State Partnership Program

Video by Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

185th Air Refueling Wing mobilization exercise on track despite covid-19 and hurricane

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

Sept. 13, 2020 | 8:34

B-roll of the flight line at the Sioux City, Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing. Video shows various aircraft arriving in Sioux City in order to assist with the unit’s mobility exercise.

The 185th is participating in a weeklong mobility exercise after making a last minute decision to move the event away from the Gulf Coast. Unit members were originally scheduled to go to Gulfport, Mississippi but due the weather in region the exercise location was changed.

The Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing is equipped with the U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker mid-air refueling aircraft that can normally be seen at the western Iowa based Air Wing.

Several other aircraft arrived in Sioux City as part of the Iowa Air National Guard Wing’s participation in a deployment exercise. This weeks event involves nearly every agency that is part of the 185th ARW.

Air National Guard aircraft from three states arrived over the weekend. A U.S. Air Force C-130 from the 182nd Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard from Peoria, Ill was part of the aircraft movement.

A U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus from the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing was in Sioux City to help move Airmen and cargo.

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster from the 105th Air Wing from the Stewart Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y. is also part of the 185th exercise. The C-17 is a large transport aircraft primarily used to move cargo.

The weeklong exercise this week is designed to test the 185th Air Refueling Wing’s ability to mobilize the unit and be able to set up and operate in a deployed location.

Lower thirds
Lt Col Scott Slaughter
Exercise Deployment Commander