166th Fighter Squadron
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The 166th Air Refueling Squadron (166 ARS) is a unit of the
Ohio Air National Guard The Ohio Air National Guard (OH ANG) is the aerial militia of the Ohio, State of Ohio, United States, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Ohio Army National Guard an element of the Ohio Na ...
121st Air Refueling Wing The 121st Air Refueling Wing (121 ARW) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force (USAF) Air Mob ...
located at
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie R ...
, Columbus, Ohio. Since 1993 the 166th has been equipped with ten KC-135R Stratotankers. Prior to 1993, the unit was known as 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron (166 TFS), operating a variety of fighter and
ground-attack Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires d ...
aircraft including
Republic F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunde ...
,
North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...
and
LTV A-7 Corsair II The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
.


History


World War II

The 364th Fighter Squadron was established at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942 and was part of the
357th Fighter Group The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as the Yoxford ...
. Became part of the
United States Air Forces in 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 ...
army of occupation in Germany during 1945. Inactivated in Germany during August 1946.


Ohio Air National Guard

The wartime 364th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 166th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Lockbourne Army Airfield, Columbus, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 10 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 166th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 364th Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with
F-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- ...
s and was assigned initially to the Illinois ANG 66th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...
. On 7 December 1947 the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized and the squadron was transferred. With the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 166th Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans. In October 1948 the squadron exchanged its F-51Ds for F-51H Mustang very long range escort fighters that were suitable for long-range interception of unknown aircraft identified by Ground Control Interceptor radar stations, the 166th being one of the first ANG squadrons to receive the F-51H. In March 1950, the squadron entered the jet age with the receipt of Republic F-84C Thunderjets.


Korean War federalization

With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was called to active duty. The 166th Fighter Squadron was federalized on 10 February 1951 and assigned to the 122d Fighter-Interceptor Group of the
Indiana Air National Guard The Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG) is the aerial militia of the Indiana, state of Indiana, United States, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of ...
of
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 ...
as the 166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The squadron initially remained at Lockbourne and flew
air defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
training missions. On 20 September, the 166th was reassigned to the Federalized Oregon ANG 142d Fighter-Interceptor Group which was headquartered at
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...
with no change of mission. However, ADC was experiencing difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage. Therefore, in February 1952 the squadron was reassigned to the 4706th Defense Wing, which was organized on a geographic basis. However,
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) had taken over Lockbourne AFB on 1 April 1951 and it was decided to move the 166th to Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio, which was accomplished in August 1952. The move resulted in a reassignment to the 4708th Air Defense Wing. The squadron was released from Federal Service and returned to Ohio state control on 1 November and its mission, personnel and F-84 aircraft at Youngstown were taken over by the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.


Air defense command

After the Korean War mobilization ended, the ADC 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron assumed the assets of the 166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-84Cs and many of their personnel. The 166th was re-equipped with F-51H Mustangs which the squadron flew until 1954 when the 166th received refurbished F-80A Shooting Stars that had been modified and upgraded to F-80C standards. With the F-80s, the squadron began standing daytime air defense alert at Youngstown, placing two aircraft at the end of the runway with pilots in the cockpit from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. The squadron only operated the Shooting Star until January 1955 when the 166th received F-84E Thunderjets that had returned from wartime duty in Korea. Upgraded with new
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 ...
s in November 1957, the gaining command of the squadron became
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), however, it remained attached to Air Defense Command in a secondary role. In 1959, the need for active duty Air Defense Command bases and regular Air Force fighter-interceptor operations were diminishing and the intent to scale back operations at Youngstown AFB was announced on 28 October 1959. The Ohio Air National Guard moved the 121st FBG back to Lockbourne Air Force Base on 1 March 1960.


1961 Berlin Crisis

The 121st Tactical Fighter Wing were called to active duty for a period of twelve months on 1 October. When activated, the wing consisted of three operational units, the Ohio ANG 162d Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at Springfield Municipal Airporto; the Ohio ANG
164th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 164th Airlift Squadron (164 AS) is a squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard 179th Airlift Wing located at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base, Mansfield, Ohio. The 164th AS was most recently equipped with the C-130 Hercules. History Worl ...
, based at Mansfield-Lahm Municipal Airport, and the 166th TFS. The mission of the activated 121st TFW was to reinforce the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), and deploy to Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, a standby USAFE base. However, due to funding shortages, only 26 F-84F Thunderstreaks of 166th TFS was deployed to France, although several ground support units from the 162nd and 164th were also deployed. On 4 November the first ANG T-33 aircraft arrived at Etain, with the F-84's arriving on 16 November. On 11 December, the deployed units of the 121st TFW were redesignated the 7121st Tactical Wing. Ground shipments of equipment and supplies arrived from
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
during January 1962 along with additional supplies and equipment from the Chateauroux-Deols Air Depot. The mission of the 7121st TW was tactical air support of US Army units in case of an armed conflict with the
Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
, and alert began almost immediately upon arrival. Four F-84F's were loaded with armament and maintained on alert 24/7 for continual launch preparedness. However, as the F-84 was a day fighter only, its night alert was of limited use if necessary. Rotational deployments to the gunnery range at Wheelus AB were also made, where the excellent weather and ranges there provided the Air National Guard pilots an opportunity to re-qualify in air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons delivery. Weather permitting, daily missions at U S Army training ranges in West Germany were also flown to exercise with ground units there. Several ANG fighter pilots were detached as Forward Air Controllers and Air Liaison Officers to work with Seventh Army units, and additional pilots were deployed from Ohio to keep the squadron at full strength. A NATO exchange program was conducted with the West German Air Force, with 4 F-84's being deployed to Hopsten Air Base, West Germany with an equal number of German personnel and aircraft being deployed to Etain to fly missions with the 166th. This was the first German Air Force deployment to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
since the end of World War II. In July 1962 the deployed Air National Guardsmen were no longer needed in Europe and the 7121st began to redeploy its personnel to Ohio. All the aircraft and support equipment, however, remained at Etain to equip a new wing being formed there, the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. The last of the ANG personnel departed on 9 August 1962.


Tactical air command

Having left their Thunderstreaks in France, the 166th TFW was re-equipped with
F-100C Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United S ...
fighter-bombers, which greatly enhanced its mission capabilities. During the mid-1960s the squadron trained with the supersonic jet, however on 26 January 1968, in response to the USS Pueblo incident, President Johnson mobilized a major portion of the Selected Reserve Force, which included the 166th TFS. Along with the Kansas ANG F-100C 127th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 166th was federalized and deployed to
Kunsan Air Base Kunsan K-8 Air Base () is a United States Air Force base located at Gunsan Airport, on the west coast of the Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is located in the town of Gunsan (also romanized as Kunsan), about south of Seoul. Kun ...
, South Korea. The federalized ANG squadrons were assigned as part of the
354th Tactical Fighter Wing The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF). The wing replaced the 343d Fighter W ...
. The squadrons flew deterrent air defense missions over South Korean airspace during the next year. During the deployment some pilots flew combat missions in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
while performing temporary assignments with other units. The performance of the ANG units at Kusan in 1968–69 suggested the prerequisites of effective air reserve programs and paved the way for adoption of the total force policy in 1970 which exists today. On 10 June 1968, the ANG squadrons returned to the United States after the men of the Pueblo were released. However, the experience of the F-100's in South Korea showed the Air Force that the F-100C was not a good air defense aircraft. The F-100s were aging and clearly unsuited to the most pressing operational responsibilities in the event of an attack by the North Koreans. In addition, the F-100's were slow in attaining altitude and lacked an effective all-weather, air-to-air combat capability, essential in Korea. In 1971 the F-100Cs were retired and replaced by
F-100D/F Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United S ...
s, being received from combat units in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
that were returning to the United States. In 1974 Lockbourne AFB was renamed Rickenbacker AFB in honor of Captain
Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (born Edward Rickenbacher, October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.A-7D Corsair II The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design wa ...
in December which brought with it additional missions. Beginning in 1977, the 166th began a
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
commitment to the
United States Air Forces in 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 ...
(USAFE), and began deployments to West German and English bases exercising with NATO and USAFE units in a series of exercises. The first deployment, in May 1977 to Ingolstadt Manching Air Base, West Germany the 166th deployed 10 A-7Ds as part of "Coronet Whist". In Germany, the units A-7Ds exercised with A-7s from the PA ANG 146th TFS (Pittsburgh IAP) and West German aircraft. In July 1978, a deployment to
RAF Wittering Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire ...
, England saw 3 A-7Ds as part of "Coronet Teal". When the active duty units departed in 1979, Rickenbacker became an Air National Guard Base with the 121st as its largest flying unit. The 1980s brought new and more demanding tasks when the 121st became part of President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
's
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) is an inactive United States Department of Defense Joint Task Force. It was first envisioned as a three- division force in 1979 as the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), a highly mobile rapid deployment ...
(RDJTF) and was ultimately integrated into war plans as a part of
United States Central Command Air Forces 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 ...
(CENTAF) in the 1980s. Training for this high priority mission was intense and included many deployments, exercises and evaluations. Additional deployments during the 1980s were Coronet Castle and Coronet Miami at RAF Sculthorpe, England, and "Creek Corsair". Cornet Fox, at Leck Air Base, West Germany in May 1986, saw the squadron stage though Lajes Air Base, Azores and
RAF Mildenhall Royal Air Force Mildenhall, or more simply RAF Mildenhall , is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station located near Mildenhall, Suffolk, Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as a List of Royal Air Force stations, ...
, England before arriving in West Germany A deployment in July and August 1988, to
Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: SPM, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the United States Air Force as a tenant constru ...
, West Germany, being the last NATO deployment for the squadron with the Corsairs. By the time of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990, the A-7D Corsairs were not considered front-line aircraft and the squadron was not activated. However the 121st TFW provided support for operations at home station while smaller elements and individuals served as active duty augmenters in several locations. The 121st Security Forces Squadron was activated and deployed to the Persian Gulf in November 1990. Stationed at Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain, it served under combat conditions, returning home in April 1991.


Air refueling

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 ...
, a major reorganization of the Air Force was soon underway which would bring about the most significant mission change in the history of the 121st. After 35 years of flying fighters it was to become an air refueling wing. In 1992, the A-7D’s were flown to storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and the first
KC-135R 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 ...
s were received. The 121st also assumed base support responsibilities. In October 1993, the 121st Air Refueling Wing was consolidated with the 160th Air Refueling Group which was inactivated in the process. With this consolidation, the 121st became a "Super Wing" by gaining the
145th Air Refueling Squadron The 145th Air Refueling Squadron (145 ARS) is an inactive unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 121st Air Refueling Wing located at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. The 145th was equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker. The squa ...
. Under the 120th ARW, the squadron began flying from bases in southern France to support strike aircraft during
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 ...
missions over the Balkans. The unit was a fixture at
Incirlik Air Base Incirlik Air Base () is a Republic of Turkey, Turkish air base of slightly more than 3320 ac (1335 ha), located in the İncirlik quarter of the city of Adana, Turkey. The base is within an urban area of 1.7 million people, east of the city ...
, Turkey, as well as
Prince Sultan Air Base Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB, , ) is a military air base located in the closed city of Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. History There was a large United States presence there during Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The U ...
, Saudi Arabia, supporting Operations Northern Watch and
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...
, respectively, over Iraq. After the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the 121st Air Refueling Wing launched into immediate action supporting armed aircraft over the United States during
Operation Noble Eagle Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.. ...
. The 121st ARW had the distinction of flying more missions than any other unit during this time. The 121st ARW has also deployed and participated in
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
over Afghanistan, as well as
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
over Iraq. In addition to the combat deployments, the unit has also been very heavily tasked with airlift missions during national emergencies. Immediately following
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
in August 2005, the 121ARW was one of the first units to send aircraft into Louisiana filled with supplies and troops. Similar missions were flown in September 2005, after
Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Milton in 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 2024, as well as being the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the ...
.


Lineage

* Constituted 364th Fighter Squadron and activated, on 1 December 1942 : Inactivated on 20 August 1946. * Re-designated: 166th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Ohio ANG, on 21 August 1946 : Extended federal recognition on 10 November 1947 : Re-designated: 166th Fighter Squadron (Jet), 1 March 1950 : Federalized and ordered to active service on: 10 February 1951 : Re-designated: 166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 10 February 1951 : Released from active duty and returned to Ohio state control, 1 November 1952 : Re-designated: 166th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 November 1957 : Re-designated: 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 September 1961 : Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 October 1961 : Released from active duty and returned to Ohio state control, 20 August 1962 : Federalized and ordered to active service on: 26 January 1968 : Released from active duty and returned to Ohio state control, 18 June 1969 : Re-designated: 166th Air Refueling Squadron, 16 January 1993 : Components designated as: 166th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron when deployed as part of an Air and Space Expeditionary unit after June 1996.


Assignments

*
357th Fighter Group The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as the Yoxford ...
, 1 Dec 1942 – 20 Aug 1946 * 66th Fighter Wing, 10 November 1947 * 55th Fighter Wing, 7 December 1947 * 121st Fighter Group, 26 June 1948 * 122d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 10 February 1951 * 142d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 20 September 1951 * 121st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 November 1952 * 121st Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 November 1957 * 121st Tactical Fighter Group, 1 September 1961 : Attached to: 7121st Tactical Wing, 4 November 1961 – 9 August 1962 *
354th Tactical Fighter Wing The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF). The wing replaced the 343d Fighter W ...
, 26 January 1968 * 121st Tactical Fighter Group, 18 June 1969 * 121st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1974 *
121st Air Refueling Wing The 121st Air Refueling Wing (121 ARW) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force (USAF) Air Mob ...
, 16 January 1993 * 121st Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – Present


Stations

* Hamilton Field, California, 1 December 1942 * Tonopah Army Airfield, Nevada, 6 March 1943 * Santa Rosa Army Airfield, California, 3 June 1943 * Oroville Army Airfield, California, 18 August 1943 *
Casper Army Airfield Casper (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, earlier CASPer or "CMSENS") is an admissions test developed by Harold Reiter and Kelly Dore. It was made for the McMaster University's Program for Educational Research and De ...
, Wyoming, 7 Oct-9 Nov 1943 * RAF Raydon (AAF-157), England, 1 December 1943 *
RAF Leiston Royal Air Force Leiston or more simply RAF Leiston is a former Royal Air Force station located northwest of Leiston and south of Theberton, Suffolk, England. History USAAF use Originally intended as a fighter station for RAF Fighter Command ...
(AAF-373), England, 1 February 1944 * AAF Station Neubiberg, Germany, 20 Jul 1945 – 20 Aug 1946 * Lockbourne Army Airfield, Ohio, 10 November 1947 : Re-designated: Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 13 January 1948 * Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio, 31 October 1952 * Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 1 March 1960 : Operated from: Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, 4 November 1961 – 9 August 1962 : Operated from:
Kunsan Air Base Kunsan K-8 Air Base () is a United States Air Force base located at Gunsan Airport, on the west coast of the Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is located in the town of Gunsan (also romanized as Kunsan), about south of Seoul. Kun ...
, South Korea, 2 July 1968 – 14 June 1970 : Re-designated:
Rickenbacker Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie R ...
, 18 May 1974 : Re-designated:
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie R ...
, 1 April 1980–Present


Aircraft

*
P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
, 1943 * P-51B/C/D/K Mustang, 1943–1946 *
F-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- ...
, 1947–1948 * F-51H Mustang, 1948–1950; 1952–1954 * F-84C Thunderjet, 1950–1952 * F-80C Shooting Star, 1954–1955 * F-84E Thunderjet, 1955–1958 * F-84F Thunderjet, 1957–1962 *
F-100C Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United S ...
, 1962–1971 *
F-100D/F Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United S ...
, 1971–1974 * A-7D/K Corsair II, 1974–1993 *
KC-135R 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 ...
, 1993–Present


Aircraft flying in this unit

KC-135
63-7992(R) (Jan'94); 63-7993(R) (Jan'94)


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126, p. 33 * Further reading * McLaren, David (2004) ''Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star: A Photo Chronicle'', Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., * McLaren, David. (1998) ''Republic F-84 Thunderjet, Thunderstreak & Thunderflash: A Photo Chronicle'', Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. . * Rogers, B. (2006) ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978'' * Stroup, Robert M. II, (2008) ''Crossroads of Liberty'', Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc. . * Anonymous (1988) ''Ohio Air National Guard 60 Year History,'' Columbus, OH, Headquarters Ohio Air National Guard;


External links

{{Ohio Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in Ohio