The 182d Fighter Squadron (182 FS) is a unit of the
Texas Air National Guard
The Texas Air National Guard (TX ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Texas, United States of America. It is, along with the Texas Army National Guard, an element of the Texas National Guard. No element of the Texas Air National Guard is und ...
149th Fighter Wing
The 149th Fighter Wing (149 FW) is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard, stationed at Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Education and Trainin ...
located at
Kelly Field Annex,
Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The win ...
, Texas. The 149th is equipped with the
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
It was first activated in June 1943 as The 396th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the
368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to:
*368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
*368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group (368 EASOG) is a support unit of the United States Air Force
*368th Fighter Group or 136th Airlift Wing, unit o ...
. After training in the United States, it moved to the
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
, where it served in combat until the spring of 1945 with
Ninth Air Force, earning a
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
and a
Belgian Fourragère for its actions. Following
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the squadron served in the
army of occupation at
AAF Station Straubing
AAF may refer to:
Aviation
* Aigle Azur (ICAO code), a French airline
* Apalachicola Regional Airport (IATA code), in Apalachicola, Florida
Corporations
* American Air Filter, today a part of HVAC-equipment-maker Daikin
Military
* Albanian A ...
, Germany until was inactivated on 20 August 1946 and transferred its personnel and equipment to another unit, which was activated in its place.
History
World War II
Organization and training
The
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...
was first organized at
Westover Field, Massachusetts in June 1943 as the 396th Fighter Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the
368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to:
*368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
*368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group (368 EASOG) is a support unit of the United States Air Force
*368th Fighter Group or 136th Airlift Wing, unit o ...
. The squadron drew its initial
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
from the
326th Fighter Group
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, an
Operational Training Unit at Westover. In June 1943, the cadre of the squadron travelled to
Orlando Army Air Base for training at the
Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics.
The 396th trained with
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
s, moving to
Farmingdale Army Air Field, New York to complete its training. The squadron and group left Farmingdale for the Port of Embarkation,
Camp Myles Standish on 20 December 1943 and boarded the to sail for Great Britain on 29 December, arriving at the
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...
on 7 January 1944.
[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 254-255][
]
Combat in Europe
The squadron arrived at RAF Greenham Common
Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about west of London.
Opened ...
on 13 January 1944. It began operations on 14 March, when it flew a fighter sweep over the coast of France.[ That was to be the unit's only mission from Greenham Common, for it moved the next day to RAF Chilbolton,][ as the ]438th Troop Carrier Group 438th may refer to:
* 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (438 AEAG), assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing of USAFCENT, stationed at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan
*438th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional unit assigned to United States Ai ...
moved into Greenham Common. It made strafing and bombing
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...
attacks on transportation targets and flak batteries in preparation for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, the invasion of France. The squadron also participated in Operation Crossbow, attacking launch sites for V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...
s and V-2 rocket
The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed ...
s. On D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
, the group supported the landing forces in Normandy.[
Two weeks after the landings, it moved to ]Cardonville Airfield
Cardonville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located near the commune of Cardonville in the Normandy region of northern France.
Located just outside Cardonville, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary a ...
, an advanced landing ground
Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...
in northern France and began operations from the Continent as an element of IX Tactical Air Command.[ The squadron provided ]close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
for forces in the Battle of Cherbourg
The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. It was fought immediately after the successful Allied landings on 6 June 1944. Allied troops, mainly American, isolated and captured the fortified port, which was ...
, which secured a vital port for further operations in France. It participated in the air operations that prepared the way for Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an Offensive (military), offensive launched by the United States First United States Army, First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Invasion of Norman ...
, the Allied breakthrough at St Lo
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
on 25 July, and supported ground forces during their drive across France. In early August, the squadron became part of XIX Tactical Air Command, which would concentrate on air support for General George S. Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
's Third United States Army
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hig ...
.
By early September, fuel shortages were impacting both Third Army and XIX Tactical Air Command, slowing the Allied advance, and sometimes forcing fighter-bombers to land at forward bases to refuel. On 3 September 1944, operating from Chartres Airfield
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as defin ...
, and in the face of "withering anti-aircraft and small arms fire," the squadron destroyed numerous motor transport vehicles, horse-drawn vehicle
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...
s, and uncounted troops in the vicinity of Mons
Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...
(Bergen), Belgium, also attacking as targets of opportunity enemy positions that obstructed the progress of Allied ground forces. For this action, the squadron was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
.[ The squadron then moved closer to the front, arriving at ]Laon/Athies Airfield
Laon-Athies Air Base is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the city of Laon in the Aisne department of France.
Its history begins before World War II, when it was originally a grass civil airdrome. During the German occupat ...
on 11 September.[ It was cited in the order of the day for the first time by the Belgian Army for the period from D-Day through the end of September.][
The squadron continued its support of allied ground forces, participated in the assault against the ]Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the west ...
, and took part in the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
from December 1944 through January 1945 by attacking rail lines and trains, marshalling yard
A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...
s, roads and vehicles, armored columns, and gun positions. It was cited in the order of the day for a second time by the Belgian Army for this support and awarded the Belgian Fourragère.[ The squadron continued operations with the Allied forces that pushed across the Rhine and into Germany until the end of the war.][ The last combat mission flown by the 368th Group was a fighter sweep near ]Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
on 5 May 1945. The squadron ended the war credited with the destruction of 40 enemy aircraft.
Army of occupation
After V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the unit served with the army of occupation, at AAF Station Straubing
AAF may refer to:
Aviation
* Aigle Azur (ICAO code), a French airline
* Apalachicola Regional Airport (IATA code), in Apalachicola, Florida
Corporations
* American Air Filter, today a part of HVAC-equipment-maker Daikin
Military
* Albanian A ...
. On 20 August 1946, the 368th Group and its elements were inactivated and replaced at Straubing by the 78th Fighter Group
The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961.
During World War II the group was an Eighth ...
. The squadron transferred it personnel and equipment to the 83d Fighter Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.[
]
Texas Air National Guard
The next day the squadron was redesignated as the 182d Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the National Guard. It was organized at Brooks Field and was extended federal recognition on 27 January 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The squadron was assigned to the Texas Air National Guard 136th Fighter Group and was equipped with F-51D Mustangs.
The mission of the squadron was the air defense of Texas. During the postwar years, the 182d primarily trained the Hill Country and west Texas; the 181st Fighter Squadron, based at Love Field, Dallas, covered the north Texas, and the 111th Fighter Squadron
The 111th Attack Squadron (111 ATKS) is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard 147th Attack Wing located at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas. The 111th is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UA ...
, based at Houston Municipal Airport, covered east and southeast Texas to the Mexican Border.
Korean War Activation
As a result of the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, the Texas Air National Guard was federalized and placed on active-duty status on 10 October 1950, being assigned to Ninth Air Force, Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
(TAC). TAC ordered the 136th Fighter Group to Langley Air Force Base
Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...
, Virginia, where the unit was re-designated to a Fighter-Bomber unit, and its status was changed to a Wing. At Langley, the 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing consisted of the following units:
* 111th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
* 182d Fighter-Bomber Squadron
* 154th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Arkansas ANG
The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG), commonly known as the Arkansas Air Guard, is the aerial militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National G ...
).
At Langley AFB, the 136th trained with their F-51D Mustangs. Unfortunately losing two 111th FBS pilots in a training accident on 15 December. A third pilot was killed on 27 January 1951 in another accident. In February 1951, the aged F-51Ds that the unit had been flying since its activation in 1947 were replaced by F-84E Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thu ...
s, and the squadron began transition training on the jet fighter-bomber. Most of the training took place at Langley, although some pilots were sent to Shaw AFB
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina. Maintenance crews, all new to jet aircraft, were trained at Langley and engine specialists were sent to the Allison plant in Indianapolis. Assigned to the Arkansas ANG
The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG), commonly known as the Arkansas Air Guard, is the aerial militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National G ...
154th FBS at the time was a Navy exchange pilot, future NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
astronaut Lieutenant Walter Schirra (who happened to be the only pilot assigned to the 136th at the time who was a qualified jet pilot).
In May 1951, less than seven months later, the wing was deployed to Japan, being attached to Far East Air Force and stationed at Itazuke Air Force Base
, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Fukuoka Airport is the principal airport on the island of Kyushu and is the fourth busiest passenger ...
, the first echelon of the 136th arriving on 18 May. The 136th replaced the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
27th Fighter-Escort Wing
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
, which had deployed to Far East Air Force in the early days of the Korean War. At Itazuke, the squadrons took over the F-84Es of the 27th FEW, which remained in place, its aircraft being reassigned from SAC to Far East Air Force inventory records. On 2 June, the final elements of the 136th arrived in Japan, the national guardsmen officially relieved the 27th Fighter Bomber Wing and the SAC airmen departed for the United States. The 136th was the first Air National Guard wing in history to enter combat.
From Japan the wing engaged in combat operations over South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, however flying in the North Pacific area was a challenge to the wing, losing seven F-84Es in non-combat operations and three in combat. On 26 June, in one of the largest air-to-air battles in Korea, two 182d FBS pilots, Captain Harry Underwood and 1st Lt Arthur Olighter shot down an enemy MiG-15 that broke through an F-86 Sabre escort of four B-29s. Two other 111th FBS pilots, 1sts Lt John Morse and John Marlins scored probables in the same encounter. These were the first combat victories by Air National Guard pilots. On 3 July the 136th sent their aircraft to North Korea, attacking FLAK batteries in downtown Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
while other aircraft attacked North Korean airfields.
However, the short-legged F-84 had limited combat time over Korea, therefore on 16 November 1951 the wing moved to Taegu Air Force Base
Daegu International Airport (Hangul: ; Hanja: ; Revised Romanization: ''Daegu Gukje Gonghang''; McCune-Reischauer: ''Taegu Kukche Konghang'') is the international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in the southeast of S ...
(K-2) in South Korea for its combat operations. In 1952, the 136th was re-equipped with the F-84G Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...
, designed for tactical close air support of ground forces.
During its time in combat, the 136th flew 15,515 combat sorties; was credited with 4 enemy aircraft destroyed; 7 probables and 72 others damaged. It was the first ANG unit to down a MiG-15; it dropped 23,749 (7,120 tons) of bombs and expended over 3 million rounds of .50 caliber ammunition; being awarded Five Korean Campaign Ribbons. The 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing was released from active duty and returned to the United States on 10 July 1952
Air Defense Command
With the 182d's return from the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, the squadron was re-equipped with the Very Long Range (VLR) F-51H 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 ...
, which had been developed to escort B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
bombers in the Pacific Theater from the Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
to the Japanese Home Islands. The F-51H would allow the squadron to intercept any unidentified aircraft over any part of Texas. The squadron became part of Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
(ADC) and resumed its postwar mission of Texas air defense. On 16 January 1955, four P-51s assigned to the 182d were sold to Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
and sent immediately out of country to boost that small country's air arm in fighting a five-day-old rebellion. The fighters were dispatched from Kelly AFB in a fully armed state. Fernando Fournier, the undersecretary of foreign affairs for Costa Rica, said it was his understanding that the Mustangs were sold for a dollar apiece.
It was not until August 1956 that the 182d received first-generation F-80C Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
jets, replacing some of the last F-51H Mustangs in the USAF inventory. In 1957, the squadron was selected by the Air Defense Command to man a runway alert program on full 24-hour basis – with armed jet fighters ready to "scramble" at a moment's notice. This event brought the wing into the daily combat operational program of the USAF, placing them on "the end of the runway" alongside regular USAF-Air Defense Fighter Squadrons. The obsolescent F-80 day fighters were upgraded to the all-weather/day/night F-86D 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 ...
by the end of the year. In June 1959 the squadron traded their F-86Ds for the upgraded F-86L Sabre Interceptor with uprated afterburning
An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...
engines and new electronics.
In July 1960 the unit became one of the first to transition to the F-102A Delta Dagger Mach 1.2 all-weather interceptor and began a 24-hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast. The 182d enjoyed the distinction of being the first F-102 "Deuce" squadron in the Air National Guard.
When flight operations ended at Brooks AFB in October 1960, the squadron was moved to nearby Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, beginning operations on 1 November 1960. In August 1961, as part of an Air Defense Command re-organization, the 182d Fighter Interceptor Squadron's assignment to 136th Air Defense Wing was terminated with 136th being transferred to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
. As a result, the 182d was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 149th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...
. The 182d Fighter Interceptor Squadron became the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 149th Headquarters, 149th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 149th Combat Support Squadron, and the 149th USAF Dispensary. The 149th was directly assigned to the Texas Air National Guard, being operationally gained by the Air Defense Command 33d Air Division
The 33rd Air Division (33d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at Fort Lee Air Force Station, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 ...
.
As with many other ANG squadrons, the 182d temporally operated two TF-102 twin-seat trainers for ANG F-102 pilots while remaining on runway alert status. Also, the squadron operated T-33A Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, Lockheed P-80/F-80 ...
jet trainers and a Convair VT-29
The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21.
Design and development
The design ...
transport for courier duties.
Tactical Air Support
In 1968, the Air National Guard began to retire its F-102s and the 182d was ordered to send their aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB for storage at AMARC. In July, as part of the drawdown of continental fighter air defense, the 149th FIG was transferred from Aerospace Defense Command to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
(TAC), with the Group and 182d being re-designated as a Tactical Fighter Group and Squadron.
As an interim measure, the 182d Tactical Fighter Squadron was re-equipped with obsolescent F-84F Thunderjet
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American 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 by TAC. The squadron was the second-to-last ANG squadron to fly the F-84F. During the summer of 1971 the 182d began to receive F-100D/F Super Sabre tactical fighter bombers. The 182d was one of the first ANG squadrons to receive the Super Sabre, as most were being operated in South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
at the time. The F-100s received by the squadron were aircraft being withdrawn from the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Fifteenth Air Force.
The wing's mission is to provide, project, and sustain c ...
at RAF Wethersfield and the 48th TFW at RAF Lakenheath, England.
RAF Wethersfield was being closed for flight operations and the 20th TFW being re-equipped with the new General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark at their new base, RAF Upper Heyford.
The 48th TFW – a permanent resident at RAF Lakenheath after moving aircraft and personnel from Chaumont AB in France – was also preparing for the arrival of the F-111, but had to initially convert to F-4D Phantom IIs before their ultimate F-111 version – the F-111F – came available during 1977.
The Super Sabre was used as a dedicated fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
later in its career, once the air-superiority role had been taken over by more modern aircraft, and the squadron trained in using the fighter for ground support. Beginning in 1975, the 182d began a NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
commitment, with squadron aircraft and personnel deploying to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(USAFE) for Autumn Forge/Cold Fire/Reforger exercises.
By 1979, the Super Sabres were being retired, and were replaced by McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs, largely Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
veteran aircraft, that were made available to the Air National Guard. With the Phantom, the 182d continued their tactical fighter mission with the more capable aircraft. The squadron also continued its NATO deployments, exercising at USAFE bases in West Germany, England, the Netherlands and Denmark.
In 1986, the Phantoms were reaching the end of the operational service, and they were replaced by the F-16A Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
. The F-16s were transferred from the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 347th Rescue Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 October 2006.
History
: ''For additional ...
, Moody AFB, Georgia. Initially the squadron began to receive Block 15 single-seat F-16As, and a few twin-seat F-16Bs.
The Block 15 was the major production model of the F-16A.
Higher-performance Block 25 F-16C/D aircraft replaced the standard fighter-bomber Block 15 A/B model aircraft in 1996. Although similar in appearance to the earlier models, the Block 25 aircraft were a considerable advancement with the Westinghouse AN/APG-68(V) multi-mode radar with better range, sharper resolution, and expanded operating modes. The planar array in the nose provides numerous air-to-air modes, including range-while-search, uplook and velocity search, single target track, raid cluster resolution, and track-while-scan for up to 10 targets. The radar was capable of handling the guidance of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile. Upgraded engines made the aircraft capable of Mach 2 performance.
In 1997, the squadron deployed aircraft and personnel to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is a Kuwait Air Force base that is home to 3 Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 C/D squadrons: 9 Squadron, 25 Squadron, and 61 Squadron. The base also has an area designated for operations by the U.S. Air Force and its allies.
Hi ...
, Kuwait, in support of Operation Southern Watch.
However, the Block 25 aircraft were all powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 turbofan, which were prone to engine stalls. In 1998, the squadron received Block 30 aircraft, with wider intakes and the General Electric F-110 engine. However, by the mid-1990s and with the end of the Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, there appeared to be no longer any threat to America's homeland from bombers or cruise missiles.
Modern era
In 1999, the mission of the 149th Fighter Group was changed from Air Combat operations to becoming a Formal Training Unit (FTU) for Air National Guard F-16 pilots under Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
. The 182d provides combat training for active duty, Air National Guard, and Reserve F-16 pilots, including recent graduates from USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training making them combat ready upon graduation of a 9-month course. Almost all instructor pilots within the unit are former active duty F-16 pilots.
Although the squadron is not officially a combat unit, after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and 2002, the squadron flew 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..
...
air defense missions in the United States in support of USNORTHCOM
United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for Civil authority, non-military authorities in the U ...
and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It also deploys to other bases, flying Dissimilar air combat training missions against active-duty, reserve and ANG units.
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign the 178th Fighter Wing
The 178th Wing is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, stationed at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport ANG complex, Springfield, Ohio. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Comman ...
, Ohio Air National Guard
The Ohio Air National Guard (OH ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Ohio, United States of America. It is, along with the Ohio Army National Guard, an element of the Ohio National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in the Ohio Air ...
to an MQ-1 Predator ISR mission and transfer six additional Block 30 F-16 aircraft to the 182d Fighter Squadron. DoD claimed that its recommendation was made because Lackland (Kelly Annex) (47) had higher military value than Springfield-Beckley AGB (128). This recommendation also would optimize the squadron size of the 182d, the only ANG F-16 Flying Training Unit.
The squadron's Block 30 aircraft, manufactured between 1987 and 1989 are currently reaching the end of their service life. They have been certified by Boeing though at least 2015, however it is unclear what aircraft or what the mission of the unit will transition to in the future.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 396th Fighter Squadron on 24 May 1943.
: Activated on 1 June 1943
: Inactivated on 20 August 1946
* Redesignated 182d Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 21 August 1946[Lineage through August 1946 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 486]
: Organized and extended federal recognition on 27 January 1947
: Federalized and ordered to active service on: 10 October 1950
: Redesignated 182d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 26 October 1950
: Inactivated and returned to Texas state control on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 182d Fighter Interceptor Squadron and activated on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 182d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 January 1953
: Redesignated 182d Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955
: Redesignated 182d Tactical Fighter Squadron c. 16 September 1968
: Redesignated 182d Fighter Squadron on 16 March 1992
Assignments
* 368th Fighter Group, 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946[
* ]136th Fighter Group
The 136th Operations Group is a component of the 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. It was first activated in June 1943 as the 368th Fighter Group. After training with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in the United States, it dep ...
(later 136th Fighter-Bomber Group), 27 January 1947 – 20 July 1952
* 136th Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 136th Fighter-Bomber Group, 136th Fighter-Interceptor Group), 20 July 1952 –
* 149th Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 149th Tactical Fighter Group, 149th Fighter Group), 1 July 1960
* 149th Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – present
Stations
* Westover Field, Massachusetts, 1 June 1943
* Farmingdale Army Air Field, New York, 24 August – 20 December 1943
* RAF Greenham Common (AAF-486), England, 13 January 1944
* RAF Chilbolton (AAF-404), England, 15 March 1944
* Cardonville Airfield (A-3), France, 20 June 1944
* Chartres Airfield (A-40), France, 27 August 1944
* Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69),[Station number in Johnson, p. 20.] France, 11 September 1944
* Chièvres Airfield (A-84), Belgium, 2 October 1944
* Juvincourt Airfield
Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Juvin ...
(A-68),[ France, 27 December 1944
* ]Metz Airfield
Metz-Frescaty Air Base (french: Base aérienne 128 Metz-Frescaty) was a front-line French Air Force french: Armée de l'Air (ALA) base. The base is located approximately south-southwest of Metz (Département de la Moselle, Lorraine), about eas ...
(Y-34), France, 5 January 1945
* Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield (Y-73), Germany, 15 April 1945
* AAF Station Buchschwabach (R-42), Germany, 13 May 1945
* AAF Station Straubing (R-68), Germany, 13 August 1945 – 20 August 1946[Station information through August 1946 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 486, except as noted.]
* Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, 27 January 1947
* Langley Air Force Base
Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...
, Virginia, 24 October 1950
* Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 13 May 1950
* Taegu Air Base
Daegu International Airport (Hangul: ; Hanja: ; Revised Romanization: ''Daegu Gukje Gonghang''; McCune-Reischauer: ''Taegu Kukche Konghang'') is the international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in the southeast of ...
, Korea, May 1951 – 20 July 1952
* Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, 20 July 1952
* San Antonio Airport, August 1956
* Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
(later Kelly Annex), Texas, April 1976
: Operated from: Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is a Kuwait Air Force base that is home to 3 Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 C/D squadrons: 9 Squadron, 25 Squadron, and 61 Squadron. The base also has an area designated for operations by the U.S. Air Force and its allies.
Hi ...
, Kuwait, 1997
Aircraft
* P-47D Thunderbolt
The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945.
Early designs
XP-47 (AP-10)
In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...
, 1943–1946
* F-51D Mustang, 1947–1951
* F-84E Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thu ...
, 1951–1952
* F-84G Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...
, 1952
* F-51H 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 ...
, 1952–1955
* F-80C Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
, 1955–1957
* F-86D 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 ...
, 1957–1959
* F-86L Sabre Interceptor, 1959–1960
* F-102A Delta Dagger, 1960–1968
* F-84F Thunderstreak, 1968–1969
* F-100D Super Sabre, 1970–1978
* F-4C Phantom II, 1979–1986
* Block 15 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, 1986–1996
* Block 25 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
, 1996–1998
* Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1998–present
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
; Further reading
*
* Donald, David. Republic F-84 Thunderjet, Thunderstreak & Thunderflash: A Photo Chronicle. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History, 1998. .
* Donald, David (2004). Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtime. Image source listed as United States Air Force
*
*
External links
GlobalSecurity
149th Fighter Wing history
F-16.net Past and current F-16 airframes assigned to USAF 182 FS
{{Texas
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations in Texas