192d Fighter Wing
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

's 192d Fighter Wing is a fighter organization of the Virginia Air National Guard
Virginia Air National Guard
The Virginia Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is, along with the Virginia Army National Guard, an element of the Virginia National Guard...

 located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Joint Base Langley–Eustis is a United States military facility located in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 633rd Air Base Wing, Air Combat Command...

, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

.

Mission

This is an Air National Guard unit co-located with the active duty 1st Fighter Wing
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...

 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Joint Base Langley–Eustis is a United States military facility located in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 633rd Air Base Wing, Air Combat Command...

, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. The 192d Fighter Wing has a dual mission. The federal mission is to maintain a well-trained, well-equipped unit to be available for prompt mobilization during war and provide assistance during national emergencies (such as natural disasters or civil disturbances). Under the state mission, the 192d provides protection of life, property and preserves peace, order and public safety. These missions are accomplished through emergency relief support during natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and forest fires; search and rescue operations; support to civil defense authorities; maintenance of vital public services and counterdrug operations.

1940s

In May 1946, the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...

 reactivated the 328th Fighter Squadron, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 unit. The 328th was organized at Mitchel Field, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 on 10 October 1942, and was sent to fight in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. Battle honors included a Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre. Shortly after being designated the 149th Fighter Squadron
149th Fighter Squadron
The 149th Fighter Squadron Based at Langley Air Force Base flies the F-22 Raptor. It is unit of the Virginia Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 192nd Fighter Wing...

, the unit was assigned to the Virginia Air National Guard
Virginia Air National Guard
The Virginia Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is, along with the Virginia Army National Guard, an element of the Virginia National Guard...

, earning official recognition from the National Guard Bureau in June 1947. The unit's first aircraft was the F-47 Thunderbolt.

1950s

On 1 March 1951, the unit was called to active federal service, temporarily dissoluting the Virginia Air National Guard as members were sent for duty in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. The Virginia Air National Guard was reorganized in November 1953 as a B-26 bomber outfit. In 1957, the unit was reformulated as the 149th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and was scheduled to get F-86E Sabrejets
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...

. Later that year, the unit became the 149th Tactical Fighter Squadron as F-84F Thunderstreak
F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....

s began replacing the B-26.

1960s

At the height of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 in 1961, the squadron was federalized due to the tensions surrounding the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...

. The squadron remained at Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

 as active-duty status for nearly a year before being released. In December 1961, 22 Virginia Air National Guard members were sent to Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base for eight months to support the 7180th Tactical Fighter Wing, a deployed unit of the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing. In October 1962, the unit was regrouped as the 192d Tactical Fighter Group, with the 149th Tactical Fighters becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons in the group were the 192d Group Headquarters, 192d Material Squadron (Maintenance), 192d Combat Support Squadron, and the 192d USAF Dispensary.

1970s

During 1971, the 192d was assigned the F-105D Thunderchief, a battle-hardened supersonic fighter-bomber that was the backbone of America’s fighter element during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. The group’s special tasks during the next decade included several deployments to Red Flag live-fire exercises in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 and a deployment to RAF Lakenheath, England, in 1976.

1980s

In 1981, the unit converted to the A-7D Corsair II
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...

, a subsonic jet designed for close-air support. The decade long A-7 era included several deployments to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

 to aid the defense of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

 and two trips to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, in 1985 and 1989. Shortly after a deployment to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

, the 192d deployed in September 1985 to Evenes Air Station, Norway; 150 miles (241.4 km) above the Arctic Circle.

A few weeks later, a Virginia contingent competed in Gunsmoke '85, the Air Force's tactical fighter competition, and the 192d was named the world's "Best A-7 Unit". The 192d also earned the General Spruance Safety Award and was recognized as having the best Operational Readiness Inspection in the Ninth Air Force during 1985. In 1987, the 192d earned its first USAF Outstanding Unit Award
Outstanding Unit Award
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...

.

1990s

The unit soared into a new era of aviation technology in 1991 when it became the first Air National Guard unit to receive the Air Force's upgraded Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

—the F-16C/D. The unit was initially assigned 24 single-seat F-16C models and two F-16D models. By early 1994, defense cutbacks reduced the unit's assigned inventory to 18 F-16s, and eventually to 15. Conversion to the F-16 airframe required the 192d to build a $2 million "hush house", a special noise-suppression hangar to test the jets engines without bothering neighbors. The 192d's designation shortened during 1992, from 192d Tactical Fighter Group to 192d Fighter Group, reflecting the retirement of former Tactical Air Command and creation of the multi-role mission of the new Air Combat Command.
After the 192d became fully operational with the F-16, it was chosen as the lead unit in a four-state Air National Guard F-16 "rainbow" detachment deployment to Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik Air Base
The Incirlik Air Base is located in İncirlik, five miles east of Adana, Turkey's fifth largest city, and from the Mediterranean Sea.The U.S...

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 to support Operation Provide Comfort II
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...

. Between 1 December 1993, and 15 January 1994, ANG pilots patrolled the no-fly zone over northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 to prevent Iraqi forces from inflicting damage on the villages of Kurdish minorities. This marked the first time Air National Guard units were called to active duty in the Middle East, following Iraq’s defeat in 1991. The unit returned to Incirlik in February 1996 for another round of patrols over Iraq.

During October 1995, the wing designation was changed to 192d Fighter Wing. At the direction of the commander of Air Combat Command, in January, the 192d became a test regional repair center for F-16 engines. The 18-month assignment called for the 192d propulsion section to strip and rebuild General Electric F110-GE-100 engines for its own F-16s as well as for F-16s assigned to Pope AFB, NC. The Air Force aimed to reduce the number of F-16 maintenance workers, consolidate their training, reduce duplication of resources, and lower maintenance costs per flying hour. The 192d FW was selected to test the capability of electro-optical "recce" pods. After becoming mission capable with the pods in April 1996, the fighter wing deployed to Aviano AB, Italy, in May 1996 for the first contingency use of the new pods and computerized imaging equipment. For 45 days, the 192d FW flew "recce" missions over Bosnia to support international peacekeeping efforts. In December 1996, the wing was awarded its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

2000s

In December 2000, 29 members of the 192d deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...

. In addition to Turkey and Kuwait, they were deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base
Prince Sultan Air Base
Prince Sultan Air Base is an air base located at Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia.There was formerly a large United States presence there during Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. presence was predominantly that of multiple U.S. Air Force flying units, augmented by a...

 and Eskan Village, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

; Aviano Air Base, Italy; and Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

. Also in December, the 192d deployed on its first Aerospace Expeditionary Force assignment. A 130-person detachment went to Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...

 in the Netherlands Antilles as part of Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk was a U.S. anti-narcotic smuggling air patrol operation. Formerly carried out from Howard Air Force Base in Panama, the operation was moved to Hato, at Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles from April 1999...

, an effort to stop drug smuggling into the United States.

On 21 September 2000, the 192d hosted a reunion for the 352nd Fighter Group, the highly decorated World War II unit to which the 192d's 149th Fighter Squadron traces its military lineage. More than 100 World War II veterans and nearly 300 of their family members attended.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, more than 400 unit members were called to active duty for up to two years; marking a period of prolonged intensity at the Air Guard base, unmatched since the Berlin call-up of 1961–62. Beginning in mid-September, combat air patrols were flown day and night for 218 consecutive days until mid-April 2002 for a total of 820 operational sorties and 3,515.5 flying hours. To support 24-hour-a-day operations, the unit installed three alert trailers for F-16 crews, and set up on-base laundry facilities, a mini-BX, and a small gymnasium.

In September – October 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 192d Fighter Wing deployed more than 300 personnel to an undisclosed base in Southwest Asia.

On 13 October 2007, the order to reactivate the 192d FW was read by Lt. Col. Dave Kolmer at the Activation Ceremony held at the 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB. Integration with the active duty 1st FW allows the Air National Guard to be at the forefront of the latest design of fighter craft.

Transitioned from F-16s to F-22 Raptors and moved from Richmond International Airport, Richmond to Langley AFB, Virginia. Jointly flies and maintains aircraft assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing.

Major command

  • Air National Guard
    Air National Guard
    The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

    /Air Combat Command
    Air Combat Command
    Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

     (1992–Present)
  • Air National Guard
    Air National Guard
    The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

    /Tactical Air Command
    Tactical Air Command
    Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

     (1962–1992)

Previous designations

  • 192d Fighter Wing (1995–Present)
  • 192d Fighter Group (1992–1995)
  • 192d Tactical Fighter Group (1962–1992)

Bases stationed

  • Joint Base Langley-Eustis
    Joint Base Langley-Eustis
    Joint Base Langley–Eustis is a United States military facility located in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 633rd Air Base Wing, Air Combat Command...

    , Virginia (2007–Present)
  • Richmond International Airport
    Richmond International Airport
    - Accidents and incidents :*In 1996, Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 from Trenton experienced loss of rudder control while on approach to Richmond, however rudder control was regained shortly after and the aircraft landed normally. There was one minor injury....

    , Virginia
    Virginia
    The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

     (1962–2007)

Aircraft operated

  • F-22 Raptor
    F-22 Raptor
    The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...

     (2006–present)
  • F-16C Block 30 Fighting Falcon (1991–2006)
  • A-7D Corsair II (1981–1991)
  • F-105D Thunderchief (1971–1981)
  • F-84F Thunderstreak
    F-84F Thunderstreak
    The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....

     (1957–1971)
  • F-47 Thunderbolt (1947–1953)
  • B-26 Invader (1953–1957)
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