126th Air Refueling Wing The 126th Air Refueling Wing ( 126 ARW ) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard , 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 . The 108th Air Refueling Squadron , assigned to the Wing ' s 126th Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the World War I 108th Aero Squadron , established on 27 August 1917 . It was reformed on 1 July 1927 , as the 108th Observation Squadron , and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . Mission . The primary mission of the 126th Air Refueling Wing is to provide air refueling support to major commands of the United States Air Force , as well as other U . S . military forces and the military forces of allied nations . Additionally , the unit can support airlift missions . The unit is also tasked with supporting the nuclear strike missions of the Single Integrated Operational Plan . During peacetime , the 126th ARW receives direction through the adjutant general of Illinois , the governor of Illinois and the National Guard Bureau . Upon federal mobilization , the wing is assigned to Air Mobility Command and the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force . Units . The 126 ARW also has two associate partners : the Active Associate 906th Air Refueling Squadron with the 126 ARW serving as the host organization for this Total Force Initiative association , and the Classic Associate 126th Supply Chain Management Squadron as part of a regionalized Air Mobility Command supply facility . History . World War II . The 344th Bombardment Group ( Medium ) was constituted on 31 August 1942 , and activated on 8 September 1942 at Drane Field in Lakeland , Florida , an auxiliary facility to MacDill Field in Tampa . Initially , the group was equipped with B - 26 ' s and served as a replacement training unit . Moved to RAF Stansted , England , January – February 1944 and assigned to Ninth Air Force . The 344th BG began operations in March 1944 , attacking attacking airfields , missile sites , marshaling yards , submarine shelters , coastal defenses , and other targets in German - occupied France , Belgium , and the Netherlands . Beginning in May , the 344th helped prepare for the Normandy invasion by striking vital bridges in France . The 344th Bombardment Group was selected to lead the IX Bomber Command formations on D - Day , with the first aircraft taking off at 04 : 12 hours , attacking coastal batteries at Cherbourg , and during the remainder of June , it supported the drive that resulted in the seizure of the Cotentin Peninsula . The unit also defended positions to assist British forces in the area of Caen and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a three - day action against the enemy in late July when the group struck troop concentrations , supply dumps , a bridge , and a railroad viaduct to assist advancing ground forces at Saint - Lô . Another action of the 344th was to knock out bridges to hinder the German Army ' s withdrawal through the Falaise gap , and bombed vessels and strong points at Brest during August and September . On 30 September the 344th moved to their Advanced Landing Ground at Cormeilles - en - Vexin , France , France ( A - 59 ) . While at Stansted the group flew over 100 missions , and lost 26 aircraft in combat . After V - E Day the group moved to Schleissheim , Germany for occupation duty and began training with Douglas A - 26 Invaders , but continued to use B - 26 aircraft . It was transferred , without personnel and equipment , to the United States on 15 February 1946 where it was inactivated . Cold War . Redesignated 126th Bombardment Group ( Light ) . Allotted to Illinois Air National Guard on 24 May 1946 and assigned to Chicago Municipal Airport . Extended federal recognition on 29 June 1947 . Redesignated 126th Composite Group in November 1950 , and 126th Bombardment Group ( Light ) in February 1951 . The unit was ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 as a result of the Korean War . The unit was initially assigned to Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB , Virginia . The wing moved to Bordeaux - Merignac Air Base , France with the first elements arriving in November 1951 . The 126th BW was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe . By 10 November , Bordeaux was considered an operational base and was assigned to the 12th Air Force . At Bordeaux , the 126th BW consisted of the 108th , 168th and 180th Bomb Squadrons ( Light ) . 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 . It flew B - 26 ' s for training and maneuvers and stayed at Bordeaux AB until being transferred Laon AB , France on 25 May 1952 where it remained for the balance of the year . The 126th was relieved from active duty and transferred , without personnel and equipment , back to the control of the Illinois ANG on 1 January 1953 as the 126th Fighter - Bomber Group and assigned to Tactical Air Command . Flew F - 86 Sabres . In 1955 , redesignated as the 125th Fighter - Interceptor Group , equipped with F - 86Ds . On 1 July 1961 , the 125th ' s mission was changed to an air refueling one and was redesignated as the 126th Air Refueling Group , being assigned the KC - 97 aircraft . Reassigned to Strategic Air Command 1 July 1976 at Chicago O ’ Hare International Airport and redesignated as the 126th Air Refueling Wing . The 126th AREFW flew KC - 97Ls for a brief time before converting to KC - 135As . It was composed of the 108th Air Refueling Squadron and the 145th Air Refueling Squadron from the Ohio ANG along with the 126th Air Refueling Squadron from the Wisconsin ANG . In 1978 the KC - 97s were sent to AMARC . Many of the 126th AREFW ' s KC - 97Ls became gate guards and one is on the of the field of former Grissom AFB , Indiana , where the 126th AREFW conducted many hours of transition practice . In 1983 the wing began receiving the KC - 135E as a replacement for the " A " model water - wagons , a named used because of 110 seconds of water injection , used to increase thrust for take - off power . With the inactivation of SAC , the group was assigned to Air Mobility Command on 1 June 1992 . Post Cold War . The 126th moved from the former Air Reserve Station at O ' Hare International Airport in 1999 as recommended by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ' s Report to Congress in conjunction with the closure of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard facilities at O ' Hare . In 2000 , the unit ' s KC - 135E aircraft were upgraded with the new Pacer CRAG ( Compass , Radar & GPS ) avionics systems . In 2008 , the unit completed a transition to KC - 135R aircraft as the KC - 135E fleet was retired . Stations . United States Army Air Forces Illinois Air National Guard Note : ALG = " Advanced Landing Ground " designation of temporary airfields constructed or used by the Allies in Europe following the D - Day landings in 1944 .