141st Air Refueling Squadron
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The 141st Air Refueling Squadron (141 ARS) is a unit of the
New Jersey Air National Guard The New Jersey Air National Guard (NJ ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of New Jersey, United States of America. It is, along with the New Jersey Army National Guard, an element of the New Jersey National Guard. As state militia units, the ...
108th Wing 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 Comma ...
located at
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...
, New Jersey. The 141st is equipped with the
KC-135R Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...
. The 141 ARS was first organized as the 141st Aero Squadron on 2 January 1918 at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, California. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
as a pursuit squadron as part of the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
. The unit was demobilized after the war in 1919.


History


141st Aero Squadron

The 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit) was a
United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
pursuit squadron, and part of the
American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
. It was assigned to the
4th Pursuit Group The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United ...
,
Second United States Army Second Army was most recently located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters U.S. Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6. Under the CIO/G-6, Second Army served as the single point of contact for Army missions an ...
, AEF near the end of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint) The squadron saw limited combat, and with Second Army's planned offensive drive on
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
cancelled due to the
1918 Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, the squadron was assigned to the
United States Third Army The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...
as part of the
Occupation of the Rhineland The Occupation of the Rhineland from 1 December 1918 until 30 June 1930 was a consequence of the collapse of the Imperial German Army in 1918, after which Germany's provisional government was obliged to agree to the terms of the 1918 armist ...
in Germany. It returned to the United States in July 1919.


Organization

The squadron was organized at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, San Diego, California on 8 October 1917. It was organized as an un-designated provisional unit with men drawn from the 14th and 18th Training Squadrons already at the field. The squadron trained with
Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
Jennies at Rockwell Field. It was not until the latter part of December that the mechanics and support enlisted personnel were assigned to the squadron, and was given its formal designation as the 141st on 2 January 1918 when it was ordered to proceed to
Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located on Long Island in Nassau County New York. It is the Greater Garden City area's anchor community. The population was 23,272 at the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within ...
for overseas deployment.Series "E", Volume 17, History of the 141st Aero Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. The 141st reached Field No. 2, near Garden City on 9 January where final preparations for the squadron were made for overseas shipment. On 15 January it moved to Pier No. 45,
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...
where it boarded the
Cunard Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermu ...
liner
RMS Carpathia RMS ''Carpathia'' was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson in their shipyard in Wallsend, England. The ''Carpathia'' made her maiden voyage in 1903 from Liverpool to Boston, and continued on ...
, arriving at
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
, awaiting to form up into a convoy. on the 19th, it began the overseas journey with seven other ships along with the Cruiser USS San Diego, arriving at
Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
on 30 January. On the 31st, after a train trip to
Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, England, the squadron was assigned to the Morn Hill Rest Camp for classification and advanced training in England.


Training in England

For the next several months, the squadron went through advanced training to prepare it for combat at the front in France. "A" Flight was assigned to
Dover, Kent Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidston ...
; "B" Flight at the
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main r ...
, near London, and "C" Flight to Northolt Airdrome, also near London. On 9 March 1918, the squadron reformed at Northolt where it proceeded to th
Swingate Down Airdrome
near Dover, Kent where it received final training by the
Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...
. The squadron arrived in France on 16 August 1918 and moved to the St. Maixent Aerodrome for equipping. Orders to move were received on 27 August for the Air Service Production Center No. 2 at
Romorantin Aerodrome Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, department of central France. Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot ...
, where it waited for another nineteen days. Finally on 16 September it moved again to the 1st Air Depot at
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
where the 141st received
SPAD XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...
pursuit aircraft. There it was assigned to the 4th Pursuit Group, and moved to Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul) for combat duty, arriving on 19 October.


Meuse-Argonne Offensive

The squadron's insignia was an orange and black tiger with a flyer's helmet. The 141st flew its first patrol on 23 October and every day thereafter. Its combat commander,
Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Ame ...
, was a famous hockey and football star at
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
before the war. It was said, Hobey preferred
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
men in his unit, preferably from Princeton. Indeed, he painted the aircraft in his squadron in Princeton colors: Orange and Black. The 141st shot down its first enemy aircraft on 28 October, by Captain Baker. A second enemy aircraft was shot down on 6 November by a patrol consisting of Captain Baker and Lieutenants Shelby, Cady, Hamiln and Chappell. The 141st was involved in 13 combats, the only pursuit squadron of the Air Service, Second Army to do so. After the November 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron remained at Gengault Aerodrome. Tragically, its commander, Captain Hobey Baker was killed on 21 December 1918 when he took a SPAD XIII up for one last ride. The SPAD developed engine trouble while taking off and Baker died when the aircraft crashed soon thereafter.


Third Army of Occupation

On 19 April 1919, the squadron was assigned to the Third Army Air Service, 5th Pursuit Group. It was moved to Coblenz Airdrome, Germany, to serve as part of the occupation force of the
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
. For the next several months the squadron was able to perform test flights on surrendered German aircraft. Flights of the
Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qu ...
,
Pfalz D.XII The Pfalz D.XII was a German fighter aircraft built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Designed by Rudolph Gehringer as a successor to the Pfalz D.III, the D.XII entered service in significant numbers near the end of the First World War. It was the last P ...
,
Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...
s and
Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The fir ...
aircraft were made and evaluations were made.Section E, Volume 26, Supplemental Histories of the 25th-1102d Aero Squadrons, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. via http://www.fold3.com


Demobilization

On 18 June 1919, orders were received from Third Army for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot,
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's SPAD aircraft were delivered to the Air Service American Air Service Acceptance Park No. 1 at Orly Aerodrome to be returned to the French. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General, Services of Supply and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States.Series "O", Volume 22, Weekly Statistical Reports on progress of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Upon return to the US, most squadron personnel were demobilized at
Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...
, New York on 18 July 1919.


Reconstitution

On 8 September 1973 By order of the Secretary of the Air Force, the 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit), demobilized on 19 July 1919 was reconstituted and allotted to the State of New Jersey. It was ordered consolidated with the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron. The consolidated unit was designated as the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron and was extended federal recognition by the National Guard Bureau same date. The consolidated unit was also bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit).Department of the Air Force letter DAF/PRM 830q, 6 January 1988. The 6 January 1988 letter corrected an error noted in the National Guard Board order DAF/PRM 719p dated 27 August 1973 and revoked DAF/PRM 719p which did not authorize the unit the history, honors, and colors of the original squadron. The date of the consolidation was left unchanged as 8 September 1973.


World War II

: ''see:
348th Fighter Group The 108th Operations Group is a unit of the 108th Wing (108 WG) 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 with the U.S. Air Force, the ...
for full World War II history'' The 341st Fighter Squadron was activated at
Mitchel Army Airfield Mitchel Air Force Base also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility ...
, New York, on 30 September 1942. It was equipped with the
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
. The 341st was one of the first USAAF squadrons to be equipped with the P-47. After an extended period of training in the northeast United States, the squadron deployed to Archer Field (
Archerfield Airport Archerfield can refer to: * Archerfield, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane, Australia **Archerfield Airport **RAAF Station Archerfield, a former RAAF base at Archerfield Airport *Archerfield Estate and Links Archerfield and Archerfield Links are a ...
), Brisbane, Australia in June 1943. Began long-range missions to strike at Japanese targets in
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...
. In mid-June the 341st made the 1,200-mile flight from Brisbane to
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
, New Guinea. The unit operated from New Guinea and Noemfoor until November 1944, flying patrol and reconnaissance missions and escorted bombers to targets in New Guinea and
New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
. In 1944 the 341st began to attack airfields, installations, and shipping in western New Guinea, Ceram, and Halmahera to aid in neutralizing those areas preparatory to the US invasion of the Philippines. When U.S. troops landed on
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
the squadron in process of conversion from P-47's to
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
s, began operation from San Marcelino airstrip a few days after the landing at
San Marcelino San Marcelino, officially the Municipality of San Marcelino ( ilo, Ili ti San Marcelino; tgl, Bayan ng San Marcelino), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37 ...
and
Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...
. From this location the unit engaged in ground support operations, bombing and strafing in close support of ground troops. Remained in the Philippines throughout the campaign, moving to
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
in mid July 1945 in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan. Engaged in long-range operations over the
Japanese Home Islands The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chi ...
until ceasing combat on 14 August 1945. Became part of the Army of Occupation in Japan, moving to
Itami Airfield , often referred to as is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, southwest of Kyoto Station. ...
, Japan in October 1945 as part of
Far East Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
. Inactivated at Itami Airfield on 10 May 1946.


New Jersey Air National Guard

The wartime 341st Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 141st Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the
New Jersey Air National Guard The New Jersey Air National Guard (NJ ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of New Jersey, United States of America. It is, along with the New Jersey Army National Guard, an element of the New Jersey National Guard. As state militia units, the ...
, on 24 May 1946. It was organized and re-designated as the 141st Strategic Fighter Squadron at Mercer Airport, Trenton, New Jersey and was extended federal recognition on 26 May 1949. The 141st Strategic Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 341st. The squadron was equipped with
F-47D Thunderbolt The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...
s and was assigned to the 108th Strategic Fighter Group. In the late 1940s, the new
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
(SAC) was manned by personnel of the wartime Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces. During World War II they usually encountered swarms of enemy fighters and knew the importance of having fighter escorts. In the postwar era, SAC had fighter wings placed under their own operational control. The squadron trained in escorting SAC's B-29 and later B-50 and B-36 strategic bombers. The unit was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951. The squadron was sent to
Turner AFB Naval Air Station Albany (formerly Turner Air Force Base and Turner Field) is a former United States Air Force and United States Navy military airfield located in Albany, Georgia. History Turner Field (1941-1946) In mid-1940 the U.S. Army Air Cor ...
, Georgia where it continued its mission to provide fighter escorts to SAC bombers on training missions. In December 1951 it was moved to
Godman AFB Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox United States Army post in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Arm ...
, Kentucky where it replaced a unit deployed to England. It was released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control on 10 November 1952. With return to state control, the parent 108th SFW was transferred to
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
(ADC) and was re-designated as a Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The 141st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was re-equipped with the long-range North American
P-51H Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA ...
fighter. Designed for the invasion of Japan, the P-51H was the last variant of the P-51 Mustang of World War II, but was produced too late to see any wartime combat. Not used in the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
due to it not being believed as "rugged" as its famous "D" model predecessor, the P-51H was used instead to equip Air National Guard units into the 1950s as an ADC interceptor. In 1955, the Mustangs were retired and the squadron entered the jet age, with the arrival of the North American
F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
. The parent 108th FIW was transferred to
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
(TAC) in 1958, being re-designated as a Tactical Fighter Wing. The 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron transferred its interceptors and received and
F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...
fighter-bombers. At the height of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
in 1961, the squadron was again federalized as a result of tensions concerning the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
. 28 F-84F's of the 141st TFS and officers and airmen from all three squadrons of the 108th TFW were deployed to Chaumont-Semoutiers AB, France on 16 October with the last aircraft and personnel arriving on 6 November. The ground units deployed by sealift, with the deployed elements reaching Chaumont by 17 November. In France, the deployed elements were assigned to the Provisional USAFE 7108th Tactical Wing on 20 November due to the reduced strength of the 108th TFW in Europe. The primary mission of the 7108th was to provide close air support to the Seventh Army in Europe under the direction of Ground Forward Air Controllers. To accomplish this mission, up to 30 sorties were flown each day. The deployment to France ended in October 1962 and the unit returned to New Jersey state control, leaving the F-84Fs in France. Upon return from France, the squadron was moved from Trenton to
McGuire AFB McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...
due to air congestion in the Philadelphia area. At McGuire AFB, the squadron was re-equipped with North American
F-86H Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...
s. Beginning in 1965, the Sabres were retired and the squadron began to receive the F-105B Thunderchief. The 108th TFW was the first Air National Guard unit to fly twice the speed of sound. In May 1981, the
F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...
replaced the F-105s, and in 1985, they were upgraded to the
F-4E Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...
. With the end of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the parent 108th Tactical Fighter Wing was re-aligned to a
KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
Air Refueling Wing. The F-4s were retired and the squadron was re-designated as the 141st Air Refueling Squadron. Also, as part of the conversion of the wing to the Objective Wing organization, the 108th Tactical Fighter Group became the 108th Operations Group, to which the 141st ARS was assigned. The 141st ARS was certified combat ready on 3 December 1992. The very next day it was tasked with its first operational deployment – nothing less than spearheading and establishing the U.S. – Somalia air bridge for OPERATION RESTORE HOPE. It deployed an air refueling detachment to
Moron Air Base Moron or Morón may refer to: * Moron (psychology), disused term for a person with a mental age between 7 and 10 People * Edgar Moron (born 1941), German politician * Morón (surname), various people so named Places * Moron (ancient city), ...
, Spain. In September 1994, for over 30 days, five aircraft deployed to
Pisa Airport Pisa International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Pisa) , also named Galileo Galilei Airport is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is the main airport in Tuscany and the 10th in Italy in terms of passengers. It is named after Galil ...
, Italy for DENY FLIGHT. The 108th replaced the 126 ARW of the
Illinois Air National Guard The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Illinois, United States of America. It is, along with the Illinois Army National Guard, an element of the Illinois National Guard. As state militia units, the units ...
. The 108th ARW was the first Air National Guard unit to take full responsibility during that period. In 2007, the 141st ARS began retiring its KC-135E aircraft and transitioning to the KC-135R.


Lineage

; 141st Air Refueling Squadron * Organized on 8 October 1917 as an undesignated unit. : Designated 141st Aero Squadron on 2 January 1918 : Redesignated 141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit) on 16 September 1918 : Demobilized on 19 July 1919 * Reconstituted, redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron, allotted to the National Guard and extended federal recognition on 8 September 1973 : Redesignated 141st Air Refueling Squadron on 19 October 1991 ; 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron * Constituted as the 341st Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 24 September 1942 : Activated on 30 September 1942 : Inactivated on 10 May 1946 * Redesignated 141st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine and allotted to the
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
on 24 May 1946 : Activated and extended federal recognition on 26 May 1949 : Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 March 1951 * Redesignated 141st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 16 May 1951 : Inactivated and released from active duty on 1 December 1952 : Returned to New Jersey state control and activated on 1 December 1952 : Redesignated 141st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron c. 1 July 1955 : Redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Special Delivery) on 1 July 1958 : Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 October 1961 : Released from active duty, returned to New Jersey state control and redesignated 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 30 August 1962 * Withdrawn from the National Guard, redesignated 341st Fighter Squadron and disbanded on 8 September 1973


Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Rockwell Field, 8 October 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 9 January 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles, 30 January 1918 (attached to the
Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...
for training after 31 January 1918) * Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, 16 August 1918 * Air Service Production Center No. 2, AEF, 27 August – 16 September 1918 *
4th Pursuit Group The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United ...
, 23 October 1918 *
5th Pursuit Group The 5th Pursuit Group was an Air Service, United States Army unit that was assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. It was demobilized in Germany after serving with the Third Army Air Service as part of the American Occu ...
, 19 April 1919 * 1st Air Depot, 18 June 1919 * Commanding General, Services of Supply, July 1919 * Eastern Department, July 1919 *
348th Fighter Group The 108th Operations Group is a unit of the 108th Wing (108 WG) 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 with the U.S. Air Force, the ...
, 30 September 1942 – 10 May 1946 *
108th Fighter Group 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
(later 108th Fighter-Bomber Group), 26 May 1949 – 1 December 1952 * 108th Fighter-Bomber Group (later 108th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 108th Tactical Fighter Group), 10 November 1952 * 7108th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1961 * 108th Tactical Fighter Group, 30 August 1962 – 8 September 1973 * 108th Tactical Fighter Group, 8 September 1973 * 108th Operations Group, 19 October 1991 – present * Deployment to Incirlik AB, Turkey 1990's


Stations

*
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, California, 8 October 1917 *
Aviation Concentration Center Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...
, Garden City, New York, 9 January 1918 * Morn Hill Rest Camp,
Winchester, England Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Londo ...
, 31 January 1918 : "A" flight, Dover, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 : "B" flight,
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main r ...
, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 : "C" flight, Northolt Airdrome, England, 1 February-9 March 1918 * Swingate Down Airdrome, England, 10 March-10 August 1918 *
St. Maixent Replacement Barracks The Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks is a former military facility in the vicinity of Saint-Maixent-l'École, Poitou-Charentes, France. It was used by the Air Service, United States Army as the Air Service Replacement Concentration ...
, France, 16 August 1918 *
Romorantin Aerodrome Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, department of central France. Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot ...
, France, 27 August 1918 *
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 16 September 1918 * Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul), France, 19 October 1918 * Coblenz Airdrome (Fort Kaiser Alexander), Germany, 19 April 1919 *
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 18 June 1919 * France, July 1919 *
Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...
, New York, July 1919 *
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 30 September 1942 * Bradley Field, Connecticut, 30 September 1942 *
Westover Field Westover may refer to: People * Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian * Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, 30 October 1942 *
Hillsgrove Army Air Field Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Is ...
, Rhode Island, 23 January 1943 * Westover Field, Massachusetts, 26 April – 9 May 1943 * Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome),
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
, New Guinea, 23 June 1943 * Finschafen Airfield (Dreger Field), New Guinea, 13 December 1943 * Saidor Airfield, New Guinea, 13 March 1944 *
Wakde Airfield Wakde Airfield is a World War II airfield located on Wakde Island, off the northern coast of New Guinea in Papua, Indonesia. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state. History The airfield ...
, Netherlands East Indies, 26 May 1944 * Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield Noemfoor, Netherlands East Indies, 24 August 1944 *
Tacloban Airfield Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (Waray language, Waray: ''Luparan Daniel Z. Romualdez'', fil, Paliparang Daniel Z. Romualdez; ), also known as Tacloban City Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in Leyt ...
,
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
, Philippines, 30 November 1944 *
Tanauan Airfield Tanauan Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Tanauan in the province of Leyte, Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * ...
, Leyte, Philippines, 14 December 1944 *
San Marcelino Airfield San Marcelino Airfield is a World War II airfield located in Zambales province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It was closed after the war. History San Marcelino Airfield was built before the war by the Americans. On th ...
,
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, Philippines, 4 February 1945 *
Floridablanca Airfield Cesar Basa Air Base, or simply Basa Air Base (formerly known as Floridablanca Airfield), is an airbase currently operated by the Philippine Air Force. It is located at Floridablanca, Pampanga about northwest of Metro Manila in the Philippines. ...
, Luzon, Philippines, c. 15 May 1945 *
Ie Shima Airfield is a training facility, managed by the United States Marine Corps and a former World War II airfield complex on Ie Shima, an island located off the northwest coast of Okinawa Island in the East China Sea. The airfield as such was inactivated ...
,
Ryuku Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonagun ...
, 9 July 1945 * Kanoya Airfield, Japan, 9 September 1945 *
Itami Airfield , often referred to as is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, southwest of Kyoto Station. ...
, Japan, c. 20 October 1945 – 10 May 1946 * Mercer Airport, New Jersey, 26 May 1949 *
Turner Air Force Base Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for turnin ...
, Georgia, 1 March 1951 *
Godman Air Force Base Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox United States Army post in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the United States Army Aviation Branch. UFOs: Mantell Incident ...
, Kentucky, 11 December 1951 – 1 December 1952 *
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...
, New Jersey, 1 December 1952 : Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, 1 October 1961 *
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...
, New Jersey, 30 August 1962 – 8 September 1973 *
McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...
, New Jersey, 8 September 1973 – present


Aircraft

*
SPAD S.VII The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rug ...
, 1918 *
SPAD S.XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...
, 1918–1919 *
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
, 1942–1945 *
P-51D Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA ...
, 1945–1946 * F-47D Thunderbolt, 1949–1952 * F-51H Mustang, 1952–1955 *
F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
, 1955–1958 *
F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...
, 1958–1962 * F-86H Sabre, 1962–1965 * F-105B Thunderchief, 1965–1981 *
F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...
, 1981–1985 * F-4E Phantom II, 1985–1991 *
KC-135E Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...
, 1991–2007 * KC-135R Stratotanker, 2007 – present


Aircraft flying in this unit

KC-135
58-0010(R) (Nov'14); 63-8040(R) (Nov'14)


Operations and Decorations

* Combat Operations: World War I; World War II * Campaigns: Meuse-Argonne Offensive; Air Offensive, Japan; Bismark-Archipelago; Luzon; Northern Solomons; New Guinea; Ryukyus; Southern Philippines * Decorations: : Presidential Unit Citation, New Britain, 16–31 December 1943 : Presidential Unit Citation, Philippines, 24 December 1944 – 9 July 1945


Heraldry

Unit Emblem: A Great Bengal tiger with orange and black markings playing with a German helmet and Iron Cross. The Tiger is intended to be a Princeton Tiger in honor of Captain Hobey Baker, the squadron commander, of
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
fame. Designed by Lt. Slaughter; approved in 1918; transferred to the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 30 October 1973; approved on 6 January 1988.


See also

*
Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force The Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force on November 11, 1918, represents its maximum strength in World War I. Units of the Air Service are listed as assigned to the order of battle for that date, which was that of t ...
*
List of American aero squadrons This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed. Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviation ...


References

* * * David K. Vaughan, Flying for the Air Service: The Hughes Brothers in World War I, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, OH 43403, .


External links


141st Air Refueling Squadron lineage and history
* United States War Department (1920), Battle Participation of Organizations of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Belgium and Italy, 1917–1919, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1920 {{Navboxes , list = {{US Air Force navbox {{USAF air refueling units Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in New Jersey