126th Air Refueling Wing, Illinois Air National Guard

History

Our Mission

The primary mission of the 126th Air Refueling Wing is to provide air refueling support to major commands of the Air Force as well as other U.S. military forces and the military forces of allied nations. In addition to air-to-air refueling of military aircraft, the unit provides trained, capable men and women who are ready to defend our nation anywhere in the world; to protect our state through civil defense and disaster relief; and to serve in the surrounding communities

126ARW Histories

126ARW History
126ARW Emblem

Other History Sites

• United States Army Center of Military History
• Air Force Historical Studies Office
• National Museum of the United States Air Force
• Air Force Historical Research Agency
• Society for Military History
• Naval History and Heritage Command
• United States Army Heritage and Education Center
• United States Marine Corps History Division
• Air Force Historical Foundation

ANG Heritage

Mexican Border Crisis
Observation Aviation
World War I
World War II
Korean War
The Bay of Pigs
Berlin Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
Dominican Republic
Vietnam War
Just Cause
Persian Gulf Crisis
After The Storm

Inside the 126th ARW

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Air National Guard: A Short Story

The Air National Guard as we know it today -- a separate reserve component of the United States Air Force -- was a product of the politics of postwar planning and interservice rivalry during World War II. The men who planned and maneuvered for an independent postwar Air Force during World War II didn't place much faith in the reserves, especially the state-dominated National Guard.

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