The 168 ARW was activated on October 23, 1990 as the 168th Air Refueling Group. This Group grew out of the 168th
Air Refueling Squadron (AFRES), which traces its lineage to the 437th Bombardment Squadron, 319th Bombardment
Group, originally activated at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, in June 1942. Its aircraft were the Martin B-26 "Marauder" and
in November 1944 they received the North American B-25 "Mitchell". The 437th served with distinction in both the
European and Pacific theaters of World War II, earning the French Croix de Guerre (with palm) for action over Italy and
France during April-June 1944, two Presidential Unit Citations for operations over Rome and Florence in 1944, and nine
combat streamers for campaigns in which it flew. In January 1945 the 437th was transferred to Okinawa for participation
in the Ryukyus Islands Campaign and the Air Offensive in Japan, the closing chapters of World War II. In May 1946 the
437th was redesignated as the 168th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and allocated to the Illinois Air National Guard. It
flew the B-26 Douglas “Invader” and was stationed at Chicago's Orchard Place Airport, now O'Hare International Airport.
The unit was called to active duty for service in France from 1951-53 initially at Bordeaux-Merignac Air Base and later
Laon-Couvron Air Base. In 1954 it was redesignated the 168th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and flew the famous North
American F-51 "Mustang". In 1955 it received the F-84F "Thunderstreak" jet, becoming the 168th Fighter-Interceptor
Squadron. In 1957 it flew the F-86L "Sabre-jet”. In May 1958, the 168th's aircraft and personnel were assigned to other
units, but the 168th's unit designation remained on the state's rolls -- a "technical deactivation". Almost thirty years later,
the unit was reactivated as the 168th Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard.
From a modest beginning in 1986, the 168th Air Refueling Squadron has blossomed into Wing status and all the
accouterments of a full Air Refueling Wing. The 168 ARW has command and control over thirteen subordinate assigned
units whose missions include all aircraft maintenance for the PACAF-gained tankers, providing financial, transportation,
contracting, and base supply resources, communications, data processing and visual information functions,
organizational security, and disaster preparedness and air base operability. They also contain all personnel activities
such as training, equal employment opportunity and recruiting, and limited diagnostic and therapeutic service in general
medicine, flight medicine, bioenvironmental, environmental, and dental services.
Subordinate assigned units include four groups, the 168th Operations Group (OG), the 168th Maintenance Group
(MXG), the 168th Mission Support Group (MSG), and the 168th Medical Group (MDG). The 168 OG includes the 168th
Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) and the 168th Operations Support Flight (OSF). The 168 MXG includes the 168th
Maintenance Squadron (MXS), the 168th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), and the 168th Maintenance
Operations Flight (MOF). Finally, the 168 MSG includes the 168th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), the 168th Logistics
Readiness Squadron (LRS), the 168th Force Support Flight (FSF), and the 168th Communications Flight (CF).
The 11-story tall SSPARS in its protective dome at Clear Air Force Station is operated by the 213th Space Warning
Squadron. The 213th Space Warning Squadron (213th SWS), located at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, is currently
performing a transition of Clear AFS and its mission from the 13th Space Warning Squadron of the US Air Force. It is 40
miles north of Mount McKinley and 80 miles south of Fairbanks. The 213th SWS is responsible for providing tactical
warning and attack assessment of a ballistic missile attack against the continental United States and southern Canada.
Warning data from the unit is forwarded to the North American Aerospace Defense Command inside Cheyenne Mountain
Air Force Station, Colorado. The squadron is also responsible for a portion of the Air Force Space Command Space
Surveillance System and assists in tracking more than 9,500 space objects currently in Earth's orbit.
Because of Alaska's strategic location with regard to national defense, the mission and importance of the 168 ARW and
the Alaska Air National Guard should continue to increase in the coming years. The 168 ARW has a remarkably broad
range of responsibilities.
