121st Air Refueling Wing

121st Air Refueling Wing
A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing.
Active	1942-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Ohio Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio
Tail Code	"Ohio" Blue/Red Tail Stripe
Insignia
121st Air Refueling Wing emblem

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 Air Mobility Command.

Overview

The 121st Air Refueling Wing's KC-135 Stratotanker mission is to provide the core aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. This unique aircraft enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

Units

The 121st Air Refueling Wing consists of the following units:

• 121st Operations Group

166th Air Refueling Squadron

145th Air Refueling Squadron

• 121st Maintenance Group
• 121st Mission Support Group
• 121st Medical Group

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 357th Fighter Group on 1 December 1942 and activated the same day

Inactivated in Germany on 20 August 1946.

Assignments

• IV Fighter Command, 1 December 1942
• 66th Fighter Wing, 31 January 1944-20 August 1946

Components

• 362d Fighter Squadron: 1 December 1942-20 August 1946
• 363d Fighter Squadron: 1 December 1942-20 August 1946
• 364th Fighter Squadron: 1 December 1942-20 August 1946

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, 1 Dec 1942
• Tonopah Army Airfield, Nevada, 6 Mar 1943
• Santa Rosa Army Airfield, California, 3 Jun 1943
• Oroville Army Airfield, California, 18 Aug 1943
• Casper Army Airfield, Wyoming, 7 Oct-9 Nov 1943
• RAF Raydon (AAF-157), England, 1 Dec 1943
• RAF Leiston (AAF-373), England, 1 Feb 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, South Korea, 2 July 1968–14 June 1970

Re-designated: Rickenbacker Air Force Base, 18 May 1974

Re-designated: Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, 1 April 1980-Present

Aircraft

• P-39 Aircobra, 1943
• P-51B/C/D/K Mustang, 1943-1946
• F-51D Mustang, 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, 1962-1971
• F-100D/F Super Sabre, 1971-1974
• A-7D/K Corsair II, 1974-1993
• KC-135R Stratotanker, 1993-Present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

• http://www.121arw.ang.af.mil/