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 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 : History . World War II . Used P - 39 Aircobra s in preparing for duty overseas . Moved to England in November 1943 and became part of VIII Fighter Command . Trained with P - 51 Mustang s and began combat operations on 11 February 1944 by making a fighter sweep over Rouen . Served primarily as a bomber escort organization , providing penetration ( target ) and withdrawal support for bombers that attacked strategic objectives on the Continent . Participated in the assault against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during Big Week , 20 – 25 February 1944 . Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for two escort missions in which heavy opposition was encountered from enemy fighters : on 6 March 1944 provided target and withdrawal support during the first attack that heavy bombers of Eighth Air Force made on Berlin ; on 29 Jun 1944 protected bombers that struck targets at Leipzig . Received second DUC for operations on 14 January 1945 when the group , covering bombers on a raid to Derben , broke up an attack by a large force Of interceptors and in the ensuing aerial battle destroyed a number of the enemy planes . In addition to escort the group conducted counter - air patrols , made fighter sweeps , and flew strafing and dive - bombing missions in which it attacked airdromes , marshalling yards , locomotives , bridges , barges , tugboats , highways , vehicles , fuel dumps , and other targets . Participated in the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944 ; the breakthrough at St Lo in July ; the Battle of the Bulge , Dec 1944 - Jan 1945 ; and the airborne assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945 . Flew its last mission , an escort operation , on 25 April 1945 . Moved to Germany in Jul and assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe for duty with the army of occupation . Inactivated in Germany on 20 August 1946 . Ohio Air National Guard . The wartime 357th Fighter Group was re - designated as the 121st Fighter Group , 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 20 June 1948 by the National Guard Bureau . The 121st Fighter Group was bestowed the lineage , history , honors , and colors of the 357th Fighter Group . Assigned to the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing , the 121st Fighter Group consisted of the following operational squadrons : The squadrons was equipped with F - 51D Mustangs with a mission of air defense of the State of Ohio . On 31 October 1950 the 121st Fighter Wing was established , and the 55th Fighter Wing was disbanded , its personnel and mission assumed by the new 121st Fighter Wing . The 121st Fighter Groups and its assigned squadrons were assigned to the new 121st FW . With the assumption of the 55th Fighter Wing , the 112th Bombardment Squadron ( Light ) at Cleveland Municipal Airport was transferred from the 55th Fighter Wing to the 121st Fighter Wing , the squadron being assigned directly to the wing . The 112th flew the RB - 26C Invader . Korean War federalization . With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1960 , and the regular military ' s complete lack of readiness , most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty . Early Cold War era . The 112th was reformed at Akron - Canton Airport and re - designated as the 112th Fighter - Bomber Squadron . It was re - equipped with F - 51H Mustangs , and were one of the last two Air National Guard squadrons to fly this version of the Mustang . It was assigned to the 121st Fighter - Bomber Group . At its new base at Youngstown , the 166th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was re - equipped with F - 51H Mustangs which the squadron flew until 1954 when the 166th received refurbished F - 80A Shooting Star s 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 Thunderjet s that had returned from wartime duty in Korea . In September 1953 the 164th , now designated as a Fighter - Bomber Squadron , received its first jet aircraft , refurbished F - 80A Shooting Star s that had been modified and upgraded to F - 80C standards . The squadron only operated the Shooting Star for a year when in October 1954 the equipment was changed to F - 84E Thunderjet s that had returned from wartime duty in Korea . In August 1954 , the 164th began standing daytime air defense alert at Mansfield , placing two aircraft at the end of the runway with pilots in the cockpit from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset . This ADC alert lasted each and every day until 30 June 1956 . In September 1955 Air Defense Command wanted to re - equip the 162d Fighter Interceptor Squadron from F - 51H Mustangs to jet - powered F - 84E Thunderjet s in accordance with the USAF directive to phase out propeller - driven fighter - interceptor aircraft from the inventory . However , because the runways at the Cox - Dayton Municipal Airport were too short at that time to support jet fighter operations , the National Guard Bureau approved the relocation request by the Ohio ANG to move the squadron to Springfield Municipal Airport , just east of Dayton . With new facilities under construction at Springfield , the 162d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron conducted their transition training from temporary facilities at Wright - Patterson AFB . The F - 84E Thunderjets were Korean War veteran aircraft and the squadron received training in the equipment from the Ohio ANG 164th and 166th Tactical Fighter Squadrons . In October 1955 , the 112th FBS were informed that they were to receive F - 84E Thunderjets , but since the runways at Akron - Canton Municipal Airport were deemed inadequate for jet operations , it was decided to construct an entirely new facility for them at the new Toledo Express Airport at Toledo . The 112th FBS left Akron - Canton for the Toledo Municipal Airport on 1 April 1956 and retired their F - 51H Mustangs for T - 28A Trojans , and operated F - 84Es until the summer of 1958 . In January 1959 , the 112th ' s facility at the Toledo Express Airport and moved to the new facility . The T - 28s were replaced with new F - 84F Thunderstreaks the squadron was designated as a Tactical Fighter Squadron . In early 1956 , a fifth squadron was gained by the 121st . The 145th Air Transport Squadron was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard by the National Guard Bureau to replace the 112th Fighter - Bomber Squadron at Akron - Canton Airport . The 145th ATS , gained by the Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) received federal recognition on 17 March 1956 . Initially assigned C - 46D Commando twin - engine propeller transports , the squadron was upgraded in 1958 to C - 119J Flying Boxcar transports , fitted for aeromedical transport of personnel to medical facilities . In early 1957 , the 164th FBS sent their war - weary F - 84C Thunderjets to storage at Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona and received new F - 84F Thunderstreak swept - wing interceptors . Later in 1957 , the 164th Fighter - Bomber Squadron received the 1st Air Force Flying Safety Award for three consecutive years of accident - free flying , an impressive accomplishment as in the previous three years the squadron had flown three different types of aircraft . The 166th was upgraded with new F - 84F Thunderstreak s in November 1957 , the gaining command of the squadron became Tactical Air Command ( 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 federalized wing consisted of three operational units , the 162d TFS at Springfield , the 164th TFS at Mansfield , and the 166th at Lockbourne . The 112th TFS at Toledo and the 145th ATS at Akron were temporally attached directly to Ohio ANG Headquarters at Columbus for the period of federalization . 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 were 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 - 84s arriving on 16 November . 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 . 1962 reorganization . With the wing ' s return from France in 1962 , the Ohio Air National Guard received authorization from the National Guard Bureau to expand its squadrons to groups . The 121st Tactical Fighter Group retained its 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Lockbourne AFB . Vietnam War and late Cold War era . In 1962 , having left their Thunderstreaks in France , the 166th TFS at Lockbourne was re - equipped with F - 100C Super Sabre fighter - bombers , which greatly enhanced its mission capabilities . In 1964 , the 160th ARG participated in Operation Ready Go , the first all United States Air National Guard ( ANG ) non - stop deployment of fighter aircraft to Europe . In 1965 , the KC - 97Gs were upgraded to KC - 97Ls with addition of jet engine pods mounted to the outboard wings . 1967 saw the beginning of Operation Creek Party , a continuous rotational mission flying from Rhein Main Air Base , West Germany , providing air refueling to United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) tactical aircraft . The success of this operation , which would continue until 1975 , demonstrated the ability of the Air National Guard to perform significant day - to - day missions without being mobilized . It was taken over by the active - duty Strategic Air Command 7th Air Force . Along with the Kansas ANG F - 100C 127th Tactical Fighter Squadron , the 166th TFS was federalized and deployed to Kunsan Air Base , South Korea . The federalized ANG squadrons were assigned as part of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing . 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 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 . In 1971 the squadrons F - 100Cs were retired and replaced by F - 100D / F Super Sabre s , being received from combat units in South Vietnam that were returning to the United States . In the spring of 1970 , the 178th TFG ' s F - 84F Thunderstreak s were sent to Davis - Monthan AFB for storage , the squadron receiving Vietnam War veteran F - 100D / F Super Sabre s . Concentration on the qualifications of aircrews , munitions load crews and the attainment of a C - 3 combat readiness rating were the primary objectives for 1971 . The group achieved C - 3 on 30 August , a first for F - 100D - equipped Air Guard units . January 1972 saw the squadron in extensive practice for their pending 9th Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection ( ORI ) . The ORI was conducted in March and the 9th Air Force did not agree with the unit ' s C - 3 rating . A retake was scheduled in June , with the 162d TFS coming away with the TAC - confirmed rating of C - 1 , the first F - 100D squadron to achieve this feat . In 1971 , the 180th TFG retired its Thunderstreaks and also converted to the F - 100 Super Sabre . In 1971 , Clinton County Air Force Base was closed as a result of the Nixon Administration looking to save money because of the Vietnam War . As part of the moving out of units from Clinton County AFB , the 160th ARG was moved to Lockbourne Air Force Base near Columbus , Ohio . In February 1972 , the 179th TGS also retired its Thunderstreaks and converted to the F - 100 Super Sabre . The squadron flew the F - 100s until the winter of 1976 when the 179th was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command on 5 January . At this time , the unit converted to the C - 130B Hercules and received a complement of eight aircraft . With the change of equipment , the unit was designated a Tactical Airlift Group . In 1974 , under the " Total Force Policy " , Guard and Reserve units began to receive newer aircraft and equipment in the 1970s . The 166th TFS began conversion to the A - 7D Corsair II in December which brought with it additional missions . The 178th TFG received the A - 7D in January 1978 . The conversion from the F - 100 to the A - 7 was accomplished in less than three months , the fastest ever for an Air Force or Air National Guard unit . The 179th TFG converted to A - 7D in the summer of 1979 In December 1974 Tactical Air Command transferred its air refueling units to Strategic Air Command . In 1975 , the 160th ARG became the first Air National Guard unit to convert to the Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker all jet tanker aircraft as part of SAC ' s Eighth Air Force . The group was the first ANG unit to perform the SAC 24 - hour Alert mission and pass a SAC Operational Readiness Inspection in July , 1976 . During the 1980s the squadrons and groups of the 121st were frequently deployed , primarily to Europe during USAFE exercises . The " OH " tailcode of the wing was a frequent sight at bases in England , West Germany and other NATO air bases . In 1989 , while deployed at Panama for a Coronet Cove deployment , 180th TFG A - 7s were employed during Operation Just Cause . 1990 Gulf Crisis . In August , 1990 , the 160th Air Refueling Group was one of the first Air Guard units to deploy aircraft to the Middle East after Iraq ’ s invasion of Kuwait . Aircraft , aircrews and support personnel began volunteer rotational Desert Shield deployments to a provisional Tanker Task Force at King Abdul Aziz Air Base , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia ( 1709th ARS ( P ) ) . The 160th was called to active duty on 20 December 1990 . Deployment began on 28 December and the 160th became part of three Provisional Air Refueling Wings at Al Banteen Air Base , Abu Dhabi ( 1712th ARS ( P ) ) , Al Dhafra Air Base , Dubai ( 1705th ARS ( P ) ) , and Jeddah . Additional personnel augmented a regional support base at Morón Air Base , Spain while others deployed to various bases to " backfill " for deployed active duty personnel . Aircraft and volunteer aircrews were heavily involved in " Air Bridge " refueling missions supporting deployment of combat forces to Southwest Asia . The 179th Airlift Group was active during Desert Shield / Storm providing airlift support throughout the Continental United States and Europe . Portions of the 179th were activated during Desert Shield / Storm and served in the US , Europe and Saudi Arabia . The 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron , 178th and 180th Tactical Fighter Groups did not deploy to Saudi Arabia in 1990 during Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm as the A - 7Ds were considered a second - line aircraft . Ohio Air National Guard volunteers , however were deployed to CENTAF during the crisis and subsequent combat operations . Post Cold War reorganization . After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and Operation Desert Storm , Air Force planners reorganized the major command structure and the organization of its units to reflect the new reality of the 1990s and also a smaller force after the end of the Cold War . Strategic Air Command , Military Airlift Command and Tactical Air Command were all inactivated . In their place Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command became the gaining commands for the Ohio Air National Guard units effective 1 June 1992 . In October 1995 , in accordance with the Air Force One Base - One Wing directive the 121st was relieved of its Geographically separated Groups as they were changed in status to Wings , reporting directly to the Ohio Air National Guard . The 178th Fighter Wing stood up on 1 October 1995 ; the 179th Airlift Wing on 11 October 1995 and the 180th Fighter Wing also on 11 October 1995 . Modern era . Under the 121st ARW , the 166th and 145th Air Refueling Squadrons began flying from bases in southern France to support strike aircraft during Operation Deny Flight missions over the Balkans . The 121st was a fixture at Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , as well as Prince Sultan Air Base , Saudi Arabia , supporting Operations Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch , respectively , over Iraq . After the terrorist attacks on September 11 , 2001 , the 121st Air Refueling Wing launched into immediate action supporting armed aircraft over the United States during Operation Noble Eagle . 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 over Afghanistan , as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom 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 in August , 2005 , the 121st ARW 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 . In 2010 , the wing commander Brigadier General Thomas Botchie was forced to resign after allegations of cronyism , fraternization , inappropriate conduct , and sexual harassment were made against him by members of the wing and substantiated by an investigation . Witnesses stated that fraternization and unprofessional relationships within the wing were widespread and also included another senior officer , Colonel Stephen McMahon , the wing ' s operations group commander .