187th Fighter Wing
187th Fighter Wing | |
---|---|
Dannelly Field, Alabama | |
Tail Code | "AL" |
Engagements | Berlin Crisis, Operation Iraqi Freedom |
Commanders | |
Wing Commander | Colonel Brian E. Vaughn[1] |
Insignia | |
187th Fighter Wing emblem |
The 187th Fighter Wing (187 FW) is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard, assigned to Dannelly Field, Alabama. If activated to federal service in the United States Air Force, the 187 FW is operationally gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC).
Its mission is to provide the nation with a superior
Units
The 187th Fighter Wing consists of the following units:
- 187th Operations Group
- 187th Maintenance Group
- 187th Mission Support Group
- 187th Medical Group
History
On 15 October 1962, the
In 1971, the
Tactical Fighter
In 1983, the 187th was realigned from its photo-reconnaissance mission and converted to a tactical fighter mission, transferring its RF-4Cs and receiving Vietnam Veteran
During the 1990s, the 187th has undertaken an ambitious and successful regimen of participation in many Total Force deployments. These deployments have taken the men and women of the 187th to exercises in
Global War on Terrorism
After the 9/11 attacks, the 187th performed Combat Air Patrol flights as part of Operation Noble Eagle in the United States. The unit sustained this effort for Operation Noble Eagle for one year following the events of 11 September.
The 187th was again called to active duty from January 2003 until April 2003 as part of the largest military mobilization since the 1991 Gulf War. This marked the most significant unit activation in the unit's 50-year history with over 500 personnel being deployed along with aircraft and equipment for
In September 2004, the unit again deployed over 300 personnel with aircraft and equipment to
In 2006, the 160th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed to
In 2007, the Alabama legislature requested the National Guard Bureau to allow the Alabama Air National Guard's 160th Fighter Squadron to be re-designated as the 100th Fighter Squadron so the state could honor the legacy of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. This authorization was obtained from the Air Force and on 12 September 2009, the 100th Flying Training Squadron of the Air Education and Training Command was inactivated. The designation was transferred to the National Guard Bureau by the Air Force and it was allotted to the Alabama ANG. As a result, the 160th Fighter Squadron was inactivated and the new 100th Fighter Squadron assumed its personnel, equipment, and aircraft. The 160th Fighter Squadron stood down in a ceremony at Montgomery Air National Guard Base, on 13 September 2007, with the 100th Fighter Squadron standing up and being bequeathed the history, lineage, and honors of the World War II 100th Fighter Squadron and its successor units.
In August 2009, the 100th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed 240 airmen and aircraft to
The Fighter Wing participated in the Dacian Viper joint exercise in 2012 and 2015. During these exercises, about 150 personnel were deployed to the
In December 2017, the Air Force announced that the 187th was one of two Air National Guard wings selected for equipping with the
Lineage
- Established as the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and allotted to the National Guard on 11 September 1962
- Activated and extended federal recognition on 15 October 1962
- Redesignated 187th Tactical Fighter Group on 1 July 1983
- Redesignated 187th Fighter Group on 15 March 1992
- Redesignated 187th Fighter Wing c. 15 October 1995
Assignments
- 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 October 1962
- Ninth Air Force, June 1963
- 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, June 1963
- 116th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1983
- Alabama Air National Guard, c. 15 October 1995
Components
- 187th Operations Group, c. 1 March 1994 – present
- 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron(later 160th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 160th Fighter Squadron), 15 October 1962 – c. 1 March 1994
Stations
- Dannelly Field (later Montgomery Air National Guard Base), Alabama, 15 October 1962 – present
Aircraft
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References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ "187th Fighter Wing leader". 187fw.ang.af.mil. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ Clare Reed (11 October 2012). "Dacian Viper: Guard F-16s In Romania". codeonemagazine.com.
- ^ Christopher Baldwin (12 November 2015). "187 Fighter Wing Airmen, F-16s return from Romania". 187fw.ang.af.mil.
- ^ Staff writer, no byline (21 December 2017). "AF selects locations for next two Air National Guard F-35 bases". Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ Greg Hadley (3 May 2023). "With F-16s Gone and New F-35s on Their Way, Alabama Guard Wing Starts Conversion". airandspaceforces.com.
- DVIDS.
- 187th Fighter Wing history page
- 187th Fighter [email protected]
- Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0