168th Air Refueling Squadron The 168th Air Refueling Squadron ( 168 ARS ) is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 168th Air Refueling Wing located at Eielson Air Force Base , Fairbanks , Alaska . The 115th is equipped with the KC - 135R Stratotanker . History . World War II . Activated in mid - 1942 as a B - 26 Marauder medium bombardment group . Trained under Third Air Force in Louisiana ; reassigned to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned initially to VIII Air Support Command in England in September 1942 . Flew several missions over France and Belgium from its base in England during October , then being reassigned to the new Twelfth Air Force in Algeria . During the North African Campaign , engaged in tactical bomb strikes of enemy targets , primarily in eastern Algeria and Tunisia , including railroads , airfields , harbor installations , and enemy shipping along the Mediterranean Coast . Squadron returned to French Morocco in March 1943 , then returned to combat in June 1943 , attacking enemy targets on Italian island in the Mediterranean , including Sicily , Sardinia , and Pantelleria . From bases in Algeria and Tunisia , the group supported the Allied invasion of Italy , bombing bridges and marshalling yards during the late summer and early autumn of 1943 . In November , it moved to Sardinia , to strike Axis targets in central Italy . Early in 1944 , the squadron supported Allied ground forces as they advanced in the Cassino and Anzio areas . Later in the year , the group attacked German supply lines in northern Italy , bombing bridges , marshalling yards , and roads . During the summer , it bombed bridges over the Po River in northern Italy to block the stream of German supplies and reinforcements going southward . Supported the invasion of southern France in August 1944 by attacking coastal batteries , radar stations , and bridges . From Corsica , it hit railroad bridges in Northern Italy and late in the year attacked railroad lines through the Brenner Pass that connected Germany and Austria with Italy . In January 1945 , the squadron returned to the United States , where it began to train with A - 26 aircraft for operations in the Pacific Theater . Between May and July 1945 , moved by ship to Okinawa , and on 16 July flew its first mission against Japan . From then until the end of the fighting in early August , the squadron attacked enemy targets such as airfields and industrial centers on Kyūshū and occupied Shanghai area of China , and shipping around the Ryukyu Islands and in the East China Sea . In November and December 1945 , the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated . Illinois Air National Guard . The wartime 437th Bombardment Squadron was re - designated as the 168th Bombardment Squadron , and was allotted to the Illinois Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Orchard Place Airport , Chicago , Illinois , and was extended federal recognition on 19 October 1947 by the National Guard Bureau . The 168th Bombardment Squadron was bestowed the lineage , history , honors , and colors of the 437th Bombardment Squadron and all predecessor units . The squadron was equipped with B - 26 Invader s and was assigned to the Illinois ANG 126th Bombardment Group , operationally gained by Tactical Air Command . The postwar era was a time of organization and expansion of the Air National Guard . The units had to be organized , federally recognized , equipped and stationed . The first several years were difficult as units had to contend with worn - out World War II aircraft while the Air Force converted to modern jet fighters . Air Guard units were under - funded and largely left to themselves to conduct training with little assistance and supervision by the Air Force . However , as a result of using wartime aircraft , 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 . Korean War activation . On 1 April 1951 the 168th was federalized and brought to active - duty due to the Korean War . It was initially assigned to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) , and moved to Langley AFB , Virginia . At Langley , the 168th Bombardment Squadron was assigned to the federalized 126th Bombardment Group , equipped with B - 26 Invaders . The 126th Bomb Group consisted of the 168th , along with the 108th and the 168th Bombardment Squadron s from the Illinois ANG . The aircraft were marked by various color bands on the vertical stabilizer and rudder . Black / Yellow / Blue for the 108th ; Black / Yellow / Red for the 168th , and Black / Yellow / Green for the 180th . After training and organization , the 126th Bombardment Wing was reassigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe and deployed to Bordeaux - Merignac Air Base , France with the first elements arriving in November 1951 . By 10 November , Bordeaux was considered an operational base and was assigned to the 12th Air Force . It flew B - 26 ' s for training and maneuvers and stayed at Bordeaux AB until being transferred Laon - Couvron Air Base , France on 25 May 1952 . At Laon , the 126th used its B - 26 ' s for training and maneuvers until December until being relieved from active duty and transferred , without personnel and equipment , back to the United States where the unit was returned to the control of the Air National Guard on 1 January 1953 . Cold War inactivation . After returning from France , was re - equipped with F - 51D Mustang s due to the limited availability of jets which were being used by the USAF in the Korean War . In early 1955 , was upgraded to new F - 84F Thunderstreak jet fighters . The squadron was ordered inactivated 31 May 1958 due to budget restrictions . Alaska Air National Guard . In 1986 the 168th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was transferred from the Illinois ANG to the Alaska Air National Guard . It was re - designated as the 168th Air Refueling Squadron , extended federal recognition and reactivated on 1 October 1986 . The lineage , history and honors of the 168th FIS and all previous designations were bestowed on the 168th ARS . The reactivated squadron was assigned to the Alaska ANG 176th Composite Group at Elmendorf AFB . The 168th would operate as a geographically separated unit ( GSU ) , at Eielson Air Force Base , Fairbanks . It was equipped with KC - 135E Stratotanker s and assumed an air refueling mission . The first commanding officer of the squadron was Ltc . William " Doug " Clinton . The first rendezvous and refueling of the squadron occurred just weeks after the arrival of the first aircraft . The pilot in command was Ltc . Tom Gresch and the navigator conducting the rendezvous was Capt . Michael R . Stack , formerly of the 126th Air Refueling Wing , Illinois Air National Guard . For the next four years the squadron would provide air refueling support for the 6th Strategic Wing and all other tactical and strategic units in Alaska and PACAF . In addition , because of Alaska ' s strategic geographical location , the 168th supported air refueling operations for USAFE . On 1 July 1990 , the 168th was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 168th Air Refueling Wing was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 190th ARS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . It also changed equipment to the KC - 135D Stratotanke r . Shortly afterward , on 9 August , Alaskan Air Command was inactivated and the group came under Eleventh Air Force , Pacific Air Forces . In 1992 , the 168th Group was changed in status to a wing , the 168th Air Refueling Squadron being assigned to the new 168th Operations Group . In January 1994 and again in January 1996 , the 168 ARW received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service both in the Alaskan and Southwest Asian theaters for the periods of 8 January 1991 to 7 January 1993 and 8 January 1993 to June 1995