122d Fighter Wing

122d Fighter Wing

An Indiana Air National Guard Airmen with the 122d Fighter Wing at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station prepares a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, “Warthog” for flight
Active 1942–present
Country  United States
Allegiance  Indiana
Branch   Air National Guard
Type Wing
Role Close Air Support
Part of Indiana Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Indiana
Tail code "IN" Indiana
Insignia
122d Fighter Wing emblem

The 122d Fighter Wing (122 FW sometimes 122d) is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard, stationed at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

Units

163rd Fighter Squadron, Transitioning from F-16C Falcons to A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft

History

Ten original members of the 358th Fighter Group pose in front of the U.S. Air Force 122d Fighter Wing's heritage jet at their final reunion, which was hosted by the 122d Fighter Wing in Terre Haute AGB, Indiana in October 2008. The 358th FG, the "Orange Tails", was activated in January 1943. During the Second World War this unit was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations and the Croix de Guerre.
Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt Serial No. 44-33240 of the 356th Fighter Squadron

The 358th Fighter Group trained in the Mid-Atlantic United States with P-40 Warhawks, 1943. While in training also used for air defense of Philadelphia area. Moved to England during September and October 1943, they were equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts and began operations on 20 December 1943 and served in combat with Eighth and later, Ninth Air Forces until V-E Day.

In 2005 the wing introduced the reconnaissance Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System, becoming one of the first units to fly with it.

In 2008, after having flown for 17 years with the block 25 aircraft, at which point the aircraft were nearing the end of their planned operational lifespans. More modern is quite relative since the aircraft they received were Block 30 F-16C/Ds manufactured between 1987 and 1989. These models were mainly coming from the Michigan Air National Guard 107th Fighter Squadron which was transitioning to the A-10 Thunderbolt II at the time. With the upgrade to the Block 30 aircraft, the tail code of the 163rd was changed from "FW" (Fort Wayne) to "IN" (Indiana) in 2009 when the 181st Fighter Wing at Hulman Field became a non-flying unit. However, only a few of the F-16s were re-coded.

In 2009 – the year the unit honored its predecessor unit – the 358th FG – with an heritage jet – it was decided that the squadron was to retire their 20-year-old F-16s and become an A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron. The conversion happened in 2010.

Lineage

World War II 358th Fighter Group emblem
2006 Operation Iraqi Freedom patch
Activated on 1 January 1943
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
Extended federal recognition on 9 December 1946
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 10 February 1951
Group re-designated as 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group and assigned as subordinate unit
Inactivated on 7 February 1952
Released from active duty and returned to Indiana state control, 1 November 1952
Re-designated: 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1954
Group re-designated 122nd Tactical Fighter Group
Re-designated: 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing (Special Delivery), 1 July 1959
Group re-designated 122nd Tactical Fighter Group (Special Delivery)
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 October 1961
Operated as: 7122nd Tactical Wing (Special Delivery), 1 October 1961-31 August 1962
Released from active duty and returned to Indiana state control, 31 August 1962
122nd Tactical Fighter Group inactivated 30 June 1974.
Re-designated: 122nd Fighter Wing, 16 March 1992-Present
Group re-activated and re-designated 122nd Operations Group

Assignments

Attached to: Philadelphia Fighter Wing, 28 April–September 1943
Attached to: VIII Fighter Command, 20 October 1943
Attached to: IX Tactical Air Command, 1 August 1944
Attached to: IX Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944
Gained by: Tenth Air Force, Continental Air Command
Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command
Gained by: Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1954
Attached to Seventeenth Air Force, 1 October 1961-31 August 1962
Gained by: Tactical Air Command
Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992-Present

Components

Re-designated: 163rd Operations Group, 16 March 1992-Present

Stations
Designated: Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, 1991-Present

Aircraft

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

    • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
    • Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
    • Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
    • McLaren, David. Republic F-84 Thunderjet, Thunderstreak & Thunderflash: A Photo Chronicle. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History, 1998. ISBN 0-7643-0444-5.

    External links

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.