108th Wing

108th Wing
108th Wing KC-135 at Istres AB, France. Wing members from the 108th deployed, under Operation Joint Forge, to Istres Air Base, France to assist in the base closure and the relocation of assets and personnel.
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	Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Nickname(s)	"Jersey Thunder"
Motto(s)	Victory Through the Sky
Tail Code	Blue Tail Stripe "New Jersey" in Yellow
Insignia
108th Air Refueling Wing emblem (approved 15 August 1951)

The 108th Wing is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard, one of the many units stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The World War II predecessor unit, 348th Fighter Group, was the most successful P-47 Thunderbolt group in the South West Pacific Theatre. Its commander, Colonel Neel Ernest Kearby was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat. Over a dozen of the group's pilots became Flying aces.

The 108th Wing principal mission is air refueling. The wing enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial 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 Contingency Response Group

The 108th wing consists of the following units:

The wing operates a total of 8 KC-135R Stratotankers and Detachment 2, 108th Air Refueling Wing flying a single C-135B transport version of the KC-135.

The World War II 348th Fighter Group was redesignated as the 108th Fighter Group and allotted to the New Jersey National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Newark Municipal Airport and extended federal recognition later that year. Initially, the group reported to the 52d Fighter Wing of the New 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 the wing base organization 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.