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126th Air Refueling Squadron
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126th Air Refueling Squadron
The 126th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard stationed at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin. The 126th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.
The squadron was first organized in the Wisconsin National Guard as the 126th Observation Squadron in 1940. It is one of 29 National Guard Observation Squadrons formed before World War II.
The squadron was first organized as the 126th Observation Squadron in November 1940 as part of the build-up of the United States military after the Fall of France. The 126th trained for reconnaissance with the Wisconsin National Guard. The squadron was called to active service in June 1941 and moved to Hyannis Army Air Field, Massachusetts. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron performed antisubmarine patrols off the New England coast, using a variety of single engine observation aircraft. In October 1942, as two and four engine bombers took over more of the antisubmarine mission, the squadron moved to Birmingham Army Air Field, Alabama, where it was inactivated and its personnel dispersed to other units.
The squadron was reactivated at Fort Myers Army Air Field, Florida as part of Third Air Force in March 1943 and initially trained, as the 126th Reconnaissance Squadron to be a tactical reconnaissance squadron. In August, its mission changed to photographic reconnaissance and it was redesignated the 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron and converted to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning high speed reconnaissance aircraft. The unit deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it became part of Ninth Air Force in England. The squadron performed aerial reconnaissance of enemy-held territory in Occupied Europe prior to the Normandy Invasion. It supported Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion in June 1944 by performing visual and photographic reconnaissance of bridges, artillery, road and railway junctions, traffic centers, airfields, and other targets.
The squadron moved to France in August 1944, aiding the United States Third Army and other Allied organizations in the liberation of France and the battle to breach the Siegfried Line by flying reconnaissance missions in the combat zone. It flew reconnaissance missions over Germany from January 1945 to V-E Day, assisting the advance of Third Army across the Rhine, to Czechoslovakia and into Austria. It had moved forward to Fürth Airfield, Germany by the time hostilities ended. It then became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe and part of the occupation forces in Germany and was inactivated at Fürth in November 1945.
The wartime 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated the 126th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and extended federal recognition on 25 June 1947. The squadron was assigned to the newly formed 128th Fighter Group and equipped with North American F-51D Mustangs.
The squadron upgraded to Lockheed F-80A Shooting Star jet aircraft in 1949. The squadron was federalized during the Korean War on 1 March 1951 and Was redesignated the 126th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron the following day. The 126th moved to Truax Field, Madison where it flew air defense missions. In February 1952. As part of a major Air Defense Command (ADC) reorganization that replaced its fighter wings with regional air defense wings, responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage, the squadron's parent 128th Fighter-Interceptor Group was inactivated and the squadron was reassigned to the 31st Air Division. In April, the unit converted to North American F-86 Sabres and flew them until it was released from active duty and inactivated on 1 December 1952.
The squadron was activated in the Wisconsin Air National Guard the same day and began to equip with the earlier F-86A model of the Sabre. It continued its air defense mission though the 1950s, being upgraded to radar equipped Northrop F-89 Scorpion interceptors in 1954. Its initial equipment was the 20mm cannon armed F-89C, but in 1960 it upgraded to the F-89J, which was armed with the AIR-2 Genie and equipped with data link or interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system.
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126th Air Refueling Squadron
The 126th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard stationed at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin. The 126th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.
The squadron was first organized in the Wisconsin National Guard as the 126th Observation Squadron in 1940. It is one of 29 National Guard Observation Squadrons formed before World War II.
The squadron was first organized as the 126th Observation Squadron in November 1940 as part of the build-up of the United States military after the Fall of France. The 126th trained for reconnaissance with the Wisconsin National Guard. The squadron was called to active service in June 1941 and moved to Hyannis Army Air Field, Massachusetts. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron performed antisubmarine patrols off the New England coast, using a variety of single engine observation aircraft. In October 1942, as two and four engine bombers took over more of the antisubmarine mission, the squadron moved to Birmingham Army Air Field, Alabama, where it was inactivated and its personnel dispersed to other units.
The squadron was reactivated at Fort Myers Army Air Field, Florida as part of Third Air Force in March 1943 and initially trained, as the 126th Reconnaissance Squadron to be a tactical reconnaissance squadron. In August, its mission changed to photographic reconnaissance and it was redesignated the 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron and converted to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning high speed reconnaissance aircraft. The unit deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it became part of Ninth Air Force in England. The squadron performed aerial reconnaissance of enemy-held territory in Occupied Europe prior to the Normandy Invasion. It supported Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion in June 1944 by performing visual and photographic reconnaissance of bridges, artillery, road and railway junctions, traffic centers, airfields, and other targets.
The squadron moved to France in August 1944, aiding the United States Third Army and other Allied organizations in the liberation of France and the battle to breach the Siegfried Line by flying reconnaissance missions in the combat zone. It flew reconnaissance missions over Germany from January 1945 to V-E Day, assisting the advance of Third Army across the Rhine, to Czechoslovakia and into Austria. It had moved forward to Fürth Airfield, Germany by the time hostilities ended. It then became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe and part of the occupation forces in Germany and was inactivated at Fürth in November 1945.
The wartime 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated the 126th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and extended federal recognition on 25 June 1947. The squadron was assigned to the newly formed 128th Fighter Group and equipped with North American F-51D Mustangs.
The squadron upgraded to Lockheed F-80A Shooting Star jet aircraft in 1949. The squadron was federalized during the Korean War on 1 March 1951 and Was redesignated the 126th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron the following day. The 126th moved to Truax Field, Madison where it flew air defense missions. In February 1952. As part of a major Air Defense Command (ADC) reorganization that replaced its fighter wings with regional air defense wings, responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage, the squadron's parent 128th Fighter-Interceptor Group was inactivated and the squadron was reassigned to the 31st Air Division. In April, the unit converted to North American F-86 Sabres and flew them until it was released from active duty and inactivated on 1 December 1952.
The squadron was activated in the Wisconsin Air National Guard the same day and began to equip with the earlier F-86A model of the Sabre. It continued its air defense mission though the 1950s, being upgraded to radar equipped Northrop F-89 Scorpion interceptors in 1954. Its initial equipment was the 20mm cannon armed F-89C, but in 1960 it upgraded to the F-89J, which was armed with the AIR-2 Genie and equipped with data link or interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system.
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