during the Kosovo war . Components . Wings Group Squadrons