Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base - Air National Guard at Lockbourne AFB / Rickenbacker AFB

Air National Guard At Lockbourne AFB / Rickenbacker AFB

In June 1949, Lockbourne Air Force Base was deactivated, and control of the facility was transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard. For the next 18 months, the Ohio Air National Guard's 55th Fighter Wing used the base for training, flying F-47 Thunderbolts and F-51 Mustangs.

In November 1950, the 55th Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Wing and was assigned an air defense mission. Under various designations, the 121st has been stationed at Rickenbacker for over 50 years. Many of its members were activated for the Korean War and were additionally reassigned to other units for duty in Korea and other overseas locations. In 1954, the F-80C Shooting Star arrived and the wing continued with an air defense mission. F-84E aircraft were received in 1955 followed by the swept-wing F-84F in 1957, which brought with it a fighter-bomber mission.

In October 1961, the wing was called to active duty for the Berlin Crisis. The 166th and additional augmenting personnel deployed to Etain Air Base, France, where they served until returning in August 1962.

Upon its return from France, the 121st converted to the F-100C Super Sabre in August 1962, which greatly enhanced its mission capabilities. Another call-up to active duty occurred on 26 January 1968 as a result of the USS Pueblo Crisis. One year of the 18-month activation was spent in Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea where it wore the "BP" tailcode and red colors as part of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing. During the deployment some pilots flew combat missions in Vietnam while performing temporary assignments with other units. Aircraft and personnel returned home in June 1969. An aircraft upgrade to the F-100D was accomplished in 1971.

Under the “Total Force Policy,” Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units began to receive newer aircraft and equipment in the 1970s. The 121st began conversion to the A-7D Corsair II in 1974 which brought with it additional missions. The unit was deployed to Howard AFB, Panama when hostilities began in late December 1989 and participated in Operation Just Cause. They were among the ANG units that rotated to Howard Air Force Base to provide a presence in Panama Cornet Cove deployment exercises.

On 1 July 1976, the 160th Air Refueling Group was activated at Rickenbacker and equipped with Boeing KC-135A/Q Stratotankers. The 160 ARG was one of 13 Air National Guard refueling units assigned to SAC as part of the initial integration of Air Reserve Component units into SAC's forces and mission.

With the end of the Cold War, a major reorganization of the Air Force was soon underway. On the disbandment of SAC in 1992, the 160 ARG was reassigned to Air Mobility Command, Fifteenth Air Force on 31 May 1992. The 121 Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Wing the same year and reassigned to Air Combat Command with the disbandment of Tactical Air Command (TAC).

In October 1993, the 121st FW was consolidated with the 160th Air Refueling Group which was deactivated in the process. The 121st Fighter Wing's A-7Ds were flown to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and the first KC-135Rs were received. With this consolidation, the 121st became the 121st Air Refueling Wing and gained the 145th Air Refueling Squadron from the inactivated 160 ARG with its aircraft, unique history and heritage. The 121st also assumed base support responsibilities.

Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base was recommended for closure by the BRAC 1991 Commission, but as a result of a proposal by the State of Ohio, the 1993 Commission recommended that Rickenbacker ANGB be realigned rather than closed. The Commission decided to retain the 121st Air Refueling Wing in a military cantonment area at Rickenbacker ANGB instead of realigning to Wright-Patterson AFB. The Air National Guard would continue to operate as tenants of the Rickenbacker Port Authority (RPA) on the RPA's airport and the military facilities were realigned as Rickenbacker Air National Guard Station on 30 September 1994 by the 1991 Congressional Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

In August 2001 a Groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction for a new, consolidated Navy and Marine Corps Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker International Airport. The $10 million center, scheduled for completion in early 2003, will be located at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Club Street adjacent to the Air National Guard facility at Rickenbacker. Being developed by the Navy Reserve, the project will consolidate the Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker with the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center currently located on Yearling Road in Columbus. When completed, the nearly 1,000 Navy and Marine Corps Reservists currently located at the two existing Reserve Centers will shift their activities to this new facility. Once the new center opens, the site of the existing Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker will be redeveloped by the Rickenbacker Port Authority, which operates the 5,000-acre (20 km2) Airport.