507th Air Refueling Wing The 507th Air Refueling Wing ( 507 ARW ) is an Air Reserve Component ( ARC ) of the United States Air Force . It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force , Air Force Reserve Command , stationed at Tinker Air Force Base , Oklahoma . If mobilized , the Wing is gained by the Air Mobility Command . Overview . The 507th Air Refueling Wing supports Air Mobility Command ’ s airlift and air refueling requirements , United States Strategic Command ’ s ( USSTRATCOM ) Single Integrated Operational Plan ( SIOP ) requirements , including overseas deployment , in times of peace , war , and national emergency as well as Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) flight inspection requirements . The 507th employs approximately 996 men and women . Approximately 210 members of the 507th are Air Reserve Technicians ( ARTs ) who serve as a full - time support cadre along with civilian employees and traditional reservists . Units . The 507th Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units : History . World War II . The 507th Fighter Group was organized in Bruning AAF , Nebraska , in 1944 . At least one of the pilots ( 1st Lt . Walter R . Frederick ) re - enlisted after putting in 300 hours in the European theatre . On 12 December 1944 , the 507th was reassigned to Dalhart AAF , near Dalhart , Texas . There the group ' s personnel received intensive training from its war - trained pilots in preparation for assignment to the Pacific Theatre . For four months they received combat training for long - range escort , strafing , and dive - bombing . The 507th Fighter group had three casualties during training : Second Lt . Glenn W . Dexler , Second Lt . Alden L . Kaylor , and Flight Officer Jack F . Anderson . Following months of delays , the 507th arrived in the Pacific Theater , being assigned to Ie Shima in the Ryukyu Islands on 28 June 1945 from Saipan / Tinian . The group was assigned to the Twentieth Air Force VII Fighter Command , 301st Fighter Wing . The 507th flew from Tinian to Saipan on 27 June so as to have a long runway for the fuel load needed to get to Ie Shima . On 1 July 1945 it began flying airstrikes from Ie Shima , targeting enemy ships , railroad bridges , airfields , factories , and barracks in Japan , Korea , and China . On 8 August 1945 the group escorted B - 29 bomber s on a raid , shooting down several Japanese fighters . The group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for outstanding performance in engaging and destroying Japanese interceptor aircraft during a long - range fighter sweep to Korea on 13 August 1945 . The 507th Fighter Group had ninety - five P - 47s and 150 pilots . Between flying their first combat mission on 1 July and war ' s end on 15 August , the pilots logged over 8700 combat hours . They destroyed thirty - eight aircraft in the air , fired over 600 , 000 rounds of 50 - caliber ammunition , dropped more than 480 , 000 pounds of CP bombs , 70 , 000 gallons of napalm firebombs and consumed a million gallons of gasoline . During these forty - six days of combat , the 507th flew forty - six missions : 1492 sorties , 367 bomber escorts , 178 photo escorts , and 115 dumbo escorts . The group also flew 351 dive bombing sorties , 254 napalm firebomb sorties and 135 fighter sweeps . Pilots averaged 55 . 8 combat hours and 9½ completed sorties . With the end of the war , the 507th was reassigned to Yontan Air Base , Okinawa in January 1946 . It was inactivated on 27 May 1946 . The names of those in the 507th Fighter Group who made the ultimate sacrifice are : First Lt . George W . Bradley , Second Lt . Willis E . Bean , Capt . Lanham C . Connally , First Lt . Walter R . Frederick , Second Lt . Earl G . Graham , Flight Officer Paul Lynn , Flight Officer Joseph B . Lawhon , Flight Officer Neal T . McGinnis , First Lt . Frank W . Mrneck , and First Lt . John R . Ranger . The 507th Fighter Group was awarded the Asiatic – Pacific ribbon with three battle stars - China Offensive , Ryukus Campaign and the Air Offensive Japan Campaign . The 507th also received the Presidential Unit Citation . Many of their pilots received the Air Medal . Cold War . From August 1955 to September 1968 , the 507th served in an air defense role , training with interceptor aircraft and participating in various exercises . It trained for tactical fighter missions , participating in numerous tactical , joint , and combined exercises , May 1972 - March 1973 and October 1975 - September 1994 . Air Force Reserve . The 507th was transferred to the Air Force Reserve and activated on 17 October 1975 . It was the first Air Force Reserve group to participate in Red Flag exercises ( 1978 ) , and the first to deploy to Turkey for an annual tour ( 1982 ) . It converted in 1994 from fighter to worldwide air refueling operations . From March 1996 to April 1997 , the wing also controlled the 513th Air Control Group , the only Reserve organization flying the E - 3 Airborne Warning and Control System ( AWACS ) aircraft . BRAC 2005 . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD realigned Will Rogers AGS by relocating the 137th Airlift Wing ( ANG ) to Tinker AFB and associate with the 507th Air Refueling Wing ( AFR ) . Associating the ANG operation at Will Rogers ( 64 - airlift ) with the AFR operation at Tinker ( 4 - tanker ) would consolidate and streamline Air Force reserve component operations in Oklahoma City at a base of high military value . In another recommendation , DoD recommended to realign Portland IAP AGS , OR . It would realign the 939th Air Refueling Wing ( AFR ) by distributing the wing ’ s KC - 135R aircraft to the 507th Air Refueling Wing ( AFR ) , Tinker AFB , OK ( four aircraft ) and another installation . Operations and maintenance manpower for four aircraft from the 939th Air Refueling Wing would be realigned with the aircraft to Tinker AFB . This recommendation would realign Portland ' s KC - 135R tanker aircraft to Tinker ( 4 ) because of its higher military value than Portland ( 71 ) for the tanker mission . It would remain operationally effective due to their proximity to air refueling missions . This recommendation would also robust the Reserve squadron size at Tinker . Finally , an Air National Guard and Reserve KC - 135 unit association would be established at Tinker to access Reserve experience and maximize regional Reserve participation in the aerial refueling mission .