101st Air Refueling Wing

101st Air Refueling Wing
132d Air Refueling Squadron – Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker refueling an F-22A Raptor
Active2 March 1942 – present
Country United States
Allegiance Maine
Branch  Air National Guard
TypeWing
RoleAir Refueling
Part ofMaine Air National Guard
Garrison/HQBangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine
Nickname(s)"MAINEiacs"
Motto(s)He Strikes As Lightning
Tail CodeA white tailband with black text 'Maine' included.
EngagementsBurma Campaign 1944–1945

The 101st Air Refueling Wing (101 ARW) is a unit of the Maine Air National Guard, stationed at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the 101 ARW is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC).

Units

In the late 2010s the wing consists of the following major units:

  • 101st Operations Group
132d Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135R)
  • 101st Maintenance Group
  • 101st Mission Support Group
  • 101st Medical Group
132d AREFS KC-135A 57-1491 about 1980 in SAC markings
101st ARW KC-135Es at Pisa Airport, Italy, 1996

History

133d Fighter Squadron – Republic F-47D Thunderbolt, AF Ser. No. 44-89766, the first aircraft assigned to the New Hampshire Air National Guard

The mission of the 101st FIW was the air defense of New England. Its assigned squadrons were dispersed and equipped as follows:

  • 132d Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons, Dow AFB (F-80C)
  • 133d Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons, Grenier AFB (F-47D)
  • 134th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons, Burlington Municipal Airport (F-51H)

Lineage

Operation Enduring Freedom Deployment Patch, 2005
North East Tanker Task Force Patch, 1994
  • Established as the 101st Fighter Wing in October 1950
Activated on 25 October 1950
Federalized and ordered to active service on 1 February 1951
  • Redesignated 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 10 February 1951[1]
Inactivated on 6 February 1952[1]
  • Released from active duty and returned to Maine state control on 1 November 1952
Activated and received federal recognition on 1 November 1952
  • Redesignated 101st Air Defense Wing on 14 April 1956
  • Redesignated 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 10 June 1972
  • Redesignated 101st Air Refueling Wing on 1 July 1976

Assignments

Gaining commands
Air Defense Command (later Aerospace Defense Command), 1 November 1952
Strategic Air Command, 1 July 1976
Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992
Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1993 – present

Components

  • 101st Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 101st Fighter Group), 10 February 1951 – 6 February 1952; 1 November 1952 – 30 April 1954, 1 June 1954 – 31 March 1956, 15 April 1956 – 1 September 1960[2]
  • 101st Fighter Group (later 101st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 101st Air Refueling Group, 101st Operations Group), 1 September 1960 – 31 March 1976, 16 March 1992 – present
  • 158th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 15 April 1956 – 1 July 1960
132d Fighter Squadron (later 132d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 132d Air Refueling Squadron), 31 March 1976 - (present?)

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cornett & Johnson, p. 63
  2. ^ The 101st Fighter Group (Air Defense) was withdrawn from the Maine Air National Guard in 1954. In 1960, it was a unit of the New Hampshire Air National Guard. When it converted to the airlift mission, it was redesignated 157th Air Transport Group and a new 101st Fighter Group was activated in the Maine Air National Guard.

Bibliography

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

  • Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  • McLaren, David (2004), Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star: A Photo Chronicle, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.; First Edition, ISBN 0887409075
  • Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.