The Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PR ANG) — es, Guardia Nacional Aérea de Puerto Rico— is the aerial militia of the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporate ...
, an
unincorporated territory
Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...
of the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. It is, along with the
Puerto Rico Army National Guard
The Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRARNG) — officially designated in Spanish as ''Guardia Nacional Terrestre de Puerto Rico'', but colloquially known as ''Ejército de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico'' — is the Army National Guard of the ...
and the
Puerto Rico State Guard
The Puerto Rico State Guard (PRSG) — es, Guardia Estatal de Puerto Rico— is the state defense force of Puerto Rico that operates under the sole authority of the governor of Puerto Rico who, in turn, delegates such authority to the Puerto Ric ...
, an element of the
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
. After beginning as four units, the PRANG expanded to 11 units by the 1980s, including the 1956th Tactics Combat Group, the 140th Radar Squadron and others.
As commonwealth militia units, the units in the Puerto Rico Air National Guard are not in the normal
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
chain of command
A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.
Milit ...
. They are under the jurisdiction of the
Governor of Puerto Rico
The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
The governor has a duty ...
though the office of the
Puerto Rico Adjutant General
The Puerto Rico Adjutant General ( es, Ayudante General de Puerto Rico) is the Commander of the Puerto Rico National Guard. As the Adjutant General he is also the Senior Military Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico and oversees both State and ...
unless they are federalized by order of the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. The Puerto Rico Air National Guard is headquartered at
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
, and commanded by
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Travis Acheson.
Overview
Under the "Total Force" concept, Puerto Rico Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
(USAF). Puerto Rico ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a
Major Command of the USAF
This is a list of major commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force.
A major command is a significant Air Force organization subordinate to Headquarters, US Air Force. Major commands have a headquarters staff and subordinate organizations, ty ...
if federalized. In addition, the Puerto Rico Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
Along with their federal reserve obligations, as commonwealth militia units the elements of the Puerto Rico ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. Commonwealth missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.
Components
The Puerto Rico Air National Guard consists of the following major unit:
*
156th Wing
The 156th Wing (156 WG) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained b ...
: Established 23 November 1947 (as:
198th Fighter Squadron); operates:
C-130H 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 desig ...
: Stationed at:
Muñiz Air National Guard Base
Muñiz Air National Guard Base is the home base for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. This installation is located within the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico 14 km (9 miles) east of San Juan, Pue ...
,
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread ove ...
: Gained by:
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...
Support Unit Functions and Capabilities:
*
141st Air Control Squadron
The 141st Air Control Squadron (ACS) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. It is a mobile radar command, control and communications element of the United States Air Force Theater Air Control System located at Punta Borinquen Radar St ...
. -
Punta Borinquen Radar Station
Punta Borinquen Radar Station is a facility of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard home for the 141st Air Control Squadron. Located adjacent to Rafael Hernández Airport (which operates at the old Ramey Air Force Base), in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Th ...
-
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
(former
Ramey AFB Ramey may refer to:
*Ramey Air Force Base, a former base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
*Ramey, Pennsylvania
* Ramey, Puerto Rico, a US sub-orbital launch site
* Ramey House, an historic mansion in Tyler, Texas, USA
People
* Ramey Dawoud, Sudanese Amer ...
)
: During exercises, contingencies, or actual war, the 141st Air Control Squadron's Command and Control mission is to provide meteorological support and deploy with, advise, and assist the ground force commander in planning, requesting, coordinating and controlling close air support, tactical air reconnaissance, and tactical airlift.
* 140th Air Defense Squadron. - Fixed Radar Unit, Punta Salinas -
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, including Toa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and ...
: The mission of the 140th Air Defense Squadron involves work with a variety of satellites and systems to provide individuals in the field with real-time space situational awareness.
History
The Puerto Rico Air National Guard came into existence as a result of the efforts led by Colonel
Mihiel Gilormini
Brigadier General Mihiel "Mike" Gilormini Pacheco (August 3, 1918 – January 29, 1988) was a United States Air Force officer who served in the Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was the recipient of t ...
also known as "El Gallo de Yauco", Colonel
Alberto A. Nido
Brigadier General Alberto A. Nido (1 March 1919 – 27 October 1991) is a former United States Air Force officer who during World War II served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, the British Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Forces ...
and Lieutenant Colonel
José Antonio Muñiz
Lieutenant Colonel José Antonio Muñiz (October 16, 1919 – July 4, 1960) was a United States Air Force officer who during World War II served in the United States Army Air Forces. He co-founded the Puerto Rico Air National Guard together with t ...
. On 26 October 1947, several officers were sworn as members of the nascent PRANG.
On 23 November 1947, 18 officials and 33 national guardsmen were organized as a unit under Cpt. Nido.
The unit was assigned to the Isla Grande Airport and received its first combat aircraft of the
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 ...
model and
Douglas B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
model.
The new PRANG was subdivided into four units.
The entity was also assigned the 156th Tactical Combat Group, a medical unit.
In November 1950, the 198th was activated during the
Jayuya Uprising
The Jayuya Uprising, also known as the Jayuya Revolt or El Grito de Jayuya, was a Nationalist insurrection that took place on October 30, 1950, in the town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico. The insurrection, led by Blanca Canales, was one of the multiple i ...
, remaining in action for 11 days, conducting aerial assaults on U.S. citizens in the municipalities of Utuado and Jayuya, as well as conducting reconnaissance and transporting supplies.
In 1954 the PRANG received its first T-33 planes and the following year it received F-86 jets.
Aboard these jets, several members of the 198th's Flying Buccaneers broke the sound barrier, including Col. Alberto Nido, Com. Mihiel Gilormini, First Lt. Peter Kryzanowski and Second Lt. José Bloise.
The squadron also became distinguished since several of its members were bilingual, a novelty during these days.
In a subsequent inspection of Ramey, a group of eleven generals led by Gen. George Finch of the 14th Air Force, noted the progress of the 198th in five years.
Sgt. Eugenio Betancourt and Sgt. Rafael Altieri were decorated during this visit, receiving medals donated by the Legislature of Puerto Rico for outstanding service during the year.
In 1956, it was relocated at the Isla Verde Airport.
After serving during the Korean War, José Muñiz was placed in charge of the 198th Combat Squadron, a function that he performed until his death on 5 July 1960.
During this year, the PRANG was activated to provide assistance to the government during a series of floods that affected the east coast of Puerto Rico.
During the
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
, all pilots were placed on alert and waiting for orders while the crisis was solved in the adjacent island.
In 1963, the PRANG participated in the search for Mercury Astronaut
Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter (May 1, 1925 – October 10, 2013) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury ...
following his first orbital flight, which the 140th Radar Squadron accomplished under Col. Fred Brown.
The following year, personnel and supplies were sent to the Dominican Republic in response to the
Dominican Civil War
The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...
.
Beginning in 1964, the unit was assigned the tactical combat and surveillance of the Puerto Rico air space.
The 198th Tactical Combat Squadron was placed under Commander Jan Johnson, receiving F-86E, F-86D, F-86H and F-104 models in 1967.
This same year, its home base was renamed after Lt. Col. José Muñiz and the PRANG also trained personnel for three groups IOC the
Venezuelan Air Force
, colours = Bleu celeste
, colours_label =
, march = , "Hymn of the National Military Aviation"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 December (Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles =
, decorations =
, battle_honou ...
.
The entity recruited poor children, hosting a camp for that population in 1970.
That same year, the 156th was given an award as the most prominent medical unit in all of the USNG system.
One of P-47 Thunderbolts was restored for flight in 1972.
Towards the year's end, the PRANG was sent with supplies for the victims of the
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake occurred at 12:29:44 a.m. local time (06:29:44 UTC) on December 23 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a maximum MSK intensity of IX (''Destructive''). The epicenter w ...
.
In 1974, the unit was sent to Honduras following the passing of
Hurricane Fifi–Orlene
Hurricane Fifi, later known as Hurricane Orlene, was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that killed over 8,000 people in Honduras in September 1974, ranking it as the third deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, only behind Hurricane Mitch in 1998, ...
.
The following year, the PRANG was sent to respond to the
1976 Guatemala earthquake.
In 1976, the 198th received an A-7D Corsair.
In 1976, the unit's double task was modified.
By 1977, the same year that the PRANG celebrated its 30th Anniversary, the 140th Radar Squadron was operating additional detachments at Ramey Air Force Base.
Gilormini was promoted to brigadier general and served as commander until his retirement in 1975. Colonel Nido was promoted to Brigadier General and served at National Guard Headquarters as Chief of Staff for Air. Brigadier General
Jose M. Portela
Jose is the English language, English transliteration of the Hebrew language, Hebrew and Aramaic language, Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods ...
, the youngest
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a retired military strategic airlifter that served with the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), its successor organization the Military Airlift Command (MAC), and finally the Air Mobility Command (AMC) of th ...
aircraft commander and captain was the only reservist ever to serve as director of mobility forces for
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
, served as commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard from 11 January 2005 to November 2006.
The tactical aviation element of PRANG operates as the 156th Airlift Wing, 198th Airlift Squadron, flying C-130E aircraft. They operate out of
Muñiz Air National Guard Base
Muñiz Air National Guard Base is the home base for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. This installation is located within the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico 14 km (9 miles) east of San Juan, Pue ...
, located within the grounds of
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muño ...
. In the past, they have operated
P-47
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-bomber ...
Thunderbolts,
C-47
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...
Skytrains, C-45, T-6 Texan, B-26 Invader, L-5 Sentinel, T-33 Shooting Star,
F-86D
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 ...
, F-86E, and F-86H Sabre Jets,
F-104
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...
Starfighters, C-54, T-29, C-131, U-3, O-2,
A-7D
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
Corsair II,
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
Fighting Falcons, C-26, and currently,
C-130
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 desig ...
Hercules type aircraft. Phasing out the F-16s left Puerto Rico with no air-to-air defense assets.
In August 2016, the 156th was recognized.
Muñiz Air National Guard Base
Muñiz Air National Guard Base
Muñiz Air National Guard Base is the home base for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. This installation is located within the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico 14 km (9 miles) east of San Juan, Pue ...
or "Base Muñiz" in
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread ove ...
was formally named in 1963 to honor of one of the initial members of the unit who was killed in the line of duty. Lieutenant Colonel
José Antonio Muñiz
Lieutenant Colonel José Antonio Muñiz (October 16, 1919 – July 4, 1960) was a United States Air Force officer who during World War II served in the United States Army Air Forces. He co-founded the Puerto Rico Air National Guard together with t ...
(full name: José Antonio Muñiz Vázquez) was lost on 4 July 1960 when his F-86D lost power on climbout for a formation fly-by. Major General
Orlando Llenza
Major General Orlando Llenza (July 1, 1930 – March 11, 2021) was the second Puerto Rican to reach the rank of Major General (two-star General) in the United States Air Force. Llenza served as commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PRAN ...
, then a fellow aviator in the unit, later described the loss in the following translation:
We were short one pilot and Joe offered to stand in. I was formation lead. Right after departing the runway, his afterburner nozzles failed open, indicating a loss of power. The ejection seats in use at the time could not safely extract a pilot at low altitude and Joe went in little after takeoff. No one in the flight mentioned the event; we executed the flyover and were notified of the loss upon our return to base. Shortly after that, we received the F-86H which did not use afterburning and could fly non-stop from Homestead AFB (in Florida) to San Juan unlike the previous D and E models, which had to stop for fuel at Guantanamo, Cuba. .
Muñiz ANGB is the home of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard's
156th Airlift Wing
The 156th Wing (156 WG) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained ...
and the
198th Airlift Squadron.
2018 U.S. Air National Guard WC-130H crash
On 2 May 2018, a Lockheed WC-130H weather reconnaissance aircraft of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed in the US state of Georgia, shortly after departing from Savannah Air National Guard Base (which is located at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport). All nine airmen (five crewmen and four passengers) were killed in the accident.
Aircraft
The aircraft was a Lockheed C-130H Hercules more than fifty years old, with tail number 65-0968 and serial number 4110, that had been converted to a WC-130H for weather reconnaissance operations. It was assigned to the United States Air National Guard and operated by the
156th Airlift Wing
The 156th Wing (156 WG) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained ...
of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
1981 Muñiz Air National Guard Base attack
On 12 January 1981, the
Boricua Popular Army
The ''Ejército Popular Boricua'' (" Boricua Popular/People's Army"), also known as ''Los Macheteros'' ("The Machete Wielders"), is a clandestine militant and insurgent organization based in Puerto Rico, with cells in the states and other nat ...
(''Ejército Popular Boricua''), a
Puerto Rican separatist organization, carried out multiple bombings at the
Muñiz Air National Guard Base
Muñiz Air National Guard Base is the home base for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. This installation is located within the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico 14 km (9 miles) east of San Juan, Pue ...
. At the time, it was the largest attack on U.S. military forces since the Vietnam War. The attack was timed to coincide with the birthday of the Puerto Rican independence advocate
Eugenio María de Hostos
Eugenio María de Hostos (January 11, 1839 – August 11, 1903), known as "''El Gran Ciudadano de las Américas''" ("The Great Citizen of the Americas"), was a Puerto Rican educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist, novelist, an ...
.
[Anderson, Sean and Stephen Sloan. ''The Historical Dictionary of Terrorism'', Scarecrow Press, 2009 , Pg. 409] The attack caused approximately $45,000,000 in damages to ten A-7D aircraft and a single F-104. It was carried out by eleven commandos of the Popular Army of Puerto Rico, also known as "The Macheteros." The base was home to eighteen A-7D and one F-104 aircraft.
Eleven saboteurs, disguised in military uniforms, penetrated the security fence and infiltrated the A-7 parking ramp through a hole cut in the perimeter chain link fence. Investigators believe that some, if not all, arrived near the ramp in a boat guided along a nearby channel. The operation occurred during a shift change of the base security, which was provided by both contracted civilian guards and uniformed Air National Guard
Security Forces
Security forces are statutory organizations with internal security mandates. In the legal context of several nations, the term has variously denoted police and military units working in concert, or the role of military and paramilitary forces (s ...
. The perpetrators exited the area the same way they came in, using the entry point as the exit point. Choosing to strike at shift change indicates the possibility of prior surveillance or insider information. The commandos placed approximately 25 explosive devices on the aircraft.
![198th Tactical Fighter Squadron A-7D Corsair II 70-1050](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/198th_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron_A-7D_Corsair_II_70-1050.jpg)
The planes were destroyed using individual satchels containing four sticks of Iremite (an emulsion explosive) with detonators and incendiary charges. They were time-delayed using a simple watch and battery combination.
The explosives were stolen from a Puerto Rican explosives factory, with the theft traced back to the Boricua Popular Army. The AFOSI (
United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is also a U.S. Air Force field operating agency under the administrative ...
) called the explosives "sophisticated". It was estimated that the entire operation took less than eight minutes to complete. Officials expressed concern as to how a group of semiskilled intruders were able to inflict severe damage to mission capability.
Press coverage was substantial at the time of the incident, but died down quickly. This was the first peacetime incident in which USAF aircraft were destroyed by a domestic act, and the first time separatists had attacked a USAF installation. It was the greatest material loss from any single attack perpetrated against the USAF anywhere in the world. The National Guard Bureau (NGB) was aware of the shortfalls in security at Muñiz ANG Base, and of the threat, yet corrective actions had not been implemented at the time. The bombings resulted in the implementation of more strict security protocols and systems around the perimeter of the base. It was also determined that an increase in security personnel was in order raising the number to 22 guards, up from 11, funded entirely by the federal government, as well as electric devices added to the fence.
Destroyed aircraft were A-7D AF Serial Numbers 72-0189; 72-0219; 72-0221; 72-0222; 73-0994; 73-1050; 74-1748, and 74-1755. The sole F-104C, of a Mission Design Series previously flown by the PRANG, was a non-flyable aircraft destined to be a permanent memorial static display.
See also
*
156th Wing
The 156th Wing (156 WG) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained b ...
*
Military history of Puerto Rico
The recorded military history of Puerto Rico encompasses the period from the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadores battled native Taínos in the rebellion of 1511, to the present employment of Puerto Ricans in the United States Armed Forces ...
*
Puerto Rico Adjutant General
The Puerto Rico Adjutant General ( es, Ayudante General de Puerto Rico) is the Commander of the Puerto Rico National Guard. As the Adjutant General he is also the Senior Military Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico and oversees both State and ...
*
Puerto Rico Wing Civil Air Patrol
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
* Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense,
External links
;Official sites
Puerto Rico Air National Guard;Unofficial sites
From ''GlobalSecurity.org'':
{{Puerto Rico topics
United States Air National Guard
Military in Puerto Rico
1981 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico National Guard
Terrorist attacks on airports
Terrorist incidents in North America in 1981
1947 establishments in Puerto Rico
Military units and formations established in 1947
Attacks on buildings and structures in the United States
Terrorism in Puerto Rico