166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

166th Air Refueling Squadron
KC-135R Stratotanker (s/n 61-0264), deployed from the 121st Air Refueling Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, takes off for an aerial refueling mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 4 October 2007.
Active	1942-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Ohio
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Ohio Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio
Nickname(s)	Sluff
Tail Code	"Block O" Red Tail Stripe
Insignia
166th Air Refueling Squadron emblem

The 166th Air Refueling Squadron (166 ARS) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 121st Air Refueling Wing located at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. The 166th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.

The 364th Fighter Squadron was established at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942 and was part of the 357th Fighter Group.

Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945. Inactivated in Germany during August 1946.

The wartime 364th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 166th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Lockbourne Army Airfield, Columbus, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 10 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 166th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 364th Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned initially to the Illinois ANG 66th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command. On 7 December 1947 the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized and the squadron was transferred.

With the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 166th Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans.