The 68th Air Refueling Wing was originally established as the 68th Observation Group in Brownwood, Texas, on September 1, 1941. Its primary mission was observation aircraft training and antisubmarine patrols. The group moved to several different U.S. locations in preparation for overseas deployment in 1942.

Moved to the Mediterranean Theater, October-November 1942, and assigned to Twelfth Air Force. Shortly after the group began operations most of its squadrons were detached for separate duty in order to carry out diverse activities over a wide area. Operating from bases in North Africa until November 1943, the group, or elements of the group, engaged in patrolling the Mediterranean; strafing trucks, tanks, gun positions, and supply dumps to support ground troops in Tunisia; training fighter pilots and replacement crews; and flying photographic and visual reconnaissance missions in Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to provide information needed to adjust artillery fire.

Moved to Italy and assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, in November 1943. Continued visual and photographic reconnaissance and began flying weather reconnaissance missions in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans. Also engaged in electronic-countermeasure activities, investigating radar equipment captured from the enemy, flying ferret missions along the coasts of Italy and southern France, and accompanying bomber formations to detect approaching enemy fighters. Used P-38, P-39, P-40, P-51, A-20, A-36, B-17, and B-24 aircraft for operations. Returned to North Africa in April 1944.

Disbanded on June 15, 1944.

Cold War

The 68th was redesignated the 68th Reconnaissance Group on March 10, 1947, as a Reserve unit at Hamilton Field (later Hamilton AFB), California. The 68th was inactivated on June 27, 1949, due to a reorganization of the Air Force Reserve program.

The 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium was established on October 4, 1951 and activated on October 10, 1951 at Lake Charles AFB, later renamed Chennault AFB, LA. It received its initial cadre of 16 people from the 44th Bomb Wing and began reconnaissance training using borrowed B-29s. It received its own B-29s in May 1952, then began training as a bombardment wing.

On June 16, 1952, it was redesignated the 68th Bombardment Wing, Medium. Late the next year, the B-29 Superfortress was replaced with the new all-jet B-47 Stratojet. The wing also received KC-97 Stratotankers and added a refueling mission. It conducted strategic bombardment training from May 1954 to June 1963 and air refueling operations from May 1954 to September 1957. It was deployed at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom from June 14 to August 7, 1954 and at RAF Brize Norton, England from September 27, 1957 to January 8, 1958.

The 68th moved without personnel or equipment to North Carolina on April 15, 1963, where it replaced the 4241st Strategic Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB and it was officially redesignated as the 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). It then transitioned to and conducted strategic bombardment training with B-52s and air refueling operations with KC-135s. Deployed at Loring AFB, ME from July 28 to August 1965 and from May 27, 1972 to July 15, 1972. During this time, all wing aircraft, most aircrew and maintenance personnel and about half of the wing's support people were loaned to other SAC units for combat operations in Vietnam.

B-52 operations were phased out of the 68th in 1982, with official inactivation 68th Bomb Wing occurring on September 30, 1982. On that date, the 68th Air Refueling Group (68 ARG) was activated. On October 1, 1982, the 68th Air Refueling Group, and the 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, were consolidated into a single organization. The 68 ARG continued to fly KC-135 tankers until October 1, 1985, when it converted to the larger, more modern and versatile KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft. The 68 ARG was redesignated the 68th Air Refueling Wing (68 ARW) on October 1, 1986.

Post Cold War

On April 22, 1991, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (4 TFW) at Seymour Johnson AFB became the U.S. Air Force's first composite wing and was renamed the 4th Wing (4 WG). The 4 WG incorporated under it all the personnel, KC-10 aircraft, and assets previously assigned to the 68th Air Refueling Wing. The 68 ARW was subsequently inactivated. A few years later, the KC-10 component was separated from the 4 WG and reassigned to McGuire AFB, NJ where it became part of the newly reformed 305th Air Mobility Wing of the Air Mobility Command. At that time, the 4th Wing was renamed the 4th Fighter Wing (4 FW) of the Air Combat Command.

References

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell