McConnell Reserve unit receives Raincross Trophy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Abigail Klein
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  For the first time in its history, the 931st Air Refueling Group has received the Raincross Trophy, recognizing it as the best unit in 4th Air Force.

The award was presented Nov. 19 during the 16th annual Raincross Trophy Dinner in Riverside, Calif. The awards dinner is a highlight of the annual 4th Air Force Commander's Conference.

In addition to being selected as the first Air Force Reserve Command unit to fly and maintain the new KC-46 Pegasus tanker, the 931st ARG achieved a variety of accomplishments during the past year. These include partnering with the active-duty 22nd Air Refueling Wing to fly a total of 30,725 hours during more than 3,700 sorties and offload 87 million pounds of fuel. This ultimately accounted for 49 percent of Air Mobility Command's KC-135 Stratotanker flying hours.

The unit exclusively accomplished 1,070 local and off-station sorties, culminating in approximately 3,600 flight hours and exceeding the command's annual flying-hour program goal for the second consecutive year.

The 931st ARG also significantly supported the Kelly Field, Texas, C-5 Galaxy school house, delivering 17 of 29 weeks of support, guaranteeing the sustainment of one of Air Force Reserve Command's highest priority training missions.

The group's deployment record was also noted by command officials. This past year alone, the unit deployed 98 of its 659 members, providing mission-critical backfills for the Regular Air Force, accumulating more than 6,700 deployed man-days in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Overseas Contingency Operations.

While abroad, members of the 931st ARG transported 1,034 passengers and delivered 80,850 pounds of cargo. In addition, they fulfilled 916 receiver requirements while offloading 2.9 million pounds of fuel to receivers originating from four commands, two services and five allied countries.

Upon receiving the award at the conference, Col. Mark S. Larson, 931st ARG commander, congratulated the members of his unit and expressed his appreciation for the hard work and the efforts that led to this historic achievement.

"This is no small accomplishment and it is one that recognizes all who have served in the 931st and what they have done for so many years. We are very honored to receive this award," Larson said. "All the men and women of the 931st Air Refueling Group serve so faithfully day in and day out, and I am proud to be numbered among them."

In a testament to the unit's total force cooperation, Col. Joel Jackson, 22nd ARW commander, congratulated the 931st ARG and expressed his thanks for their continued support.

"This award recognizes the great work the 931st Air Refueling Group has accomplished," he said. "Their hard work has helped McConnell maintain our status as the world's premier tanker base. Congratulations to Colonel Larson and his group, this award is well-earned and deserved, and I am very proud to team with them."

The 931st ARG's top enlisted member echoed the commanders' praise.

"This award is simply a reflection of the caliber of people we have at the 931st," said Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen E. Lowman, 931st ARG superintendent. "It is the constant hard work and dedication of each member of the unit that makes this recognition possible. I am very proud to be able to serve with such an amazing collection of Airmen."

The Raincross Trophy originated more than 20 years ago, when the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce near March Air Reserve Base, Calif., cooperated with retired Brig. Gen. Stan Brown and the late David Goldware to create the "Riverside Trophy." Today the award honors the most outstanding unit in 4th Air Force.

The 931 ARG was activated at McConnell in January 1995 as the first KC-135 classic associate tanker unit in the Air Force. Currently, the unit has more than 650 personnel, including 174 air reserve technicians and 16 civilian employees.