Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base

Location
Rickenbacker Base, the former Lockbourne Air Force Base, is located in Franklin and Pickaway counties in a rural/residential area, twelve miles southeast of downtown Columbus, Ohio and just east of the Village of Lockbourne. It is the home of the United States Air Force’s 121st Air Refueling Wing (121 ARW), which serves as the host wing and is an Air National Guard (ANG) unit operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC).

History
The former Lockbourne AFB has been known by several names since it began as the Northwest Training Center of the Army Air Corps. In 1942, it was renamed for the nearby town of Lockbourne, Ohio, and became the Lockbourne Army Air Base. It was renamed Lockbourne Air Force Base in 1948 and was re-designated as the Rickenbacker Air Force Base in 1974.

The property was primarily used as a training base for B-17 and glider crews from 1942 to 1949. In 1951, the base became a Strategic Air Command Base and in 1965, a Tactical Air Command Base.

In 1980, the base was transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard and renamed the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. In 1984, 1,642.62 acres (of the original 4,371.07 acres) were conveyed to the Rickenbacker Port Authority (RPA), which renamed the site Rickenbacker International Airport (RIA) and established the passenger terminal. The Ohio Air National Guard maintains a portion of the airport, as does the Naval Reserve. RPA merged with the Columbus Airport Authority in 2003, forming the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA), which currently owns and operates the RIA.

The RIA is comprised of a high speed logistics hub, an adjacent industrial park, and an on-site Foreign-Trade Zone. The airport specializes in air cargo and features parallel 12,000-foot runways and 500,000 square feet of cargo terminal space.

Mission
The 121st Air Refueling Wing’s mission is to provide highly trained professionals in support of federal, state, and community interests by:

Providing timely worldwide air refueling, air-lift and support forces of the United States military.

Protecting life and property, preserving peace, order and public safety for Ohio

Participating in local, state and national programs that add value to the American community.

Ohio Air National Guard

ID Cards
(614) 492-3156 or
(614) 492-3461
BX (Base Exchange)
(614) 491-8424
Front Gate
(614) 492-4613
Security Police
(614) 492-4321
Base Operations
(614) 492-4595
Air National Guard Locator
(614) 492-3541