Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base

Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is located near Columbus, Ohio, in southern Franklin County. Established in the 1940s as Lockbourne Army Airfield, it served as a U.S. Army Air Forces training base during World War II. The facility was redesignated Lockbourne Air Force Base in 1948 following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent branch. In September 1951, the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing relocated to the base, operating B-45, RB-45, B-47, and YRB-47 aircraft for aerial reconnaissance and mapping until 1957. The 301st Bombardment Wing assumed host responsibilities in 1958, flying B-47, EB-47, RB-47, and KC-97 aircraft. In 1964, the wing transitioned to the KC-135A Stratotanker and was redesignated the 301st Air Refueling Wing. The installation was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base in 1974 in honor of aviator and World War I fighter ace Eddie Rickenbacker. On April 1, 1980, the base was transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard.

The base is operated by the U.S. Air Force and controlled by the Ohio Air National Guard. The 121st Air Refueling Wing serves as the host unit, operating a fleet of KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. When placed in federal service, the wing is operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command. As a joint military facility, the installation hosts multiple tenant activities, including the Ohio Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility #2, Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve units, and the Civil Air Patrol’s Rickenbacker ANGB Composite Squadron.

Rickenbacker ANGB operates as a tenant of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, sharing airfield infrastructure with Rickenbacker International Airport. The base maintains facilities to support aerial refueling missions and the operations of its various branch reserve components.