The 145th Airlift Wing (145 AW) is a unit of the

North Carolina Air National Guard The North Carolina Air National Guard (NC ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of North Carolina, United States of America. It is, along with the North Carolina Army National Guard, an element of the North Carolina National Guard. As state m ...

. It is assigned to

Charlotte Air National Guard Base Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles wes ...

, North Carolina and is equipped with the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. If activated to federal service in 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 ...

, the 145th is gained by Air Mobility Command.

Units

The 145th Airlift Wing consists of the following major units: *145th Operations Group : 156th Airlift Squadron -

C-17 Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of t ...

: 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron : 145th Operations Support Flight *145th Mission Support Group *145th Maintenance Group :145th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron *145th Medical Group *GSU :118th Air Support Operations Squadron *145th Security Forces Squadron

History

World War II

15 March 1948, the 156th Fighter Squadron was established and assigned to the

. It was federally recognized and activated at Morris Field, near Charlotte and was equipped with F-47 Thunderbolts. Its mission was the air defense of the state. In 1950 the 156th was re-equipped with former World War II F-51 Mustangs, now designated RF-51D which had been used in the United States in a training role. The squadron became part of Tactical Air Command (TAC) as a Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. The 156th Fighter Squadron was federalized due to the Korean War on 10 October 1950. During its federalization period, the 156th was deployed to Toul-Rosières Air Base in France, departing for Europe in January 1952. On 9 July 1952 the activated North Carolina Air National Guard was released from active duty and returned to state control. Flying F-84D/E from 1950 to 1952. In 1955 the facilities at Morris Field (now Charlotte Douglas International Airport) were expanded, two years later the 145th Fighter Group was organized consisting of the 156th Fighter Squadron and subordinate units. The 145th Fighter Group was constituted and allocated to the Illinois Air National Guard, Chicago, IL on 28 May 1957. The unit began trading their F-86A Sabre, for the more capable

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 ...

North Carolina Air National Guard

NC Air National Guard prepares to fight wildfires 110515-Z-KD999-001

The 145th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was assigned to the 126th Fighter Interceptor Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, Chicago, IL for mobilization. On 1 February 1961, The 145th Fighter Group (Air Defense), NCANG, was redesignated as the 145th Aeromedical Transport Group, NCANG and convert to C-119C Flying Boxcars. The group was assigned to 1st Aeromedical Group, USAF, and Western Transport Air Force, (MATS), Travis AFB, CA, for training and flying evacuation missions. Transiting to C-121C/G transporters during 1962–1965. On 25 January 1964 the 145th ATG was redesignated 145th Air Transport Group (Heavy). The unit began to convert to C-124C transporters during 1965. From 1966 to 1971 the 145th ATG was deployed to Vietnam, flying over 20 million km without an aircraft accident. Re-designated 145th Tactical Airlift Group, 15 May 1971 and re-equipped with

C-130B 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 desi ...

transport aircraft. In 1990 saw the unit mobilized for Operation Desert Shield, followed by Operation Desert Storm in 1991. On 15 Mar 1992, brought about another name change with the 145th Tactical Airlift Group become the 145th Airlift Group. During 1993 the group started to replace their elderly C-130Bs and take delivery of the more modern C-130H3. 1 Oct 1995, re-designated 145th Airlift Wing. On 7 September 2016 saw the end of its aerial firefighting mission using MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) when it was transferred to the

152nd Airlift Wing The 152nd Airlift Wing (152 AW) is a unit of the Nevada Air National Guard, stationed at Nevada Air National Guard Base, Nevada. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the Wing is operationally gained by the 18th Air F ...

Nevada Air National Guard The Nevada Air National Guard is the aerial militia of the State of Nevada, United States of America. Along with the Nevada Army National Guard, it is an element of the Nevada National Guard. The units of the Nevada Air National Guard are not i ...

. There are two other C-130 Air National Guard MAFFS trained units,

153rd Airlift Wing The 153d Airlift Wing (153d AW) is a unit of the Wyoming Air National Guard, stationed at Cheyenne Air National Guard Base, Wyoming. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. Over ...

Wyoming Air National Guard 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 t ...

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

; the

146th Airlift Wing The 146th Airlift Wing (146 AW) is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Oxnard, California. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Ai ...

California Air National Guard The California Air National Guard (CA ANG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force, and part of the National Guard of the United States. As militia units, the units in the California ...

, Channel Islands, CA; and one Air Force Reserve unit,

302nd Airlift Wing The 302d Airlift Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The wing's mission is tactical airlift a ...

, Air Force Reserve,

Peterson Air Force Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U.S. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the N ...

, CO. Wing's last C-130 departed on 22 December 2017 before the wing received its first C-17 Globemaster III on Saturday 7 April 2018.

Lineage

360th Fighter Squadron - World War II - Emblem

156th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Emblem

* Constituted 360th Fighter Squadron on 8 December 1942 : Activated on 12 December 1942 : Inactivated on 11 November 1945 * Re-designated: 156th Fighter Squadron and allocated to the North Carolina ANG on 24 May 1946 : Extended federal recognition on 15 March 1948 : Re-designated: 156th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 October 1950 : Federalized and placed on active duty, 10 October 1950 : Released from active duty and returned to North Carolina state control, 10 July 1952 : Re-designated: 156th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955 : Re-designated: 145th Aeromedical Transport Group on 1 Feb 1961 : Re-designated: 145th Air Transport Group (Heavy) on 25 Jan 1964 : Re-designated: 145th Military Airlift Group on 1 Jan 1966 : Re-designated: 145th Tactical Airlift Group on 15 May 1971 : Re-designated: 145th Airlift Group on 16 Mar 1992 : Re-designated: 145th Airlift Wing on 1 Oct 1995

Assignments

* 356th Fighter Group, 12 December 1942 – 11 November 1945 * 54th Fighter Wing, 15 March 1948 *

123d Fighter-Bomber Wing The 123rd Airlift Wing (123 AW) is a unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard, stationed at Louisville International Airport (Louisville Air National Guard Base), Kentucky. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Ai ...

, 10 October 1950 * 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 10 July 1952 * 116th Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 December 1952 *

116th Fighter Group The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...

(Air Defense), 1 July 1955 * 145th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 July 1957 * 145th Aeromedical Transport Group, 1 February 1961 * 145th Air Transport Group (Heavy), 25 January 1964 * 145th Military Airlift Group, 1 January 1966 * 145th Tactical Airlift Group, 15 May 1971 * 145th Airlift Group, 15 March 1992 * 145th Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – Present

Stations

Westover Field Westover may refer to: People * Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian * Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, ...

, Massachusetts, 12 December 1942 * Groton Army Airfield, Connecticut, 9 March 1943 *

Grenier Field Grenier is a surname. It is a French word for ''attic, loft,'' or ''granary''. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrian Grenier * Angèle Grenier, Canadian maple syrup producer * Auguste Jean François Grenier (1814–1890), French docto ...

, New Hampshire, 6 Jul-15 Aug 1943 *

RAF Goxhill Royal Air Force Goxhill or RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire, England. Origins During the First World ...

(AAF-345), England, 26 August 1943 * RAF Martlesham Heath (AAF-369), England, c. 10 Oct 1943 – 27 Oct 1945 *

Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...

, New Jersey, 10–11 Nov 1945 * Morris Field (later Douglas IAP, Charlotte Air National Guard Base), North Carolina, 15 Mar 1948–Present : Operated from:

Godman AFB Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox United States Army post in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Arm ...

, Kentucky, 20 October 1950 : Operated from:

RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpo ...

, England, Nov 1951-10 Jul 1952

Aircraft

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-bom ...

, 1943–1944 * P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945 *

F-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 ...

, 1948–1949 *

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 ...

, 1949–1950; 1952–1955 *

F-84 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 ...

, 1950–1952 * F-86A Sabre, 1955–1957 *

, 1957–1959 *

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 ...

, 1959–1961 * C-119C Flying Boxcar, 1961–1962 *

C-121 Constellation The Lockheed C-121 Constellation is a military transport version of the Lockheed Constellation. A total of 332 aircraft were constructed for both the United States Air Force and United States Navy for various purposes. Numerous airborne early wa ...

, 1962–1971 * C-130 Hercules, 1971–2017 *

, 2018–present

Notes

External links

*http://www.145aw.ang.af.mil/
156th Airlift Squadron lineage and history

AF Portal – 156th Weather Flight
{{North Carolina

156 Year 156 (Roman numerals, CLVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silvanus and Augurinus (or, less frequently, year 90 ...

Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Military units and formations established in 1992 Military units and formations in North Carolina