108th Air Refueling Squadron

108th Air Refueling Squadron
108th Air Refueling Squadron - Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker 59-1487 being prepared to go on permanent static display in 1976 SAC liverly
Active	27 August 1917 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Illinois
Branch	Air National Guard
Role	Air Refueling
Size	Squadron
Part of	Illinois Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois
Nickname(s)	"Mid America Militia"
Tail Code	White tail stripe "Illinois" in blue letters
Commanders
Colonel	Ron Paul
Insignia
108th Air Refueling Squadron emblem

The 108th Air Refueling Squadron (108 ARS) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard 126th Air Refueling Wing located at Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois. The 108th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.

The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 108th Aero Squadron, established on 27 August 1917. It was reformed on 1 July 1927, as the 108th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 108th Air Refueling Squadron origins date to 27 August 1917 when the 108th Aero Squadron was formed at Kelly Field, Texas. The personnel at the time was composed primarily of men from the upper Southern and Midwest, coming from the recruit depot at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. At Kelly, the squadron was put in a military indoctrination course of training until being ordered for overseas service on 26 October. It was moved to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island. It arrived at Mineola Field on 3 November 1917 where it was prepared and equipped for overseas duty. On 7 December, it was ordered to proceed by train to St. John's, Newfoundland where, on 10 December, it boarded the SS Tuscania, and proceeded across the Atlantic and arrived at Liverpool, England on 26 December. It then moved by train to the English Channel port of Southampton, where it waited at a Rest Camp for several days before crossing to Le Havre, France on 28 December. It again waited for transportation at Le Havre before finally arriving at the Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, France, arriving on 2 January 1918.