TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) - The Air Force Reserve Command's 507th Air Refueling Wing begins a new partnership in August when members of the Oklahoma Air National Guard team up for the drill weekend.
With this action, the 507th ARW will become the first AFRC wing to have an Air National Guard wing associated with it.
Approximately eight Oklahoma Air National Guard aircrew members are part of an initial cadre working side-by-side with their Reserve hosts to stand up associate operations.
As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, the 137th Airlift Wing at Will Rogers World Airport was identified to lose their C-130 Hercules aircraft and convert to a KC-135 Stratotanker associate unit with the 507th ARW.
Under this associate organization, the 507th ARW is the host wing with all 12 aircraft owned by AFRC. The Oklahoma Air National Guard will maintain separate administrative and operational control, but be associated with the 507th ARW, working together to fly and maintain all aircraft. For deployable tasking, both the 507th ARW and 137th AW will function with six primary aircraft assigned.
"When you think about it, starting this associate relationship is pretty exciting," said Col. Jeffery R. Glass, the 507th ARW commander. "We're part of a DOD-wide Total Force Initiative reorganization. We're going to show that our air reserve component mix will be just as viable and beneficial to national defense."
According to an April 2007 Site Activation Task Force report, the main body of aircrew and maintenance personnel should begin arriving before the end of the year.
(Courtesy of Air Force Reserve Command News Service)