The 199th Fighter Squadron (199 FS) is a unit of the
Hawaii Air National Guard 154th Wing located at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor, ...
, Honolulu, Hawaii. The 199th is equipped with the
F-22A Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, ...
.
Overview
The 199th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the
154th Wing. They operate the
F-22A Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, ...
, the Air Force's 5th generation fighter aircraft with a select component of active duty personnel acting in the cadre role. Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st-century Air Force.
History
World War II
Established in late 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado, as the 464th Fighter Squadron. Trained under
XXII Bomber Command as a Very Long Range
P-47N Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 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 United States Army Air Corps, USAAC requirement for a new fighter ...
bomber escort squadron, programmed for
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 F ...
escort duty from Okinawa. For four months they received combat training for long-range escort, strafing, and dive-bombing. Training delayed due to P-47N aircraft non-availability, finally equipped in the late spring of 1945 with the long-distance fighters.
Deployed to Okinawa in June 1945 as part of the
507th Fighter Group and prepared for the invasion of Japan along with the 413th and 414th Fighter Groups, all equipped with P-47N. On 1 July 1945 it began flying airstrikes from
Ie Shima
, previously romanized in English as Ie Shima, is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Island. The island measures in circumference and covers . As of December 2012 the island had ...
, targeting enemy ships, railroad bridges, airfields, factories, and barracks in Japan, Korea, and China. On 8 August 1945 the group escorted B-29 bombers on a raid, shooting down several Japanese fighters.
The squadron flew some long distance fighter-bomber sweeps over Japanese Home Islands 1 July 1945 – 14 August 1945 but never performed operational B-29 escort missions due to the end of the war in August. Last "Ace in a Day" of World War II was 1st LT
Oscar Perdomo of the 464th.
Remained in Okinawa until inactivated in May 1946.
Hawaii Air National Guard
![199th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - F-102s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/199th_Fighter-Interceptor_Squadron_-_F-102s.jpg)
The wartime 463d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 199th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the
Hawaii Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at
Bellows Field, Waimanalo, Hawaii, and was extended federal recognition on 4 November 1946 by the
National Guard Bureau. The 199th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 463d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with
F-47N 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 ...
s and was operationally gained by
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
. Its mission was the air defense of Hawaii.
Bellows Field, which was attacked during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Oahu, was excess after World War II ended, and it served as home for the Hawaii Air National Guard.
In 1947, the costs to operate Bellows as an active Air National Guard station led the Territorial government to negotiate with the Army about its future. The Army indicated that it wanted to retain the field in a commissioned status but that it had no funds to maintain the field. The Army offered the Aviation Unit of the Hawaiian National Guard joint use of the field provided all maintenance was assumed by the Guard. A settlement was reached to move the 199th to
Hickam Field Hickam may refer to:
;Surname
*Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer
** October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story, 1999 American biographical film
* Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower advoc ...
, and to use excess facilities there.
Air Defense mission
![199th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - North American F-86L-50-NA Sabre 52-4270](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/199th_Fighter-Interceptor_Squadron_-_North_American_F-86L-50-NA_Sabre_52-4270.jpg)
The Very-Long-Range (VLR) F-47N was used for air defense patrols over the Islands and had a range which could extend its interception ability over a thousand miles from Hickam. The 199th was not federalized during 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 ...
, however many of its members volunteered to serve.
The 199th joined the jet age in 1954 when it finally retired its aging Thunderbolts for
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 ...
day fighters that were made available after serving in combat over the skies of Korea. The squadron stood runway alert as part of the air defense forces in Hawaii beginning in 1954, having alert pilots in the cockpit from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset each day. Beginning in 1958, the squadron received
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 ...
s which could be controlled by Ground Control Interceptor station radar and could operate 24/7/365 in all weather conditions.
On 1 December 1960, the 199th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 154th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the
National Guard Bureau. The 199th FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 154th Headquarters, 154th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 154th Combat Support Squadron, and the 154th USAF Dispensary.
![199th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Convair TF-102A-30-CO Delta Dagger 55-4041 1964](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/199th_Fighter_Interceptor_Squadron_Convair_TF-102A-30-CO_Delta_Dagger_55-4041_1964.jpg)
Along with the change to Group status, on 7 December the Hawaiian Air National Guard began receiving Mach-1
F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors eventually 29 F-102s were received. This was in line with the policy of equipping ANG units with one generation of aircraft behind the active-duty Air Defense Command forces. For the next sixteen years, the 154th FIG operated the Delta Daggers establishing an excellent safety record. In December 1961, The new Hawaii Air National Guard (HANG) complex was completed and consisted of 60 acres. The land was originally part of
Fort Kamehameha
Fort Kamehameha was a United States Army military base that was the site of several coastal artillery batteries to defend Pearl Harbor starting in 1907 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
History
The eastern areas of the fort were in the district called Moanalua ...
and had been acquired in 1960 by permit from the U.S. Army to the Hawaii ANG.
The 154th flew the Delta Dagger throughout the 1960s, and although the Hawaii ANG was not activated during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by 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 Vietnam a ...
, several of its pilots volunteered for combat duty in Southeast Asia. The group was the longest user of the interceptor, being equipped with the F-102 long after most of its Air National Guard counterparts were upgraded to the
F-106
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor i ...
.
Tactical fighters
![199th Tactical Fighter Squadron - McDonnell F-4C-20-MC Phantom 63-7632](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/199th_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron_-_McDonnell_F-4C-20-MC_Phantom_63-7632.jpg)
The last F-102A finally left ANG service in October 1976, when the 199th FIS of the Hawaii ANG traded in their Delta Daggers for
F-4C Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed ...
and the 154th became a Tactical Fighter Group. The F-4C was a workhorse tactical fighter-bomber during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by 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 Vietnam a ...
, and could also be used as an effective interceptor. The Hawaii ANG used the Phantom in both roles, employing it during training exercises with Army and Marine units in ground exercises, as well as retaining the standing air defense alert at Hickam. On 3 November 1978, the 154th became a Composite Group with the addition of a
C-130A Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
and a
C-7A Caribou
The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou) is a Canadian specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 ...
flight
After a decade flying the F-4C, the 154th received
F-15A Eagles in 1987 along with a twin-seat F-15B trainer as part of the retirement of the F-4 from the Air Force inventory. The F-15As were received from the
21st Tactical Fighter Wing
The 21st Space Wing (21 SW) was the United States Space Force's ground–based missile warning and space control wing. The 21st Space Wing was assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The 21 ...
,
Elmendorf AFB
Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II.
It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (AL ...
, Alaska, which was upgrading to the F-15C model. The Eagles received from Alaska had been upgraded though the F-15 Multi-Stage Improvement Program (MSIP) and were used in an air defense mission, which the Hawaii ANG had taken over. In mid-1991, early F-15C versions were received, and the Hawaii ANG operated both the A and C models of the Eagle for the next two decades.
![199th Fighter Squadron - McDonnell Douglas F-15A-18-MC Eagle 77-0079](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/199th_Fighter_Squadron_-_McDonnell_Douglas_F-15A-18-MC_Eagle_77-0079.jpg)
In 1989 with inactivation of the
PACAF
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 ...
326th Air Division, the 154th Composite Group took over the air defense Radar mission in Hawaii. The 169th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron began operating a JSS radar site at
Mount Kaala, Oahu along with the FAA, and the 150th Aircraft Control and Warning Flight operates a joint-use JSS radar site at Kokee Air Force Station, Kauai. These radar sites are linked to the
NORAD Hawaii Region Air Operations Center (HIRAOC) at
Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National Hi ...
, Oahu, . With these two sites, 24/7 air surveillance of the Hawaiian island chain is provided. The 154th Aircraft Control Squadron on Kauai also provides a mobile, self-sustainable, combat ready, forward extension and control element equipped to meet the Air Force's ground theater air control systems.
Modern era
In March 1992, with the end of the
Cold War, the 154th adopted the Air Force Objective Organization plan, and the unit was re-designated as the 154th Group. In January 1993, the
203d Air Refueling Squadron was recognized and activated by the
National Guard Bureau. The 203d assumed the rotating deployments of
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
s to Hickam which started in the 1970s by
SAC-gained stateside Air National Guard squadrons. On 1 August 1994 the
C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
flight was expanded and the
204th Airlift Squadron
The 204th Airlift Squadron (204 AS) is a unit of the Hawaii Air National Guard 154th Wing stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Honolulu, Hawaii. The 204th is equipped with the C-17 Globemaster III.
Overview
The 204th Airlift Squadron ...
was recognized and activated by the National Guard Bureau.
![199th Fighter Squadron - F-22s in shelters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/199th_Fighter_Squadron_-_F-22s_in_shelters.jpg)
In 1995, in accordance with the Air Force "One Base-One Wing" directive, the 155th was changed in status to a Wing, and the 199th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the new 154th Operations Group.
In July 2010, the Hawaii Air National Guard welcomed the first of its new inventory of
F-22A Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, ...
s. The 154th Wing was the second ANG unit to be equipped with the F-22. The 199th is planned to have 20 aircraft, the initial aircraft being transferred from the
325th Fighter Wing,
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (325 ...
, Florida; the remaining 18 aircraft will come from the
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing.
Its 1 ...
,
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
The F-22 is designed to counter advanced surface-to-air missile systems and next-generation fighters equipped with launch-and-leave missile capability. The F-15s were sent to the
boneyard
Boneyard may refer to:
* Cemetery or graveyard
Comics
* A character in the Malibu/Marvel Comics publication ''Mantra''
* ''Boneyard'' (comics), a horror-themed comic book series by Richard Moore
Film and television
* ''Boneyard'' (TV series ...
, the last Eagle leaving in 2011. The 199th operates with the active-duty 19th Fighter Squadron as their cadre unit, although the Hawaii ANG is responsible for seventy-five percent of the mission configuration. This is the first time an Air National Guard unit, the 199th Fighter Squadron, has taken the position of only having an active duty squadron as a cadre flying unit.
Lineage
![199th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/199th_Fighter-Interceptor_Squadron_-_Patch.png)
* Constituted as the 464th Fighter Squadron on 5 October 1944
: Activated on 12 October 1944
: Inactivated on 27 May 1946
* Redesignated 199th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946.
: Received federal recognition and activated on 4 November 1946
: Redesignated 199th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 July 1952
: Redesignated 199th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 19 November 1952
: Redesignated 199th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 10 June 1976
: Redesignated 199th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992
Assignments
*
507th Fighter Group, 12 October 1944 – 27 May 1946
*
Hawaii Air National Guard, 4 November 1946
: Gained by:
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
: Gained by:
Pacific Air Command, 15 December 1947
: Gained by:
Far East 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 (fo ...
, 1 June 1949
: Gained by:
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
, 5 January 1955
: Gained by:
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 ...
, 1 July 1957
*
154th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 December 1960
*
154th Tactical Fighter Group, 10 June 1976
*
154th Composite Group, 3 November 1978
*
154th Group, 15 March 1992
* 154th Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – present
Stations
*
Bruning Army Airfield, Nebraska, 20 October 1944
*
Dalhart Army Air Field
Dalhart Army Air Base is a former World War II military airfield complex near the city of Dalhart, Texas. It operated three training sites for the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 until 1945.
The majority of the namesake city of Dalhart, ...
, Texas, 15 December 1944 – 30 April 1945
*
Ie Shima Airfield
is a training facility, managed by the United States Marine Corps and a former World War II airfield complex on Ie Shima, an island located off the northwest coast of Okinawa Island in the East China Sea. The airfield as such was inactivated ...
,
Ryuku Islands, 24 June 1945
*
Yontan Airfield
Yontan Airfield (also known as Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield) is a former military airfield located near Yomitan Village on the west coast of Okinawa. It was closed in July 1996 and turned over to the Japanese government in December 2006. Today it i ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, 29 January-27 May 1946
*
Bellows Field. Hawaii, 4 November 1946
*
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged in 2010 with Naval Station Pearl Harbor to become part of the newly formed Joint ...
(later
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor, ...
), Hawaii, 28 October 1947
Aircraft
*
P-47N Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 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 United States Army Air Corps, USAAC requirement for a new fighter ...
, 1944–1945
*
F-47N 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 ...
, 1947–1954
*
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 ...
, 1954–1958
*
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 ...
, 1958–1961
*
F-102A Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair.
Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpo ...
, 1960–1976
*
F-4C Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed ...
, 1976–1987
*
F-15A/B Eagle, 1987–2009
*
F-15C Eagle, 1991–2010
*
F-22A Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, ...
, 2010 – present
References
154th Wing website* Maurer, Maurer.
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II'.
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.
* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
199th Fighter Squadron lineage and historyHawaii AviationHawaii ANG Dedicates its first F-22 Raptors
External links
{{Hawaii
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations in Hawaii