USAF Patch ANG 108 TFW Tactical Fighter Wing F 4 Phantom 1991

USAF Patch ANG 108 TFW Tactical Fighter Wing Phantoms 1980 1991 Patch New Jersey Air National Guard Atlantic City 1991 fully embroidered merrowed edge 115mm four and one half inches diameter.

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Squadron History

The wartime 348 Fighter Group was re-designated 108 Fighter Group and was allotted to the New Jersey Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. The Group was redesignated 108 Strategic Fighter Wing at Mercer Airport Trenton New Jersey and was extended federal recognition on 26 May 1949 and assigned 119 Strategic Fighter Squadron and 141 Strategic Fighter Squadron equipped with F 47D Thunderbolt aircraft. It was allocated to Strategic Air Command by the National Guard Bureau to act as strategic bomber escort.

The Wing was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951 and assigned to Strategic Air Command 40 Air Division and was composed of the 141 Fighter Squadron New Jersey ANG 149 Fighter Squadron Virginia ANG and 153 Fighter Squadron Mississippi ANG and located to Turner AFB 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 Kentucky and was released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control on 10 November 1952.

The Wing transferred to Air Defense Command and was redesignated 108 Fighter Interceptor Wing with 141 Fighter Interceptor Squadron and 119 Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Atlantic City reequipped with P 51H Mustang fighters and F 86E Sabre fighters in 1955. 108 FIW was transferred to Tactical Air Command in 1958 and was redesignated 108 Tactical Fighter Wing with 141 and 119 Tactical Fighter Squadrons receiving F 84F Thunderstreak fighter bombers.

On 1 October 1961 108 TFW was ordered to active federal duty due to the Berlin crisis with three F 84F Thunderstreak Squadrons 119 TFS at Atlantic City Airport the 141 TFS McGuire AFB New Jersey and 149 TFS Virginia ANG at Byrd Field Richmond Virginia. The Wing deployed elements to Chaumont Semoutiers AB France with 28 of 141 TFS F 84F’s and officers and airmen from all three squadrons with the remaining aircraft and personnel remaining on active duty at their home stations. The reduced strength Wing in France was designated 7108 Tactical Wing on 20 November 1961 tasked with providing close air support to the Seventh Army via Ground Forward Air Controllers. Pilots and aircraft were rotated back and forth from Atlantic City and Richmond in order for all pilots in the wing to become familiar with flying conditions at Chaumont and to learn USAFE operational procedures. The Wing returned to New Jersey state control in October 1962 with 119 TFS expanded to group size with redesignation to 177 Tactical Fighter Group and the Wing remaining Squadron 141 TFS received F 86 Sabres.

In April 1964 108 TFW reequipped with  F 105 Thunderchiefs and in May 1981 transitioned to F 4D Phantom II and upgraded to F 4Es in 1985
and participated in numerous exercises and made six overseas deployments as a fighter unit to France Greece Ecuador and three times to Norway.

With the end of the Cold War the 108 Tactical Fighter Wing was re tasked for Air Refueling with KC 135 Stratotanker aircraft and on 19 October 1991 was redesignated 108 Air Refueling Wing with 141 Air Refueling Squadron. The Wing was certified combat ready on 3 December 1992 and on 1 October 1993 the NJANG 170 Air Refueling Group consolidated with the 108th Air Refueling Wing bringing it 150 Air Refueling Squadron. In 2007 108 ARW upgraded to KC 135R aircraft.

This patch dates from 1991.