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108th Wing | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 1950–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  New Jersey |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Composite Air Refueling |
| Part of | New Jersey Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. |
| Nickname | "Jersey Thunder"[citation needed] |
| Motto | Victory Through the Sky[b] |
| Tail Code | Orange Tail Stripe "New Jersey" in Black |
| Website | https://www.108thwing.ang.af.mil |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel David J. Shattls |
| Insignia | |
| 108th Wing emblem |  |
| 108 Fighter-Bomber Wing emblem[c][1] |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | C-32B |
| Tanker | KC-46A Pegasus |
The108th Wing is a unit of theNew Jersey Air National Guard, one of the many units stationed at theMcGuire Air Force Base entity ofJoint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by theUnited States Air ForceAir Mobility Command.
The 108th Wing principal mission isair refueling. Thewing 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
The 108th Wing consists of the following units:[2][3]
The wing operates as a classic associate unit to the305AMW flying theKC-46A and twoC-32B Aircraft.
TheWorld War II 348th Fighter Group was redesignated as the108th Fighter Group and allotted to theNew Jersey National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized atNewark Municipal Airport and extended federal recognition later that year. Initially, the group reported to the52d Fighter Wing of theNew York National Guard and was supported by the 208th Air Service Group. In the fall of 1950, the Air National Guard reorganized its combat units under thewing base organization that had been used by the regular Air Force since 1947. In this reorganization, the108th 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.
Only a few months after being organized, the unit was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951 and moved toTurner Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was assigned toStrategic Air Command's40th Air Division. At Turner it became the108th Fighter-Bomber Wing in May. In December 1951 it was transferred toTactical Air Command and moved toGodman Air Force Base, Kentucky where it replaced the123d Fighter-Bomber Wing, which had moved to England. On 1 December 1952, the wing transferred its mission, personnel and equipment to the405th Fighter-Bomber Wing and returned to state control.
With return to state control, the wing assumed theair defense mission. Despite its retention of thefighter bomber designation, it was gained byAir Defense Command (ADC) upon mobilization. ADC required the squadrons it gained to be designed to augment active duty squadrons capable of performing air defense missions for an indefinite period after mobilization independently of their parent wing.[4] It was not until 1955 that the wing was redesignated the108th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The redesignation coincided with the change from long-rangeNorth American P-51H Mustang fighter. designed for the invasion of Japan, the P-51H was the last variant of the P-51 Mustang of World War II, but was produced too late to see any wartime combat. Not used in theKorean War due to it not being believed as rugged as its famous "D model" predecessor, the P-51H was used to equip Air National Guard units in the 1950s as an interceptor. In 1955, the Mustangs were retired and the squadron entered the jet age, with the arrival of theNorth American F-86E Sabre.
The 108th FIW was transferred toTactical Air Command (TAC) in 1958, being re-designated as a Tactical Fighter Wing. The 141st and 119th Tactical Fighter Squadrons transferred its interceptors and received andF-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 atAtlantic City Airport, the 141st TFSMcGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, and the 149th TFS from the Virginia ANG at Byrd Field, nearRichmond, Virginia. All three squadrons were flying the F-84F Thunderstreak.
Once activated, the wing was deployed toChaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, 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 the7108th 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 AmericanF-86H Sabres. 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 theRepublic F-105 Thunderchief. the 108th was the first Air National Guard unit to fly twice the speed of sound. In May 1981, theMcDonnell F-4D Phantom II replaced the F-105s, and in 1985, they were upgraded to theF-4E Phantom II.
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 theCold War, the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing was re-aligned to aKC-135 Stratotanker Air Refueling Wing. The F-4s were retired and the squadron was redesignated as the 141st Air Refueling Squadron. Also, as part of the conversion of the wing to the Objective Wing organization, the 108th Tactical Fighter Group became the 108th Operations Group, to which the 141st was assigned. The 108th received its firstBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker (KC-135E) on 27 September. Yet, a scant 69 days later, on 6 December, it flew its first refueling mission. Forty-one days later, on 16 January 1992, it flew its first operational mission – a night, air refueling of anE-3B "Sentry" bound for thePersian Gulf.
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 "Hurricane Andrew" (Florida) victims). The wing was certified combat ready on 3 December 1992. The very next day it was tasked with two missions – its first operational deployment – nothing less than spearheading and establishing the U.S. – Somalia air bridge forOperation Restore Hope. It not only deployed an air refueling detachment toMoron Air Base, Spain, but also airlifted active duty air crews to Cairo West Air Base, Egypt. In January 1993, while deployed atMoron Air Base, Spain, the Wing off loaded its one millionth pound of fuel.
On 1 October 1993, the NJ ANG170th Air Refueling Group combined with the 108th Air Refueling Wing. The 108th welcomed the150th 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 toPisa, 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 toGuantanamo 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 anassociate squadron of the305th Air Mobility Wing, flyingBoeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers.[5]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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