Sioux City Iowa ANG 174th ARS

“Sioux City Iowa ANG 174th ARS” vintage style military aviation travel poster art by – Squadron Posters!

The Aircrew of the 174th Air Refueling Squadron (174 ARS) are also known as the “Bats” stemming from their night missions in Vietnam when it was a Tactical Fighter Squadron. The only combat loss was loss on 14 July 1968 when 1Lt Warren K. Brown in an F-100 was shot down by enemy ground fire while on an airstrike. The other symbol often associated with been the Indian Chief that is part of the unit patch as well as part of the paintwork on the aircraft. The Indian Chieftain is symbolic of the brave Indian warriors, like War Eagle, who once lived in the Sioux land area. The “Bat” depicted on the tails of the aircraft and the shoulder patch of the pilots during the Vietnam War became a legendary symbol of the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron. “Bat” was the call sign of the 174th during its Vietnam War service, and the “Bats” became renowned for their outstanding performance.

Sioux City Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Sioux Gateway Airport It is located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south-southeast of Sioux City, Iowa. On 25 May 2002, the airport was named “Colonel Bud Day Field” in honor of United States Air Force Colonel George Everette “Bud” Day, a Sioux City, Iowa native and is the only person ever awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross.

The KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport aircraft. The KC-135 was the US Air Force’s first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratofreighter. The KC-135 was initially tasked with refueling strategic bombers, but it was used extensively in the Vietnam War and later conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm to extend the range and endurance of US tactical fighters and bombers.