98th Air Refueling Group (A.F. RESERVE) KC-10s, 1987 - Present

The 98th Air Refueling Group boast a rich heritage from the 98th Bomb Group going back to W.W. II.  Activated on 1 October 1987 as the 98th Air Refueling Group (Heavy), stationed at Barksdale AFB, LA with KC - 10 aircraft.  It consisted of the 78th Air Refueling Squadron and 98th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron under the command of the 452 Air Refueling Wing at March AFB, CA.

On 12 - 14 May 1989, the group was tasked to support C-5 and C-141 cargo planes airlifting troops into Panama which was the prelude to Operation Just Cause.  In early August 1990 aircraft and crews of the 98th ARG again was called on to support Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm.  Following that operation, the 98th ARG was involved with President Bush's code name SINBAD, a secret plan to monitor drug trafficking in South America.

Yet again the 98th ARG flew mercy missions into Mogadishu, Somalia delivering 491,610 pounds of supplies to the starving natives.  Still operating in Operation Southern Watch the group flew missions along the southern border of Iraq in January 1993.

NEXT:   98th RANGE WING, (REGULAR A.F.) NELLIS AFB, NV.  2001 - Present