SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Established in late 1946, what is now the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City started as the Air Force’s 386th Fighter Squadron flying P-47 Thunderbolts.
In the 90s, the 185th was home to the F-16 Falcons. The runway that the base shares with the Sioux Gateway Airport was built for the smaller, lighter aircraft. But when the 185th transitioned to a refueling wing in 2003, piloting the large KC-135s you see today, the current runway wasn’t designed to handle the greater load of the aircraft.
“So when we converted in about 2003-2004, it was determined