Sioux City, Iowa -- Deployment recognition; change of command ceremonies planned for March training weekend
Saturday March 2, 2019 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively in the fuel cell hanger at the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa. These events are open to members of the media, retirees, unit members and their families but due to parking and operational concerns these events are not open to the general public.
Deployment recognition ceremony
Members of the media are invited to attend a Deployment Recognition Ceremony to honor members of the 185th Air Refueling Wing who have deployed to various locations overseas. This event will take place on Saturday March 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in the Fuel Cell hangar at the Sioux City, Iowa Air National Guard base located at the Sioux City airport.
Members of the Air National Guard deploy in small groups or individually and at different times throughout the year. Because the nature of the deployment cycle makes it difficult to hold formal sendoff and homecoming ceremonies 185th Air Refueling Wing Commander Colonel Larry Christensen would like to take this opportunity to recognize the recent deployments of these unit members.
The deployment recognition ceremony will honor unit members who deployed from May 1, 2015 through Aug 31, 2018. During this time 457 unit members deployed to 13 different locations for a period of 30 up to 277 days. Some Airmen deployed up to four times during this time. Roughly half of those who deployed during this time deployed as part of the reserve component period, while the others supported ongoing U.S. military operations around the globe. The RCP deployments were 6 month long or around 180 day deployments.
Airmen from the 185th have continued to deploy worldwide in support of the Department of Defense operations throughout Central and West Asia, Africa, Europe and the Pacific.
Change of command
Members of the media are also invited to attend a change of command ceremony planned for Saturday March 2, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in the fuel cell hangar.
Sioux City, Iowa native Colonel Mark Muckey will officially take command of the 185th Air Refueling Wing from the current 185th Commander, Colonel Larry Christensen at the ceremony.
Christensen has been the Wing Commander since 2014 and plans to continue working with the Iowa guard as the Chief of Staff of the Iowa Air National Guard, Headquartered at Camp Dodge near Des Moines, Iowa.
During his time as commander Christensen oversaw one of the highest rates of continuous operation in the unit’s history. Unit members from nearly every work area, as well as unit aircraft have deployed almost continuously throughout the globe over his past five years as commander.
A native of Sioux City, Colonel Mark Muckey originally joined the 185th Fighter Wing in 1984. Initially Muckey joined the Air Guard as an enlisted member, later obtaining his commission and attending undergraduate pilot training. Muckey is a KC-135 pilot and has served in various capacities most recently serving as the Air National Guard Advisor to the Air Mobility Command Inspector General at Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis, Mo.
Media representatives are invited and encouraged to attend these important events and are asked to please be in place a half hour prior to the beginning of the events respectively.
For information concerning these events and the ongoing operations of the 185th, please contact Capt. Jeremy McClure 185th Public Affairs Officer or Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot 185th Public Affairs Superintendent at 712-233-0732 or Cell 712-266-5699.