History 108th Air Refueling Squadron

1 history

1.1 world war i
1.2 illinois national guard
1.3 world war ii
1.4 illinois air national guard

1.4.1 korean war activation
1.4.2 cold war
1.4.3 modern era


1.5 lineage
1.6 assignments
1.7 stations
1.8 aircraft

history
world war i

the 108th air refueling squadron origins date 27 august 1917 when 108th aero squadron formed @ kelly field, texas. personnel @ time composed of men upper southern , midwest, coming recruit depot @ fort thomas, kentucky. @ kelly, squadron put in military indoctrination course of training until being ordered overseas service on 26 october. moved aviation concentration center, garden city, long island. arrived @ mineola field on 3 november 1917 prepared , equipped overseas duty. on 7 december, ordered proceed train st. john s, newfoundland where, on 10 december, boarded ss tuscania, , proceeded across atlantic , arrived @ liverpool, england on 26 december. moved train english channel port of southampton, waited @ rest camp several days before crossing le havre, france on 28 december. again waited transportation @ le havre before arriving @ replacement concentration center, aef, st. maixent replacement barracks, france, arriving on 2 january 1918.

at st. maixent, squadron placed in quarantine several weeks due presence of mumps. finally, on 20 february, ordered proceed 3d air instructional center (3d aic), issoudun aerodrome, in central france, arriving on 21 february. first assigned field #2 put work in aero repair department while permanent buildings under construction @ main field. in may, squadron moved permanent quarters , buildings remained until after armistice germany in november 1918. returned united states in late may 1918. arrived @ mitchel field, new york, squadron members demobilized , returned civilian life.

illinois national guard

108th os north american o-47b 39-108-04, @ midway airport, 1942

in june 1927 108th aero squadron re-activated, , designated 108th observation squadron, 33d division aviation @ chicago municipal airport, illinois. in july 1927 unit received federal recognition; squadron authorized 16 officers, 74 enlisted , assigned pt-1 trusty aircraft. during ensuing years, membership in 108th observation squadron coveted assignment. applicants said have been on waiting lists as 4 years prior being called.

in 1930, douglas o-2h biplanes assigned 108th observation squadron, followed douglas o-38 biplanes in 1935. no less george c. marshall member of 33d division november 1933 august 1936 senior instructor. during next 10 years, 108th performed outstanding civic service state of illinois, dropping medicine , relief supplies many of towns in central , southern illinois isolated floodwaters, tornadoes, , fires. captain wilson v. newhall, later become first chief of staff of illinois air national guard awarded distinguished service medal during flood duty, in 1937, member of 108th observation squadron.

world war ii

108th observation squadron maintenance crew @ howard field, panama, o-47 (39-108-07)

after war broke out in europe in 1939, preparedness war increased in united states. part of preparedness program, 4,800 members of 33d division, including 108th squadron mobilized , placed on active duty in february 1941. unit reequipped north american o-47 biplanes , trained @ chicago municipal airport in chicago. unit remained in chicago until 14 january 1942 when assigned caribbean air force after japanese attack on pearl harbor , arrived @ río hato army air base, panama. stay @ rio hato brief, however, squadron moved howard field in canal zone on 19 january.

at howard field, squadron kept busy on myriad of patrol , communications flights along atlantic , pacific panamanian coast lines , within far-flung command. 108th acquired several stinson l-1 s during period along p-36a, 1 a-18, 2 l- l s , 2 l-4a s based @ howard field.

one of l-4a s transferred dedicated tow target squadron @ howard field on 28 february 1943, while rare curtiss a-18, relief of hard-pressed maintenance crews, transferred technical school @ rio hato on 3 april 1943. a-18 serve operationally line combat unit during world war ii.

the units first douglas b-18 bolo added in february 1943. interestingly, squadron conducted 1 operational mission, aircraft, along pacific coast of colombia on 24 february. 25 june 1943, time designation had been changed more realistic 108th reconnaissance squadron (special), mission handed squadron ever more complex , demanding, , alterations equipment reflected this. douglas b-18 (36-275) had been added in may 1943, squadron gained small numbers of piper l-4a s, curtiss 0-52 s (undocumented recalled squadron members), , 4 bell p-39n airacobras.

in november 1943, threat panama canal had decreased sufficiently 108th reconnaissance squadron inactivated in canal zone, , personnel reassigned other units in 1 of combat theaters.

illinois air national guard

the wartime 108th reconnaissance squadron (special) re-designated 108th bombardment squadron (light), , allocated illinois air national guard on 21 june 1945. organized @ chicago municipal airport, , extended federal recognition on 29 june 1947 national guard bureau. 108th bombardment squadron bestowed history, honors, , colors of wartime 108th , predecessor units. squadron equipped b-26 invader light bombers , assigned illinois ang 126th bombardment group.

korean war activation

108th bombardment squadron - korean war activation formation, 1 april 1951

the unit ordered active service on 1 april 1951 result of korean war. unit assigned tactical air command @ langley afb, virginia. wing moved bordeaux-merignac air base, france first elements arriving in november 1951. 126th bw assigned united states air forces in europe. 10 november, bordeaux considered operational base , assigned 12th air force.

at bordeaux, 126th bw consisted of 108th, 168th , 180th bomb squadrons (light). aircraft marked various color bands on vertical stabilizer , rudder. black/yellow/blue 108th; black/yellow/red 168th, , black/yellow/green 180th. flew b-26 s training , maneuvers , stayed @ bordeaux ab until being transferred laon ab, france on 25 may 1952 remained balance of year.

cold war

108th air refueling squadron kc-97 stratotankers performing aerial refueling of f-100 super sabres during operation ready go , first united states air national guard (ang) non-stop deployment of fighter aircraft europe, 1964

after returning france, re-equipped f-51d mustangs due limited availability of jets being used usaf in korean war. in 1955, upgraded new f-84f thunderstreak jet fighters. in 1957 108th participated in ricks trophy race. in 1958, 126th re-designated 126th air defense group , transferred tac air defense command (adc). adc re-equipped 108th, fighter-interceptor squadron day/nigh/all-weather f-86l sabre interceptor aircraft, , squadron stood 24/7 air defense alert @ o hare iap.

in july 1961, 126th realigned air defense mission becoming first air national guard air refueling group under tactical air command. re-equipped kc-97 stratotankers , began worldwide aerial refueling operations. in 1963, 108th first squadron mid-air refuel elite air force thunderbirds, , in 1964, participated in operation ready go , first united states air national guard (ang) non-stop deployment of fighter aircraft europe.

in 1966 squadron began rotational deployment rhein-main air base in support of operation creek party. provided usafe air refueling capability. creek party deployment rotations lasted until 1976, , on decade 108th saw millions of pounds of jet fuel off-loaded , millions of miles flown, accident free.

in july 1976 kc-97s retired , parent 126th transferred strategic air command, receiving jet kc-135a stratotankers. these aircraft later upgraded e models in 1983 , replaced r models in 2008.

on 19 december 1990, president bush ordered 268 members of 126th air refueling wing, 108th air refueling squadron , elements of 126th consolidated aircraft maintenance squadron federalized active duty during 1991 gulf crisis. during operation desert storm, squadron performed air refueling operations part of 1709th air refueling wing (provisional), stationed @ king abdul aziz air base, jeddah, saudi arabia, until being returned illinois state control on 22 march 1991.

modern era

a 108th air refueling squadron kc-135 refueling navy f-14 tomcat during 1991 gulf war

the 126th arw relocated scott air force base in 1999 chicago s o hare international airport part of recommendations base closure made base realignment , closure commission.

as part of global war on terrorism, 126th air refueling wing has been tasked on several occasions deployment united states air forces central. elements of wing have been assembled , deployed 108th expeditionary air refueling squadron part of aef packages, providing air refueling combat aircraft in operation enduring freedom (oef) , operation iraqi freedom (oif) during 2000s.

in 2005 brac recommendations, dod recommended realign grand forks air force base, north dakota. distribute 319th air refueling wing s kc-135r aircraft 126th air refueling wing (ang), scott afb, il (12 aircraft) , several other institutions. 126th retire 8 kc-135e aircraft. scott receive kc-135r model aircraft replace older, higher maintenance kc-135e models.

lineage

108th observation squadron emblem



108th fighter-interceptor squadron - emblem



operation enduring freedom patch



operation iraqi freedom patch



organized 108th aero squadron** on 27 aug 1917


re-designated 802d aero squadron on 1 feb 1918
re-designated 802d aero squadron (repair) on 21 february 1918
demobilized on 11 jun 1919


reconstituted , consolidated (1936) 108th observation squadron which, having been allotted illinois ng, activated on 1 jul 1927


ordered active service on 3 feb 1941
re-designated: 108th observation squadron (medium) on 13 jan 1942
re-designated: 108th observation squadron on 4 jul 1942
re-designated: 108th reconnaissance squadron (special) on 25 jun 1943
inactivated on 1 nov 1943


re-designated: 108th bombardment squadron (light), , allotted illinois ang, on 24 may 1946


extended federal recognition on 29 june 1947
federalized , ordered active service on: 1 apr 1951
relieved active duty , returned illinois state control: 1 january 1953
re-designated: 108th fighter-bomber squadron, 1 january 1953
re-designated: 108th fighter-interceptor squadron, 1 july 1955
re-designated: 108th air refueling squadron, 1 july 1961
federalized , ordered active service on: 19 december 1990
deployed elements designated: 108th air refueling squadron (provisional), 29 december 1990
relieved active duty , returned illinois state control: 22 march 1991
components designated as: 108th expeditionary air refueling squadron when deployed part of air , space expeditionary unit after june 1996.

** unit not related 108th aero squadron (service) activated in march 1918 @ rich field, waco, texas.

assignments

post headquarters, kelly field, 27 august-1 november 1917
aviation concentration center, 1 november-7 december 1917
replacement concentration center, aef, 2 january-21 february 1918
3d aviation instruction center, 21 february 1918-april 1919
commanding general, services of supply, april-27 may 1919
post headquarters, mitchel field, 27 may-11 june 1919
illinois ng (divisional aviation, 33d division), 1 jul 1927
second army, 3 feb 1941
ii air support command, 1 sep 1941
72d observation (later reconnaissance) group, 26 sep 1941 – 1 november 1943
126th bombardment group (light), 29 june 1947
126th composite group, 1 november 1950
126th bombardment group, 1 february 1951
126th fighter-bomber group, 1 january 1953
126th fighter-interceptor group, 1 july 1955
126th air refueling group, 1 july 1961
126th air refueling wing, 1 july 1976


elements assigned 1709th air refueling wing (provisional), 19 december 1990 – 22 march 1991


126th operations group, 3 february 1992 – present

stations

aircraft