160th Air Refueling Group The 160th Air Refueling Group ( 160 ARG ) is an inactive unit of the Ohio Air National Guard . It was last stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base , Columbus , Ohio . The 160th ARW was inactivated on 1 October 1993 . History . On 8 July 1961 the 145th Aeromedical Evacuation Transport Squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard became an air refueling squadron ( 145th ARS ) and was expanded to add support squadron s and a group , the 160th Air Refueling Group , to control support and flying operations . The 145th ARS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . The initial support squadrons assigned to the group were the 160th Air Base Squadron and the 160th Material Squadron . The group was equipped with Boeing KC - 97 Stratotanker s . Tactical Air Command . Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) was designated as the gaining command for the group when it received federal recognition . In the fall of 1962 the group ' s support elements were reorganized to match the organization of other groups gained by TAC . The 160th USAF Dispensary was activated and the 160th Combat Support Squadron supplanted the air base squadron . 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 group ' s KC - 97Gs were upgraded to KC - 97Ls with addition of jet engine pods mounted on the outboard wings . 1967 saw the beginning of Operation Creek Party . This operation provided air refueling support to United States Air Forces in Europe tactical aircraft through the rotation of ANG aircrews and aircraft flying from Rhein Main Air Base , Germany This operation , which continued until 1975 , demonstrated the ability of the ANG to perform significant day - to - day missions without being mobilized . The 160th was one of the mission ’ s charter units and when its Creek Party participation ended it had safely flown 426 transatlantic crossings . The unit received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 5 June 1967 to 10 May 1968 . The group commander during Creek Party operations , Colonel Frank Cattran , considered aircraft 52 - 2630 to be " his " bird and often flew it in preference to other assigned planes . This aircraft became involved in a " Sister City " ceremony with Zeppelinheim , Germany - a small town near Rhein - Main AB - near the end of the Creek Party operation . When the unit convertrf from KC - 97s to Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker s this aircraft was transferred to the USAF Museum at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , where it can be seen today with its Ohio Air National Guard and Zeppelinheim markings . In 1971 Clinton County Air Force Base was closed in an economy move by the Nixon Administration to divert military funding to support the Vietnam War . The 160th ARG moved from the closing base to Lockbourne Air Force Base near Columbus , Ohio . The group earned a second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 11 May 1968 to 30 June 1975 . Strategic Air Command . In December 1974 Strategic Air Command became the gaining command for all air refueling units , including the 160th . In 1975 the 160th ARG became the first Air National Guard unit to convert to the Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker . 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 . The 160th also participated in SAC overseas Tanker Task Forces and other priority missions worldwide . In 1984 , the group ' s KC - 135As were reengined and redesignated as KC - 135Es . The upgrade to turbofan engines provided a significant increase in performance , safety and reliability . In August 1990 the 160th was one of the first ANG units to deploy aircraft to the Middle East after Iraq ’ s invasion of Kuwait . Aircraft , aircrews , and support personnel began volunteer Desert Shield deployments to a provisional tanker task force at King Abdul Aziz Air Base , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , designated the 1709th Air Refueling Squadron ( Provisional ) . The group was called to active duty on 20 December 1990 . Deployment of the unit to the Middle East began on 28 December and 160th crews and aircraft became part of three provisional air refueling wings at Al Banteen Air Base , Abu Dhabi ( 1712th Air Refueling Squadron ( Provisional ) ) , Al Dhafra Air Base , Dubai ( 1705th Air Refueling Squadron ( Provisional ) ) , and at Jeddah . Group personnel also augmented a regional support base at Moron AB , Spain while others deployed to various bases to backfill 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 group began flying Operation Desert Storm combat missions on 17 January 1991 . The 160th compiled a remarkable record of mission accomplishment during combat operations . When hostilities ended , the 160th returned home in March 1991 and was welcomed by families and friends . September 1991 brought the end of the SAC alert mission which the 160th ARG had maintained continuously for more than 15 years . The 145th ARS began conversion to KC - 135R aircraft in October 1991 , In June 1992 Strategic Air Command was inactivated and the 160th ARG gaining command became Air Mobility Command . Inactivation . In September 1993 the 160th Air Refueling Group was inactivated when budget reductions and a reorganization of ANG assets forced a reduction of Ohio ANG units at Rickenbacker ANGB through the elimination of duplicate refueling headquarters and support organizations . The group ' s 145th Air Refueling Squadron was transferred to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker . With the addition of the 145th ARS , the 121st ARW became one of only a few " Super Wings " in the ANG , with two flying squadrons and twice as many aircraft assigned as other units .