141st Fighter Squadron
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The 141st Air Refueling Squadron (141 ARS) is a unit of the
New Jersey Air National Guard The New Jersey Air National Guard (NJ ANG) is the aerial militia of the New Jersey, State of New Jersey, United States, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the New Jersey Army National Guard, an ...
108th Wing The 108th Wing is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard, one of the many units stationed at the McGuire Air Force Base entity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the Un ...
located at
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is unde ...
, New Jersey. The 141st is currently an "embedded classic associate" with the
305th Air Mobility Wing The 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command. It generates, mobilizes and deploys C-17 Globemaster III and KC-46A Pegasus aircraft. ...
, flying the
Boeing KC-46A Pegasus The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is an American military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the ...
since 2023. The 141st was first organized as the 141st Aero Squadron on 2 January 1918 at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, California. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
as a pursuit squadron as part of the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...
. The unit was demobilized after the war in 1919. The 141st has hereditary ties to the
341st Fighter Squadron The 341st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 348th Fighter Group, based at Osaka International Airport, Itami Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 10 May 1946. It was allocated to the Ne ...
, which fought in the
Pacific Theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the Cold War, the 141st was a fighter squadron, operating aircraft including the
North American F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing So ...
, Republic F-105B Thunderchief and
McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowers ...
.


History


141st Aero Squadron

The 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit) was a
United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...
pursuit squadron, and part of the
American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...
. It was assigned to the
4th Pursuit Group The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United ...
,
Second United States Army Second Army was most recently located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters U.S. Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6. Under the CIO/G-6, Second Army served as the single point of contact for Army missions an ...
, AEF near the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint) The squadron saw limited combat, and with Second Army's planned offensive drive on
Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
cancelled due to the
1918 Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed in a railroad car, in the Compiègne Forest near the town of Compiègne, that ended fighting on land, at sea, and in the air in World War I between the Entente and their las ...
, the squadron was assigned to the
United States Third Army The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army that saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...
as part of the
Occupation of the Rhineland The Occupation of the Rhineland placed the region of Germany west of the Rhine river and four bridgeheads to its east under the control of the victorious Allies of World War I from 1December 1918 until 30June 1930. The occupation was imposed a ...
in Germany. It returned to the United States in July 1919.


Organization

The squadron was organized at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, San Diego, California, on 8 October 1917. It was organized as an un-designated provisional unit with men drawn from the 14th and 18th Training Squadrons already at the field. The squadron trained with
Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" is a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft ...
Jennies at Rockwell Field. It was not until the latter part of December that the mechanics and support enlisted personnel were assigned to the squadron, and was given its formal designation as the 141st on 2 January 1918, when it was ordered to proceed to
Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 23,272 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within the Town of Hempstead ...
, for overseas deployment.Series "E", Volume 17, History of the 141st Aero Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. The 141st reached Field No. 2, near Garden City on 9 January, where final preparations for the squadron were made for overseas shipment. On 15 January it moved to Pier No. 45,
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...
, where it boarded the
Cunard The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...
liner , arriving at
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, awaiting to form up into a convoy. on the 19th, it began the overseas journey with seven other ships along with the cruiser USS ''San Diego'', arriving at
Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
on 30 January. On the 31st, after a train trip to
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
, England, the squadron was assigned to the Morn Hill Rest Camp for classification and advanced training in England.


Training in England

For the next several months, the squadron went through advanced training to prepare it for combat at the front in France. "A" Flight was assigned to
Dover, Kent Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
; "B" Flight at the
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main ...
, near London, and "C" Flight to
Northolt Airdrome Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...
, also near London. On 9 March 1918, the squadron reformed at Northolt, where it proceeded to th
Swingate Down Airdrome
near Dover, Kent where it received final training by the
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
. The squadron arrived in France on 16 August 1918 and moved to the St. Maixent Aerodrome for equipping. Orders to move were received on 27 August for the Air Service Production Center No. 2 at
Romorantin Aerodrome Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France. Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot built for the United ...
, where it waited for another nineteen days. Finally on 16 September it moved again to the 1st Air Depot at
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
where the 141st received
SPAD XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...
pursuit aircraft. There it was assigned to the 4th Pursuit Group, and moved to Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul) for combat duty, arriving on 19 October.


Meuse-Argonne Offensive

The squadron's insignia was an orange and black tiger with a flyer's helmet. The 141st flew its first patrol on 23 October and every day thereafter. Its combat commander,
Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Am ...
, was a famous hockey and football star at
Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...
before the war. It was said, Hobey preferred
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
men in his unit, preferably from Princeton. Indeed, he painted the aircraft in his squadron in Princeton colors: Orange and Black. The 141st shot down its first enemy aircraft on 28 October, by Captain Baker. A second enemy aircraft was shot down on 6 November by a patrol consisting of Captain Baker and Lieutenants Shelby, Cady, Hamiln and Chappell. The 141st was involved in 13 combats, the only pursuit squadron of the Air Service, Second Army to do so. After the November 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron remained at Gengault Aerodrome. Tragically, its commander, Captain Hobey Baker was killed on 21 December 1918 when he took a SPAD XIII up for one last ride. The SPAD developed engine trouble while taking off and Baker died when the aircraft crashed soon thereafter.


Third Army of Occupation

On 19 April 1919, the squadron was assigned to the Third Army Air Service, 5th Pursuit Group. It was moved to Coblenz Airdrome, Germany, to serve as part of the occupation force of the
Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...
. For the next several months the squadron was able to perform test flights on surrendered German aircraft. Flights of the
Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...
, Pfalz D.XII,
Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...
s and
Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer. History Founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p. ...
aircraft were made and evaluations were made.Section E, Volume 26, Supplemental Histories of the 25th-1102d Aero Squadrons, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. via http://www.fold3.com


Demobilization

On 18 June 1919, orders were received from Third Army for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot,
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's SPAD aircraft were delivered to the Air Service American Air Service Acceptance Park No. 1 at Orly Aerodrome to be returned to the French. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General, Services of Supply and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States.Series "O", Volume 22, Weekly Statistical Reports on progress of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Upon return to the US, most squadron personnel were demobilized at
Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York (state), New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden Ci ...
, New York on 18 July 1919.


Reconstitution

On 8 September 1973 By order of the Secretary of the Air Force, the 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit), demobilized on 19 July 1919 was reconstituted and allotted to the State of New Jersey. It was ordered consolidated with the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron. The consolidated unit was designated as the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron and was extended federal recognition by the National Guard Bureau same date. The consolidated unit was also bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit).


World War II

: ''see: 348th Fighter Group for full World War II history'' The 341st Fighter Squadron was activated at
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
, New York, on 30 September 1942. It was equipped with the
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
. The 341st was one of the first USAAF squadrons to be equipped with the P-47. After an extended period of training in the northeast United States, the squadron deployed to Archer Field (
Archerfield Airport Archerfield Airport is a leased federal airport located in Archerfield, Queensland, Archerfield, to the south of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For some time, it was the primary airport in Brisbane, but it is now the secondary airport. During ...
), Brisbane, Australia in June 1943. Began long-range missions to strike at Japanese targets in
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
. In mid-June the 341st made the 1,200-mile flight from Brisbane to
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...
, New Guinea. The unit operated from New Guinea and Noemfoor until November 1944, flying patrol and reconnaissance missions and escorted bombers to targets in New Guinea and
New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...
. In 1944 the 341st began to attack airfields, installations, and shipping in western New Guinea, Ceram, and Halmahera to aid in neutralizing those areas preparatory to the US invasion of the Philippines. When U.S. troops landed on
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
the squadron in process of conversion from P-47's to
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s, began operation from San Marcelino airstrip a few days after the landing at
San Marcelino San Marcelino, officially the Municipality of San Marcelino (; ), is a municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,719 people. Etymology The town got its name after the first ' ...
and
Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...
. From this location the unit engaged in ground support operations, bombing and strafing in close support of ground troops. Remained in the Philippines throughout the campaign, moving to
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
in mid July 1945 in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan. Engaged in long-range operations over the
Japanese Home Islands The is an archipelago of 14,125 islands that form the country of Japan. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East China and Philippine seas in the southwest along the Pacific coast of the Eurasian continent, and cons ...
until ceasing combat on 14 August 1945. Became part of the Army of Occupation in Japan, moving to
Itami Airfield , often referred to as , is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including its major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is the airport closest to Osaka, being 11 km (7 mi) north of Osaka Station, as well as K ...
, Japan in October 1945 as part of
Far East Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at the Hickam AFB portion of Join ...
. Inactivated at Itami Airfield on 10 May 1946.


New Jersey Air National Guard


Cold War

The wartime 341st Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 141st Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the
New Jersey National Guard The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantan ...
, on 24 May 1946. It was organized and redesignated as the 141st Strategic Fighter Squadron at
Mercer Airport Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...
, Trenton, New Jersey and was extended federal recognition on 26 May 1949. The 141st Strategic Fighter Squadron icwas entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 341st. The squadron was equipped with
F-47D Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a United States Army Air Corps, USAAC requirement for a new fighter ...
s and was assigned to the 108th Strategic Fighter Group. In the late 1940s, the new
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
(SAC) was manned by personnel of the wartime Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces. During World War II they usually encountered swarms of enemy fighters and knew the importance of having fighter escorts. In the postwar era, SAC had fighter wings placed under their own operational control. The squadron trained in escorting SAC's B-29 and later B-50 and B-36 strategic bombers. The unit was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951. The squadron was sent to
Turner Air Force Base Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters * Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for tur ...
, Georgia where it continued its mission to provide fighter escorts to SAC bombers on training missions. In December 1951 it moved to
Godman Air Force Base Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Knox United States Army military base, post in Hardin County, Kentucky, Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the U ...
, Kentucky where it replaced a unit deployed to England. It was released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control on 10 November 1952. With return to state control, the parent 108th Wing was transferred to
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
(ADC) and was redesignated as a Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The 141st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was re-equipped with the long-range
North American P-51H Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA- ...
fighter. Designed for the invasion of Japan, the P-51H was the last variant of the P-51 Mustang of World War II, but was produced too late to see any wartime combat. Not used in the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
due to it not being believed as "rugged" as its famous "D" model predecessor, the P-51H was used instead to equip Air National Guard units into the 1950s as an ADC interceptor. In 1955, the Mustangs were retired and the squadron entered the jet age, with the arrival of the
North American F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing So ...
. The parent 108th FIW was transferred to
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
(TAC) in 1958, being re-designated as a Tactical Fighter Wing. The 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron transferred its interceptors and received and
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak is an American swept-wing turbojet-powered fighter-bomber. The RF-84F Thunderflash is variant of the F-84F that was designed for photo reconnaissance. The design was originally intended to be a relatively simp ...
fighter-bombers. At the height of the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
in 1961, the squadron was again federalized as a result of tensions concerning the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...
. 28 F-84F's of the 141st and officers and airmen from all three squadrons of the 108th Wing were deployed to Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France on 16 October with the last aircraft and personnel arriving on 6 November. The ground units deployed by sealift, with the deployed elements reaching Chaumont by 17 November. In France, the deployed elements were assigned to the Provisional
United States Air Forces Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
7108th Tactical Wing on 20 November due to the reduced strength of the 108th Wing in Europe. The primary mission of the 7108th was to provide close air support to the Seventh Army in Europe under the direction of ground
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
lers. To accomplish this mission, up to 30 sorties were flown each day. The deployment to France ended in October 1962 and the unit returned to New Jersey state control, leaving the F-84Fs in France. Upon return from France, the squadron was moved from Trenton to
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is unde ...
due to air congestion in the Philadelphia area. At McGuire, the squadron was re-equipped with
North American F-86H Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
s. Beginning in 1965, the Sabres were retired and the squadron began to receive the Republic F-105B Thunderchief. The 108th was the first Air National Guard unit to fly twice the speed of sound. In May 1981, the
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by ...
replaced the F-105s, and in 1985, they were upgraded to the F-4E Phantom II.


Tankers

With the end of the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, the parent 108th Tactical Fighter Wing was re-aligned to a
Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
air refueling wing. The F-4Es were retired and the squadron was redesignated as the 141st Air Refueling Squadron. Also, as part of the conversion of the wing to the Objective Wing organization, the 108th Tactical Fighter Group became the 108th Operations Group, to which the 141st was assigned. The 141st ARS received its first KC-135E on 27 September 1991, flying its first refueling mission on 6 December. The squadron flew their first operational KC-135E mission on 16 January 1992, conducting a nighttime refueling of a
Boeing E-3B Sentry The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an American airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft developed by Boeing. E-3s are commonly known as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System). Derived from the Boeing 707 airliner, it provides all-weathe ...
that was en-route to the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
. The 141st was certified combat ready on 3 December 1992. The very next day it was tasked with its first operational deployment – nothing less than spearheading and establishing the U.S. – Somalia air bridge for the
Unified Task Force The Unified Task Force (UNITAF), also known as Operation Restore Hope, was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational military force deployed to Somalia from 5 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. It was established to replace United ...
deployment there. It deployed an air refueling detachment to Moron Air Base, Spain. In September 1994, for over 30 days, five aircraft deployed to
Pisa Airport Pisa International Airport — also named Galileo Galilei Airport — is an international airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is one of the two major airports in Tuscany, the other being Florence Airport. Pisa is ranked 10th in Italy in terms o ...
, Italy for
Operation Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the ...
. The wing replaced the
126th Air Refueling Wing The 126th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard. It is stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. ...
of the
Illinois Air National Guard The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Illinois, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Illinois Army National Guard, an element of the Illinois Natio ...
. The 108th was the first Air National Guard unit to take full responsibility during that period. In 2007, the 141st began retiring its KC-135E aircraft and transitioning to the KC-135R, completing the conversion by 2008. In 2017, the squadron commemorated its centenary by applying a special tiger scheme to KC-135R ''62-3508''. On 20 September 2023, the squadron flew its last mission with the KC-135R, as it transitioned to becoming an associate squadron of the
305th Air Mobility Wing The 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command. It generates, mobilizes and deploys C-17 Globemaster III and KC-46A Pegasus aircraft. ...
, flying
Boeing KC-46A Pegasus The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is an American military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the ...
tankers. The 141st flew its first KC-46A sortie on 3 October 2023, launching two aircraft (callsigns Hobey 41 and 42), which refueled
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
s before taking turns refueling each other.


Lineage

; 141st Air Refueling Squadron * Organized on 8 October 1917 as an undesignated unit. : Designated 141st Aero Squadron on 2 January 1918 : Redesignated 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit) on 16 September 1918 : Demobilized on 19 July 1919 * Reconstituted, redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron, allotted to the National Guard and extended federal recognition on 8 September 1973 : Redesignated 141st Air Refueling Squadron on 19 October 1991 ; 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron * Constituted as the 341st Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 24 September 1942 : Activated on 30 September 1942 : Inactivated on 10 May 1946 * Redesignated 141st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine and allotted to the
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
on 24 May 1946 : Activated and extended federal recognition on 26 May 1949 : Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 March 1951 * Redesignated 141st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 16 May 1951 : Inactivated and released from active duty on 1 December 1952 : Returned to New Jersey state control and activated on 1 December 1952 : Redesignated 141st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron c. 1 July 1955 : Redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Special Delivery) on 1 July 1958 : Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 October 1961 : Released from active duty, returned to New Jersey state control and redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 30 August 1962 * Withdrawn from the National Guard, redesignated 341st Fighter Squadron and disbanded on 8 September 1973


Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Rockwell Field, 8 October 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 9 January 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles, 30 January 1918 (attached to the
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
for training after 31 January 1918) * Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, 16 August 1918 * Air Service Production Center No. 2, AEF, 27 August – 16 September 1918 *
4th Pursuit Group The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United ...
, 23 October 1918 *
5th Pursuit Group The 5th Pursuit Group was an Air Service, United States Army unit that was assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. It was demobilized in Germany after serving with the Third Army Air Service as part of the American Occu ...
, 19 April 1919 * 1st Air Depot, 18 June 1919 * Commanding General, Services of Supply, July 1919 * Eastern Department, July 1919 * 348th Fighter Group, 30 September 1942 – 10 May 1946 *
108th Fighter Group 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
(later 108th Fighter-Bomber Group), 26 May 1949 – 1 December 1952 * 108th Fighter-Bomber Group (later 108th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 108th Tactical Fighter Group), 10 November 1952 * 7108th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1961 * 108th Tactical Fighter Group, 30 August 1962 – 8 September 1973 * 108th Tactical Fighter Group, 8 September 1973 * 108th Operations Group, 19 October 1991 – present * Deployment to Incirlik AB, Turkey 1990's


Stations

*
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, California, 8 October 1917 *
Aviation Concentration Center Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September ...
, Garden City, New York, 9 January 1918 * Morn Hill Rest Camp,
Winchester, England Winchester (, ) is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of ...
, 31 January 1918 : "A" flight, Dover, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 : "B" flight,
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main ...
, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 : "C" flight,
Northolt Airdrome Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...
, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 * Swingate Down Airdrome, England, 10 March-10 August 1918 *
St. Maixent Replacement Barracks The Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks is a former military facility in the vicinity of Saint-Maixent-l'École, Poitou-Charentes, France. It was used by the Air Service, United States Army as the Air Service Replacement Concentration ...
, France, 16 August 1918 *
Romorantin Aerodrome Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France. Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot built for the United ...
, France, 27 August 1918 *
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 16 September 1918 * Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul), France, 19 October 1918 * Coblenz Airdrome (Fort Kaiser Alexander), Germany, 19 April 1919 *
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 18 June 1919 * France, July 1919 *
Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York (state), New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden Ci ...
, New York, July 1919 * Mitchel Field, New York, 30 September 1942 * Bradley Field, Connecticut, 30 September 1942 *
Westover Field Westover may refer to: People *Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian *Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, Ame ...
, Massachusetts, 30 October 1942 *
Hillsgrove Army Air Field Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Isla ...
, Rhode Island, 23 January 1943 * Westover Field, Massachusetts, 26 April – 9 May 1943 * Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome),
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...
, New Guinea, 23 June 1943 * Finschafen Airfield (Dreger Field), New Guinea, 13 December 1943 * Saidor Airfield, New Guinea, 13 March 1944 *
Wakde Airfield Wakde Airfield is a World War II airfield located on Wakde Island, off the northern coast of New Guinea in Papua, Indonesia. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state. History The airfield ...
, Netherlands East Indies, 26 May 1944 * Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield Noemfoor, Netherlands East Indies, 24 August 1944 * Tacloban Airfield,
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
, Philippines, 30 November 1944 *
Tanauan Airfield Tanauan Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Tanauan in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war. History The airfield was built by the Americans shortly after landing on Leyte in November 1944. It was used b ...
, Leyte, Philippines, 14 December 1944 *
San Marcelino Airfield San Marcelino Airfield is a World War II airfield located in Zambales province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It was closed after the war. History San Marcelino Airfield was built before the war by the Americans. On ...
,
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, Philippines, 4 February 1945 *
Floridablanca Airfield Cesar Basa Air Base, or simply Basa Air Base (formerly known as Floridablanca Airfield) , is an airbase currently operated by the Philippine Air Force. It is located at Floridablanca, Pampanga about northwest of Metro Manila in the Philippines. ...
, Luzon, Philippines, c. 15 May 1945 *
Ie Shima Airfield is a training facility, managed by the United States Marine Corps and a former World War II airfield complex on Ie Shima, an island located off the northwest coast of Okinawa Island in the East China Sea. The airfield as such was inactivated ...
, Ryuku Islands, 9 July 1945 *
Kanoya Airfield is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . It is located southwest of the city of Kanoya in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Runway 08R/26L is equipped with ILS. History The Kanoya Air Group was formed on 1 April 1936 and ...
, Japan, 9 September 1945 *
Itami Airfield , often referred to as , is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including its major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is the airport closest to Osaka, being 11 km (7 mi) north of Osaka Station, as well as K ...
, Japan, c. 20 October 1945 – 10 May 1946 * Mercer Airport, New Jersey, 26 May 1949 * Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 March 1951 * Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, 11 December 1951 – 1 December 1952 * McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 1 December 1952 * Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, 1 October 1961 * McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 30 August 1962 – 8 September 1973 * McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 8 September 1973 – present


Aircraft

* SPAD S.VII, 1918 *
SPAD S.XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...
, 1918–1919 *
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
, 1942–1945 *
North American P-51D Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA- ...
, 1945–1946 * Republic F-47D Thunderbolt, 1949–1952 * North American F-51H Mustang, 1952–1955 * North American F-86E Sabre, 1955–1958 * Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1958–1962 * North American F-86H Sabre, 1962–1965 * Republic F-105B Thunderchief, 1965–1981 * McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, 1981–1985 * McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, 1985–1991 * Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker, 1991–2007 * Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, 2007–2023 * Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, 2023–present


Operations and decorations

* Combat Operations: World War I; World War II * Campaigns: Meuse-Argonne Offensive; Air Offensive, Japan; Bismark-Archipelago; Luzon; Northern Solomons; New Guinea; Ryukyus; Southern Philippines * Decorations: : Presidential Unit Citation, New Britain, 16–31 December 1943 : Presidential Unit Citation, Philippines, 24 December 1944 – 9 July 1945


See also

*
Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force The Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force on 11 November 1918, represents its maximum strength in World War I. Units of the Air Service are listed as assigned to the order of battle for that date, which was that of ...
*
List of American aero squadrons This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed. Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviation ...


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * United States War Department (1920), Battle Participation of Organizations of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Belgium and Italy, 1917–1919, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1920 * David K. Vaughan, Flying for the Air Service: The Hughes Brothers in World War I, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, OH 43403, .


External links


141st Air Refueling Squadron lineage and history
{{Navboxes , list = {{US Air Force navbox {{USAF air refueling units Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in New Jersey