The 140th Wing (140 WG) is a unit of the
Colorado Air National Guard, stationed at
Buckley Space Force Base
Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space Fo ...
, Aurora, Colorado. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
Air Combat Command.
The 140th Wing flies
F-16C/D/ Falcons and
C-21 Learjet
The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet. When used by the United States Air Force they carry the designation C-21A.
The aircraft are powered b ...
. It also carries out
137th Space Warning Squadron 137th may refer to:
*137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War
*137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force
*137th Special ...
(
Air Force Space Command
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
) and
Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
(
Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...
) missions. It has over 1200 personnel.
The
120th Fighter Squadron
The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
The squadron is a descendant organization ...
assigned to the Wings
140th Operations Group
The 140th Operations Group is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard, stationed at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. If activated to federal service, the group is gained by Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force.
The grou ...
, is a descendant organization of the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
120th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. It was reformed on 27 June 1923, as the 120th Observation Squadron, one of the
29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the
United States Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
formed before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
History
![F-80Cs Minute Men Colorado ANG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/F-80Cs_Minute_Men_Colorado_ANG.jpg)
The wartime 370th Fighter Group was re-activated and re-designated as the 140th Fighter Group, and was allotted to the
Colorado Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at
Buckley Field
Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space Fo ...
, Colorado, and was extended federal recognition on 1 October 1946 by the
National Guard Bureau. The unit was the first Air National Guard group receiving federal recognition. The 140th Fighter Group was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 370th Fighter Group. It was assigned to the
86th Fighter Wing
Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003.
When in Port Harcourt or Ahoa ...
.
During August of '51 they deployed 20 P-51D aircraft and supporting personnel to Wilmington, North Carolina on Operation Southern Pine. It was one of the largest exercises of the era which involved 100,000 troops and over 400 aircraft to defend North and South Carolina from a mock Soviet invasion.
The 140th Fighter Group consisted of the
120th Fighter Squadron
The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
The squadron is a descendant organization ...
at Buckley Field. As part of the
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...
, the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat. On 31 October 1950 the 86th Fighter Wing was inactivated, and the 140th was changed in status to a Wing, taking over the personnel and mission of the 86th.
: Organized and received federal recognition, 1 November 1950, assuming personnel and equipment of 86th Fighter Wing (Inactivated)
Korean War activation
As a result of the Korean War, the 140th Fighter Wing was federalized and brought to active duty on 1 April 1951. The unit was ordered to the new
Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, which arrived in October 1951. The federalized 140th was a composite organization of activated Air National Guard units, composed of the 120th, the
187th Fighter Squadron (
Wyoming ANG
The Wyoming Air National Guard (WY ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Wyoming, United States of America. It is, along with the Wyoming Army National Guard, an element of the Wyoming National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in th ...
) and the
190th Fighter Squadron (
Utah ANG). The 140th and its components were equipped with F-51D Mustangs, and were re-designated as Fighter-Bomber squadrons on 12 April 1951.
During their period of federal service, many pilots were sent to Japan and South Korea to reinforce active-duty units. Three hundred and seventy five (375) airmen of the 140th FBW volunteered to take part in the tactical phase of the Charlie Shot of Operation Tumbler-Snapper which was a nuclear bomb test in Nevada. On 22 April 1952, they were among the first troops to go to ground zero an hour after the detonation to simulate an attack. It was also the first time the media was allowed to witness a nuclear test and it was the first event ever to be televised nationally. On 15 November 1952, the elements of the 140th returned to Air National Guard control in their respective states.
Cold War
Upon return to Colorado state control, the 140th was re-equipped by Tactical Air Command with F-80C Shooting Star jets. On 1 July 1955, the Wing was redesignated as the 140th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, being assigned to the 34th Air Division, Air Defense Command.
In 1958, the 140th FIW implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program, in which interceptors of the 120th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five-minute runway alert. In 1960 the F-86s were again replaced by the F-86L Sabre Interceptor, a day/night/all-weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system.
Tactical Air Command/Vietnam War
![BuckleyANG F-100D SuperSabre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/BuckleyANG_F-100D_SuperSabre.jpg)
The 140th was transferred back to Tactical Air Command in January 1961, being equipped with the F-100 Super Sabre supersonic tactical fighter-bomber. During the 1961 Berlin Crisis and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Wing was placed on Alert by Tactical Air Command, however the aircraft and personnel of the wing stayed in place at Buckley Air Force Base, and were not deployed. The 140th deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, for 15 days in 1967, to take part in a NATO exercise called "Deep Furrow".
On 26 January 1968, the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing was federalized and taken under the jurisdiction of Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command. The Wing's 120th TFS was reassigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, its aircraft/personnel/equipment being reassigned to Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam. As was the practice during the Vietnam Era, most of the wing's personnel were also sent to various Tactical Air Command units, either in the United States or deployed to units in Pacific Air Forces or USAFE. The Wing, stripped of its assets, was placed in a Non-Operational status by HQ TAC.
With the end of its federalized service, the Wing, the 120th TFS and its personnel were released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control on 30 April 1969. With its return to Buckley, the wing was returned to Operational Status. The 120th TFS F-100Cs returned to Buckley, however with the withdraw of the F-100Ds from South Vietnam in 1971, the squadrons were upgraded with the newer model from the Vietnam Veteran aircraft returning.
![120th Tactical Fighter Squadron A-7D Corsair II 71-0311](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/120th_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron_A-7D_Corsair_II_71-0311.jpg)
In 1974, the Wing began receiving A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft from active duty U.S. Air Force wings as part of their transition to the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Then in 1975, new A-7Ds were received as the result of Congressional funding to the DOD FY 1975 and FY 1976 budgets for the procurement of additional A-7Ds, primarily to keep the LTV production line in Dallas open and the workers employed in the wake of post-Vietnam DOD procurement reductions. As a result of these unplanned acquisitions, the Air Force assigned these new 1975 and 1976 built aircraft in the mid-1970s. Then the wing relieved some new twin seat A-7Ks trainers in 1983.
The 140th deployed in 1977 to Gilze-Rijen AB, Netherlands, to participate in exercise Coronet Ante, with A-7D Corsair. This was the first time a U.S. Air Force or National Guard unit had deployed to a Dutch-owned and operated base. In September and October 1979, the unit deployed to Merzilon AB, Turkey, as part of Exercise Coronet Rider. The unit deployed its entire squadron of 24 aircraft for 30 days. This was the first time any Air National Guard unit had deployed under "bare base" conditions in which only a runway and water supply were provided.
Under the Coronet Cove program, the 140th deployed to the Republic of Panama 11 times to support the defense of the Canal Zone as provided under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The first such deployment took place in December 1978 and the last deployment ended in February 1989.
The A-7Ds were flown to victory as the "World Champions" in the inaugural "
Gunsmoke" competition held at Nellis Air Force Base in 1981.
Modern era
![F-16C Colorado ANG in Minute Men paint 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/F-16C_Colorado_ANG_in_Minute_Men_paint_2006.jpg)
The A-7Ds were operated until March 1992 when the Wing converted to Block 30 F-16C/Ds Fighting Falcons, and the Corsairs were retired to Davis-Monthan AFB.
With the conversion to the F-16 in September 1991, the 140th Wing had deployed to the Republic of Korea; the CommonWealth of Australia in March 1995; to Incirlik, Turkey, for Operation Provide Comfort II in April 1995; to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, for Operation Southern Watch in June 1996; to Karup, Denmark, for NATO exercise Coronet Blade in August 1997 (with mini-deployments to Germany to fly with German MiG-29s and to the Republic of Slovenia for state-to-state partnership); and again to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch in January 1998. The unit deployed again to Incirlik, Turkey, in 2000 for Operation Northern Watch.
The 140th WG transferred financial and operational responsibility for Buckley ANGB to US Air Force Space Command in October 2000. The major reason for the change in responsibilities for providing base operating support and quality of life services from the Colorado Air National Guard to the active-duty Air Force is the growing presence of active-duty personnel at Buckley. Becoming an active duty base, Buckley ANGB was renamed Buckley AFB.
Following the attacks on the United States on September, 11th 2001, the 140th FS assumed tasking to provide homeland defense as an integral part of
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks..
...
.
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport AGS, OH. It would distribute the 178th Fighter Wing's F-16 aircraft to the 140th Wing (ANG), Buckley AFB, CO (three aircraft) and two other installations. DoD claimed that it made this recommendation because Buckley (64) had higher military value than Springfield-Beckley (128) and Buckley had a role in the Homeland Defense mission.
Units circa 2019
The 140th Wing is a composite organization, composed of diverse units.
* 140th Operations Group
:: The
120th Fighter Squadron
The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
The squadron is a descendant organization ...
(FS) operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon. It is a dual-purpose fighter squadron with pilots qualified to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, including offensive counter-air (OCA), defensive counter-air (DCA), OCA
interdiction Interdiction is a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction. The former refers to operations whose ...
,
close air support (CAS), and combat
search and rescue (CSAR) missions.
:: The
200th Airlift Squadron
The 200th Airlift Squadron (200 AS) is an inactive unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 200th was last equipped with the C-21A Learjet.
Overview
The 200th Airli ...
(AS) operates the C-21A Learjet. It provides secure priority airlift for the highest level of military and civilian leaders throughout the world.
:: 140th Operations Support Flight
* 140th Mission Support Group
* 140th Medical Group
* 140th Maintenance Group
*
233rd Space Group
The 233d Space Group (233 SG) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard located at Greeley Air National Guard Station, Greeley. The 233d Space Group provides immediate, worldwide missile warning, space launch and detection in the event of a ...
based at
Greeley, Colorado
Greeley is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, Weld County, Colorado, ...
. The group is composed of more than 300 Airmen and operates a strategic, survivable, mobile USAF ground system that provides immediate, worldwide missile warning, space launch, and nuclear detection data to the
National Command Authority (Secretary of Defense and President). They are able to survive and operate through all phases of trans/post nuclear attack.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 140th Fighter Wing, and allotted to Colorado ANG on 31 October 1950
: Organized and federally recognized on 1 November 1950
: Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 April 1951
: Redesignated: 140th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 12 April 1951
: Released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control, 15 November 1952
: Redesignated: 140th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 July 1955
: Redesignated: 140th Air Defense Wing on 1 July 1957
: Redesignated: 140th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 January 1961
: Federalized and placed on active duty, 25 January 1968
: Released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control, 30 April 1969
: Redesignated: 140th Fighter Wing on 15 March 1992
: Redesignated: 140th Wing on 1 July 1995
Assignments
*
Colorado Air National Guard, 1 November 1950
: Gained by:
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...
,
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...
*
Tactical Air Command, 1 April 1951
*
Colorado Air National Guard, 15 November 1952
: Gained by:
Tactical Air Command
: Gained by:
34th Air Division
The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.
History
Assigned to Air De ...
,
Air Defense Command, 1 July 1955
: Gained by:
Albuquerque Air Defense Sector
The Albuquerque Air Defense Sector (AADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was briefly active between 1 January and 1 November 1960, assigned to the 33d Air Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The sector was r ...
,
Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
: Gained by:
Tactical Air Command, 1 January 1961
: Gained by:
Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992–Present
Components
Air National Guard
* 140th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber, Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter (Air Defense), Tactical Fighter, Operations) Group, 31 October 1950 – 30 June 1974; 1 July 1995 – Present
*
120th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1960 (Montana ANG)
*
124th Fighter Group
The 124th Fighter Wing (124 FW) is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard, stationed at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. If ...
(Air Defense), 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1960 (Idaho ANG)
*
150th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 July 1957 – 31 December 1960 (New Mexico ANG)
*
153d Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 Jul 1957 – 31 December 1960 (Wyoming ANG)
*
120th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber, Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter, Fighter) Squadron, 30 June 1974 – 1 July 1995
Stations
*
Buckley Field
Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space Fo ...
, Colorado, 1 November 1950
*
Clovis Air Force Base (later Cannon Air Force Base), New Mexico, 12 April 1951
* Buckley Field (later Buckley Air National Guard Base), Colorado, 1 January 1953
* Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, c. 1 May 1968 (not operational)
* Buckley Air National Guard Base (then Buckley Air Force Base, later Buckley Space Force Base), Colorado, 30 April 1969 – Present
Aircraft
*
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
, 1943–1945
*
P-51 Mustang, 1945
*
F-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA ...
, 1946–1953
*
F-80C Shooting Star, 1953–1958
*
F-86E Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
, 1958–1960
*
F-86L Sabre Interceptor
The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor ...
, 1960–1961
*
F-100C/F Super Sabre, 1961–1971
*
F-100D/F Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of US ...
, 1971–1974
*
A-7D/K Corsair II, 1974–1992
*
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
A large number of variants of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon have been produced by General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and various licensed manufacturers. The details of the F-16 variants, along with major modification programs and der ...
, 1992–Present
Decorations
*
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force d ...
Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)
**1994–1996
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
USAF 140th Wing, CoANG
( 2009-07-25) Official Site
* Jones, Jay. ''The 370th Fighter Group in World War II: in Action over Europe with the P-38 and P-51''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2007. .
*
* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., ''A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980'', Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980).
External links
www.GoANG.com: 140th Wing
{{Colorado
Wings of the United States Air National Guard
Military units and formations in Colorado
0140
Military units and formations established in 1950
1950 establishments in Colorado