108th Wing

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108th Wing KC-46A Pegasus

The 108th Wing is a unit of the

.

Mission

The 108th Wing principal mission is

wing

enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides air refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. The wing is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

In addition to their primary air refueling mission, the Wing also supports an intelligence squadron and a cyberspace operations squadron

Units

The 108th Wing consists of the following units:[2]^[3]

• 108th Operations Group
  • 108th Operations Support Squadron
  • 140th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
  • KC-46A
    )
  • KC-46A
    )
  • 150th Special Operations Squadron (C-32B
    )
  • 204th Intelligence Squadron

The 140th Cyberspace Operations Squadron is one of the twelve Air National Guard Cyber Protection Teams that defend networks and systems against threats.

The 204th Intelligence Squadron is the first Air National Guard squadron that is solely dedicated to providing intelligence instruction and training products to the Air Mobility Command. It is also the first course of its kind in the intelligence community that integrates active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve students.

• 108th Maintenance Group
  • 108th Maintenance Squadron
  • 108th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 108th Maintenance Operations Flight
• 108th Mission Support Group
  • 108th Force Support Squadron
  • 108th Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • 108th Security Forces Squadron
  • 108th Communications Flight

The wing operates as a classic associate unit to the

Aircraft.

History

Formation of the 108th Wing

The

that had been used by the regular Air Force since 1947. In this reorganization, the 108th Fighter Wing was formed to include the 108th Group and its support elements, organized into the 108th Air Base Group, 108th Maintenance and Supply Group and the 108th Medical Group.

Korean War mobilization

Only a few months after being organized, the unit was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951 and moved to

405th Fighter-Bomber Wing

and returned to state control.

Return to state control

With return to state control, the wing assumed the

North American F-86E Sabre

.

The 108th FIW was transferred to

F-84F Thunderstreak

fighter-bombers.

On 1 October 1961, as a result of the Berlin crisis, the 108th TFW was again ordered to active federal duty. When activated, the 108th consisted of three squadrons, the 119th TFS at Atlantic City Airport, the 141st TFS McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, and the 149th TFS from the Virginia ANG at Byrd Field, near Richmond, Virginia. All three squadrons were flying the F-84F Thunderstreak.

Once activated, the wing was deployed to

, France. However, only a portion of the 108th TFW deployed to France due to DOD budget limitations. This consisted of 28 F-84F's of the 141st TFS and officers and airmen from all three squadrons, with the remaining aircraft and personnel remaining on active duty at their home stations. The first elements of the 108th deployed to Chaumont from McGuire AFB on 16 October with the last aircraft and personnel arriving on 6 November. The ground units deployed by sealift, with the deployed elements reaching Chaumont by 17 November.

In France, the deployed elements of the 108th TFW were designated the 7108th Tactical Wing on 20 November due to the reduced strength of the wing in Europe. The primary mission of the 7108th was to provide close air support to the Seventh Army in Europe under the direction of Ground Forward Air Controllers. To accomplish this mission, up to 30 sorties were flown each day. Pilots and aircraft were rotated back and forth from Atlantic City and Richmond in order for all pilots in the wing to become familiar with flying conditions at Chaumont and to teach USAFE operational procedures.

The deployment to France ended in October 1962 and the wing returned to New Jersey state control. The 119th TFS expanded to group size with the activation of the 177th Tactical Fighter Group. Immediately following this action, their F-84Fs were replaced by North American

. The 141st TFS, having left their F-84F's in France, were re-equipped with F-86H's upon their return.

In April 1964, the 108th traded their Sabrejets in for the

.

F-5 Freedom Fighter while deployed to NATO on 1 September 1982.^[e]

In 1989, the 108th was declared the best Air National Guard flying unit and awarded the Spaatz Trophy. It participated in numerous exercises and made six overseas deployments as a fighter unit, to France, Greece, Ecuador and three times to Norway.

With the end of the

.

1992 was a busy year for the 108th. They flew their first passenger airlift mission on 27 February; its first overseas mission (Costa Rica) on 13 March; its first European mission, Germany 28 May, (South Korea) on 20 July, and its first humanitarian mission on 1 September, (three Stratotankers filled with critically needed supplies to "

Moron Air Base

, Spain, the Wing off loaded its one millionth pound of fuel.

On 1 October 1993, the NJ ANG

150th Air Refueling Squadron

's 37 years experience in airlift and air refueling operations, and its 130,454 accident-free flying hours, recognized as the world's safest flying record.

In September 1994, for over 30 days, five aircraft and 300 members deployed to Pisa, Italy for DENY FLIGHT. The 108th replaced the 126 ARW of the Illinois Air National Guard. Supported by 15 active duty Air Force personnel, the 108th Wing was the first Air National Guard unit to take full responsibility during that period.

May through August 1995, 13 members of the 108th and 170th Clinic deployed to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba for a humanitarian mission, Operation Sea Signal.

In 2007, the 108 ARW began retiring its KC-135E aircraft and transitioning to the KC-135R. On 20 September 2023, the squadron flew its last mission with the KC-135R, as it transitioned to becoming an associate squadron of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, flying Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers.^[5]

• Established as the 108th Fighter Wing c. 25 October 1950

Activated on 1 November 1950

Federalized and called to active duty on 1 March 1951

Redesignated 108th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 16 May 1951

Released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control on 1 December 1952

Redesignated 108th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 July 1955

Redesignated 108th Tactical Fighter Wing (Special Delivery) on 1 July 1958

Federalized and called to active duty, 1 October 1961

Federalized deployed components operated as 7108th Tactical Wing

Released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control on 30 August 1962

Redesignated 108th Tactical Fighter Wing

Redesignated 108th Air Refueling Wing on 19 October 1991

Redesignated 108th Wing on 1 December 2009

• New Jersey Air National Guard, 1 November 1950
• 40th Air Division, 14 March 1951
• Ninth Air Force
  , 18 November 1951 – 1 December 1952
• New Jersey Air National Guard, 1 December 1952 – present

Gained by: Air Defense Command

Gained by: Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1958

Federalized 7108th Tactical Wing assigned to

United States Air Forces in Europe

, 1 October 1961 – 30 August 1962

Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992

Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1993–Present

Groups

• 103d Tactical Fighter Group
  , unknown – c. 1 July 1979
• 104th Tactical Fighter Group
  , c. June 1972 – c. 1 July 1979
• 108th Fighter Group (later 108th Fighter-Bomber Group, 108th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 108th Tactical Fighter Group, 108th Operations Group), 1 November 1950 – 1 December 1952, 1 December 1952 – 1 October 1958, 1 October 1962 – 9 December 1974, 1 October 1993 – present
• 170th Air Refueling Group
  , 1 October 1991 – 1 October 1993
• 174th Tactical Fighter Group
  , c. June 1972 – 1 July 1979
• 175th Tactical Fighter Group
  , 12 April 1968 – 13 May 1968
• 177th Tactical Fighter Group
  , 15 October 1962 – c. August 1965
• 192d Tactical Fighter Group
  , 15 October 1962 – 1 June 1993

Squadrons

• 119th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
  , 1 October 1958 – 15 October 1962
• 149th Fighter Squadron, 1 October 1961 – 17 August 1962
• 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 October 1958 – 1 October 1962^[f]
• 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 141st Air Refueling Squadron), 9 December 1974 – present

• Mercer Airport
  , New Jersey, 1 November 1950
• Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 March 1951
• Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, 11 December 1951 – 1 December 1952
• McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 30 November 1952 – Present
• Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base
  , France, 1 October 1961
• McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 30 August 1962 – present

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Some of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on the 108th Air Refueling Wing website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a
  public domain resource
  .
• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program.
  ISBN 0-16049-269-6
  . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• , David. Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtime, 2004.
  ISBN 1-880588-68-4
  .
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
  LCCN 61060979. Archived from the original
  (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
• North American P-51H Mustang
• 108th Air Refueling Wing: New Jersey Air National Guard
• lineage and history, 108th Air Refueling Wing