126th Composite Wing

126th Air Refueling Wing
126th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 59–1500 taking off to a forward deployed location in support of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, 24 March 2011
Active	8 September 1942-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Illinois
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Illinois Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois
Tail Code	White tail stripe "Illinois" in blue letters
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Peter Nezamis
Insignia
126th Air Refueling Wing emblem

The 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 108th Air Refueling Squadron, assigned to the Wing's 126th Operations Group, 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 primary mission of the 126th Air Refueling Wing is to provide air refueling support to major commands of the United States Air Force, as well as other U.S. military forces and the military forces of allied nations. Additionally, the unit can support airlift missions. The unit is also tasked with supporting the nuclear strike missions of the Single Integrated Operational Plan.

During peacetime, the 126th ARW receives direction through the adjutant general of Illinois, the governor of Illinois and the National Guard Bureau. Upon federal mobilization, the wing is assigned to Air Mobility Command and the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.

The 126 ARW also has two associate partners: the Active Associate 906th Air Refueling Squadron with the 126 ARW serving as the host organization for this Total Force Initiative association, and the Classic Associate 126th Supply Chain Management Squadron as part of a regionalized Air Mobility Command supply facility.

The 344th Bombardment Group (Medium) was constituted on 31 August 1942, and activated on 8 September 1942 at Drane Field in Lakeland, Florida, an auxiliary facility to MacDill Field in Tampa. Initially, the group was equipped with B-26's and served as a replacement training unit. Moved to RAF Stansted, England, January–February 1944 and assigned to Ninth Air Force.