Florida Air National Guard
Encyclopedia
The Florida Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state
of Florida
. It is, along with the Florida Army National Guard
, an element of the Florida National Guard
. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force
, as well as of the state.
and Headquarters, Florida National Guard
, at the State Arsenal at St. Francis Barracks in St. Augustine, Florida
.
(125 FW) and its operational flying unit, the 159th Fighter Squadron
. Operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
(ACC) and assigned to 1st Air Force (1 AF), the 125 FW primarily operates the C and D models of the F-15 Eagle
in a continental air defense role at home and in an air dominance role when forward deployed overseas. The 125 FW also operates a single C-130E Hercules
for operational support airlift (OSA) and a single RC-26B Metroliner
in support of DoD counternarcotics detection and reconnaissance operations in coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force South
(JIATF-S).
The 125 FW is based at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport
with an additional alert operating location for the wing's Detachment 1 at Homestead Air Reserve Base
south of Miami.
(45 SW) of the Air Force Space Command
(AFSPC) at both Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
, Florida. The 114 ROPS provides certified Range Operations Crewmembers and Missile Flight Control Officers to the 45 SW in support of Department of Defense
, NASA
, and commercial space launch operations on the Eastern Range. The squadron also operates and maintains the Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology (BMRST) equipment, tracking US space launches and vehicles from both Federal and non-Federal facilities and ranges.
trains professional teams to provide meteorological services to varying national, state and local missions.
The Weather Readiness Training Center at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center
, Starke, Florida
, provides training, support and expertise to Air National Guard weather personnel. The training is provided in partnership with USAF 2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron
, Operating Location - Alpha (2 CWSS/OL-A).
, south of Jacksonville and Orange Park, is the Florida ANG's 202nd RED HORSE
Squadron, a civil engineering unit.
The Florida ANG also includes the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron (ERHG) which deployed to Iraq
, Afghanistan
and Qatar
for multiple engineering assignments in the Middle East up to approximately May 2007.
(ACC) as well as U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE). The squadron is capable of airborne insertion of equipment and personnel via air drop from the C-130, C-17, C-5
, C-23
, CV-22, or rotary-wing aircraft such as the UH-60, HH-60 and CH-53. Approximately 33% of the 290 JCSS personnel are airborne qualified and are on active parachute jump status.
weapons system for the 1st Air Force (1 AF) of the Air Combat Command
(ACC). Additional tasking includes collocated operation of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
(AFRCC) for the continental United States (CONUS), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the function of which is embedded in the 601 AOC.
(325 FW) of the Air Education and Training Command
(AETC). The 325 FW is the Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the F-22 Raptor
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is, along with the Florida Army National Guard
Florida Army National Guard
The Florida Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
, an element of the Florida National Guard
Florida National Guard
The Florida National Guard is the National Guard force of the U.S. state of Florida. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard.The United States Constitution charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
. It is considered a part of 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...
, as well as of the state.
Units
Headquarters for the Florida Air National Guard is colocated with the Headquarters for the Florida Army National GuardFlorida Army National Guard
The Florida Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
and Headquarters, Florida National Guard
Florida National Guard
The Florida National Guard is the National Guard force of the U.S. state of Florida. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard.The United States Constitution charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
, at the State Arsenal at St. Francis Barracks in St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
.
125th Fighter Wing
The largest unit of the Florida Air National Guard is the 125th Fighter Wing125th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 125th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Florida Air National Guard, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command . Its primary installation is Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport, Florida...
(125 FW) and its operational flying unit, the 159th Fighter Squadron
159th Fighter Squadron
The 159th Fighter Squadron is an Air National Guard organization that is the principal operational flying unit of the 125th Fighter Wing of the Florida Air National Guard. The squadron primarily flies the single seat F-15C Eagle, along with a smaller number of twin-seat F-15D Eagle aircraft, in...
. Operationally gained by the 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 ....
(ACC) and assigned to 1st Air Force (1 AF), the 125 FW primarily operates the C and D models of the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
in a continental air defense role at home and in an air dominance role when forward deployed overseas. The 125 FW also operates a single C-130E Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
for operational support airlift (OSA) and a single RC-26B Metroliner
C-26 Metroliner
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
in support of DoD counternarcotics detection and reconnaissance operations in coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force South
Joint Interagency Task Force South
Joint Interagency Task Force South is a multiservice, multiagency national task force based at Naval Air Station Key West , Key West, Florida....
(JIATF-S).
The 125 FW is based at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located 13 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, a city in Duval County, Florida...
with an additional alert operating location for the wing's Detachment 1 at Homestead Air Reserve Base
Homestead Air Reserve Base
Homestead Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Homestead, Florida.The host unit at Homestead is the 482d Fighter Wing assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command Tenth Air Force...
south of Miami.
114th Range Operations Squadron
The Florida ANG's 114th Range Operations Squadron (114 ROPS) directly supports the 45th Space Wing45th Space Wing
The 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...
(45 SW) of the Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
(AFSPC) at both Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
, Florida. The 114 ROPS provides certified Range Operations Crewmembers and Missile Flight Control Officers to the 45 SW in support of Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, and commercial space launch operations on the Eastern Range. The squadron also operates and maintains the Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology (BMRST) equipment, tracking US space launches and vehicles from both Federal and non-Federal facilities and ranges.
159th Weather Flight
The 159th Weather Flight at Camp BlandingCamp Blanding
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain non-flying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is located in Clay County, Florida near the city of...
trains professional teams to provide meteorological services to varying national, state and local missions.
The Weather Readiness Training Center at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center
Camp Blanding
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain non-flying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is located in Clay County, Florida near the city of...
, Starke, Florida
Starke, Florida
Starke is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,593 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,769 ....
, provides training, support and expertise to Air National Guard weather personnel. The training is provided in partnership with USAF 2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron
2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron
The 2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron , located at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in the United States, is the Air Force squadron equipped for the testing and evaluation of new and existing capabilities, for training Airmen on systems prior to deployment, and as support for Air Force Combat Weather...
, Operating Location - Alpha (2 CWSS/OL-A).
202nd RED HORSE Squadron
At Camp BlandingCamp Blanding
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain non-flying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is located in Clay County, Florida near the city of...
, south of Jacksonville and Orange Park, is the Florida ANG's 202nd RED HORSE
Red Horse
Red Horse may refer to:*Red Horse , an album and folk group formed by Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky*The Red Horse, a novel by Eugenio Corti*Red Horse Beer, a beer brewed in the Philippines...
Squadron, a civil engineering unit.
The Florida ANG also includes the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron (ERHG) which deployed to 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....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
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...
for multiple engineering assignments in the Middle East up to approximately May 2007.
290th Joint Communications Support Squadron
The Florida ANG's 290th Joint Communications Support (290 JCSS) at MacDill AFB, Florida supports Air Combat CommandAir 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 ....
(ACC) as well as U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE). The squadron is capable of airborne insertion of equipment and personnel via air drop from the C-130, C-17, C-5
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
, C-23
C-23 Sherpa
|-C-23B/C:-See also:-External links:*****...
, CV-22, or rotary-wing aircraft such as the UH-60, HH-60 and CH-53. Approximately 33% of the 290 JCSS personnel are airborne qualified and are on active parachute jump status.
601st Air Operations Center
At Tyndall AFB, Florida, the Florida Air National Guard's 601st Air Operations Center (601 AOC) operates the AN/USQ-163 Falconer Air Operations CenterAir Operations Center
An Air and Space Operations Center is a type of command center used by the United States Air Force. It is the senior agency of the Air Force component commander to provide command and control of air and space operations....
weapons system for the 1st Air Force (1 AF) of the 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 ....
(ACC). Additional tasking includes collocated operation of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
As the United States' inland search and rescue coordinator, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center serves as the single agency responsible for coordinating on-land federal SAR activities in the United States, including Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.Some of the AFRCC's more notable...
(AFRCC) for the continental United States (CONUS), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the function of which is embedded in the 601 AOC.
325th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Associate Unit
Also at Tyndall AFB, Air National Guard pilots are assigned as augmentee instructor pilots to the active duty Air Force's 325th Fighter Wing325th Fighter Wing
The 325th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 325th Fighter Wing’s primary mission is to provide air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel and air battle managers to support the combat Air...
(325 FW) of the Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
(AETC). The 325 FW is the Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the 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...
.
Active aircraft
| Aircraft | Origin | Type |
|---|---|---|
| C-130H Hercules | tactical transport | |
| C-26 Metroliner C-26 Metroliner |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.... |
tactical transport | |
| F-15C/D Eagle | air superiority fighter |