Sioux City Air National Guard Base

Sioux City Air National Guard Base is located 7.2 miles south-southeast of Sioux City, Iowa, near Sergeant Bluff. The installation shares facilities with Sioux Gateway Airport, also designated as Colonel Bud Day Field. Established in March 1942 as Sioux City Army Air Base, the site served as a training center under II Bomber Command during World War II for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator crews. The 354th Army Air Force Base Unit functioned as the host unit during this period. Following a transition to B-29 Superfortress training in 1945, the base closed in December 1945.

The facility reopened in September 1946 for use by the Air Force Reserve, and the 185th Iowa Air National Guard unit was established there in December 1946. During the 1950s, the base was utilized by Air Defense Command and hosted the 521st Air Defense Group, which operated F-86 Sabre, F-84 Thunderstreak, and F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft. In 1959, the mission transitioned to command and control with the establishment of a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-22). This center was operated by the Sioux City Air Defense Sector and the 30th Air Division until 1968, at which point the Iowa Air National Guard became the host unit. In 1968, the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed from the base to Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam.

The base is currently operated by the Iowa Air National Guard and hosts the 185th Air Refueling Wing. The 174th Air Refueling Squadron is the flying unit assigned to the wing. The mission involves providing mid-air refueling and mobility sustainment for the U.S. Air Force, as well as supporting state emergency operations for the State of Iowa. The wing operates KC-135R and KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft. Previous airframes assigned to units at the installation included P-51 Mustangs, F-80C Shooting Stars, F-100C Super Sabres, A-7D Corsair IIs, and F-16 Fighting Falcons.