151st Air Refueling Group

151st Air Refueling Wing
151st Air Refueling Wing - Boeing KC-135E-BN Stratotanker 57-1510
Active	1946-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Utah
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Utah Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Salt Lake City Air National Guard Base, Salt Lake City, Utah
Nickname(s)	Salty Guard, Ruddy Ducks
Tail Code	Blue tail stripe, "Utah"
Insignia
151st Air Refueling Wing emblem

The 151st Air Refueling Wing (124 ARW) is a unit of the Utah Air National Guard, stationed at Salt Lake City Air National Guard Base, Utah. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The primary mission of the 151st 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.

On 1 July 1958, the Utah Air National Guard 191st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 151st Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 191st FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 151st Headquarters, 151st Material Squadron (Maintenance), 151st Combat Support Squadron, and the 1151st USAF Dispensary. The group was gained by the Air Defense Command (ADC) 29th Air Division.

In 1958, the 151st FIW implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program, in which interceptors of the 191st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five-minute runway alert. Its existing F-86A day interceptors were replaced by the F-86L Sabre Interceptor, a day/night/all-weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system.

On 1 April 1961, the 151st was transferred from Air Defense Command to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), and re-equipped with C-97 Stratofreighter. The 151st Air Transport Group expanded its military airlift role to worldwide mission capabilities. Entering the realm of Southeast Asia and the Vietnam War, the Utah Air National Guard flew its first mission into the Southeast Asia theater combat zone in late 1964, and continued to do so throughout the Vietnam War years. In January 1966, the unit became the 151st Military Airlift Group (151 MAG), under the Military Airlift Command [MAC]. In 1969, the C-97s were retired and replaced by the C-124C Globemaster II. During the Vietnam War, Utah Air Guard crews flew 6,600 hours of support missions for American forces.