McConnell Air Force Base






McConnell Air Force Base Located in Wichita, Kansas, McConnell Air Force Base is home to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing of the Air Mobility Command, the Air Force Reserve Command's 931st Air Refueling Group, and the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Intelligence Wing. The base is named for Fred, Thomas and Edwin McConnell, three Wichita brothers who served in the Air Force during World War II. History McConnell AFB is located on the site of what was originally the Wichita Municipal Airport, which was dedicated on June 28, 1929. In August 1941, the Kansas National Guard 127th Observation Squadron was activated as the first military unit assigned to the Wichita airport. During World War II, Boeing Aircraft produced B-29 Superfortress bombers at their plant which shared a runway with the airport , and the U.S. Air Force took over control of the airport in order to oversee the transfer of aircraft to various installations. The airport was returned to civilian jurisdiction in 1946. In 1950 the City of Wichita began work on a new airport west of the city and the Air Force agreed to take over the old airport grounds and locate an air base there. The Air Force took title to the old airport on May 31, 1951, and Wichita Air Force Base was officially activated on May 15, 1953; it was formally renamed McConnell Air Force Base on April 12, 1954. Major Commands to Which the Base Has Been Assigned Materiel Command, March 1, 1942 - July 17, 1944 AAF Materiel and Services, July 17, 1944 - August 31, 1944 AAF Technical Service Command, August 31, 1944 - July 1, 1945 Air Technical Service Command, July 1, 1945 - March 6, 1946 Air Materiel Command, March 9, 1946 - November 15, 1946 Air Training Command, June 7, 1951 - July 1, 1958 Strategic Air Command, July 1, 1958 - July 1, 1963 Tactical Air Command, July 1, 1963 - July 1, 1972 Strategic Air Command, July 1, 1972 - June 1, 1992 Air Combat Command, June 1, 1992 - December 31, 1993 Air Mobility Command, December 31, 1993 - present Major Units Assigned to Base (Principal Aircraft) Midwestern Procurement District Group, March 1, 1942 - September 7, 1945 724th AAF Base Unit, April 1, 1944 - July 31, 1945 4156th AAF Base Unit, September 7, 1945 - November 15, 1946 3520th Combat Crew Training Wing, June 5, 1951 - June 15, 1953 4347th Air Base Group, July 1, 1958 - January 1, 1959 4347th Combat Support Group, January 1, 1959 - March 1, 1962 42nd Air Division, June 15, 1959 - July 1, 1963 381st Strategic Missile Wing, March 1, 1962 - August 8, 1986 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, October 1, 1962 - February 8, 1964 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, February 8, 1964 - April 27, 1972 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, July 21, 1964 - June 8, 1969 835th Air Division, July 1, 1964 - June 8, 1969 91st Air Refueling Squadron, April 7, 1971 - November 30, 1971 384th Air Refueling Wing, December 1, 1971 - December 31, 1993 22nd Air Refueling Wing, January 1, 1994 - present Official website: http://mcconnell.af.mil World War II B-29 Superfortress U.S. Air Force Questions or comments about this page?
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