102nd Fighter Wing
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's 102d Intelligence Wing (102 IW), of the Massachusetts Air National Guard
, is a military intelligence
unit located at Otis Air National Guard Base
, Massachusetts
. Its primary subordinate operational unit is the 101st Intelligence Squadron
. According to the Air Force, the history of the 102d begins with the 318th Fighter Group
, which was active during World War II
. After the war, the 318th was deactivated, and eventually the 102d Fighter Wing was formed, which had a direct lineage link. In 1946, the 102d was activated at Logan International Airport
where it stayed until 1968, when it moved to Otis Air Force Base. Beginning in 1946, the wing began regular patrols of the Northeastern United States which took place in conjunction with Air Force active duty units. In 1968, the 102d was moved to Otis where it continued its regular patrols until 1973.
During the time that the wing had a flying mission, the wing deployed to many locations around the globe to assist in missions for the Air Force. In 1961, the wing deployed to France
during the Berlin Crisis
. Twenty eight years later, the wing deployed to Panama
during Operation Coronet Nighthawk
. It also participated in Operation Northern Watch
, helping to patrol the No-Fly Zone
north of the 36th parallel
in Iraq
. During the September 11th attacks, the 102d Fighter Wing deployed the first Air Force aircraft toward New York City, but they arrived too late to stop the attacks.
Over the years, the wing has controlled many other Air National Guard units. Following the deactivation of the 67th Fighter Wing
in November 1950, the wing was put in charge of a few fighter units on the Atlantic Coast. In 1976, the wing even became responsible for the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, located in Texas.
Military downsizing through the Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) process removed the wing's F-15C Eagles beginning in 2007, leaving the 102d with an intelligence gathering mission. It is one of three Air National Guard
wings that works with the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.
, where the wing performs its primary mission.
, the Army showed an interest in creating an aviation element in the National Guard system. During the time when this was pondered, aircraft were attached to aviation units, much akin to other weapons like artillery. Guard units that lacked aircraft would need assets from other forces to co-operate with them. The War Department agreed the Guard should organize aviation squadrons as an organic part of the 18 infantry divisions assigned to the National Guard.
The War Department
agreed the Guard should organize aviation squadrons as an organic part of the 18 infantry divisions assigned to the National Guard.
In Massachusetts, a club that was made up of former United States Army Air Corps
pilots, the Archie Club, lobbied for the formation of an aviation unit in the Massachusetts National Guard
. At some point, the state had been allocated the entire 26th Infantry Division
. On June 27, 1921, the 101st Observation Squadron was authorized at the command of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts
. Within weeks, fifteen World War I
veteran pilots were commissioned into the squadron and placed under the command of Captain James K. Knowles. The 101st built its own air base on land-filled tidal flats at Jeffries Point
, East Boston. The 101st flew its Curtiss JN-4
"Jenny" aircraft throughout New England at air shows, county fairs and other events. Pilots flew their Curtiss O-11s to temporary fields on Cape Cod while ground crews followed in trucks. One of these fields was Cape Cod Airport
, where Douglas O-38
s were flown.
In 1933 Jeffery Field was rebuilt with new hangars and administrative buildings, and renamed Logan Airport
in honor of Major General Edward L. Logan, who commanded the 26th Infantry Division from 1923 to 1928. The 101st was also ordered into state service because of a flood in 1936 and a hurricane in 1938. During the latter, they flew observation missions to drop equipment and food to stranded residents of Isle au Haut, Maine
. The 101st gained attention when it played a part in the United States Army Air Service
's flight around the world
. The flight was the crowning achievement in United States aviation because it succeeded where five other nations had failed. The 101st serviced the aircraft at Boston which was on the flight leg from Canada
to Washington D.C.. It also serviced the Spirit of St. Louis
when Charles Lindbergh
visited the state.
In 1940, the 101st was separated from the 26th Infantry Division
and in November was ordered into active federal service for intensive training. The 101st’s 25 officers and 133 enlisted men initially remained at Logan until July 31, 1941 when they moved to Otis Field at Camp Edwards
. Otis Field was named after 1st Lt Frank J. Otis
, Jr., MD, a 101st flight surgeon killed in a flying accident in 1938. The 101st participated in the North Carolina maneuvers in the fall
of 1941 and returned to Otis on December 6, 1941.
Following the outbreak of World War II, the 101st flew anti-submarine patrols off the New England
coast until September 10, 1942. By then, many of its original members had been reassigned during the expansion of the Army Air Forces. During the next two years, the 101st was transferred to several bases and on May 20, 1944, had its mission re-designated as the 39th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. It joined the Ninth Air Force
and deployed to the European Theater
in December 1944 with 45 officers and 297 enlisted men. The 39th flew P-38 Lightning
s and P-51 Mustang
s during operational missions from January 1945 to the end of the war in May. The 39th returned to the United States in August 1945, was re-designated 101st Fighter Squadron in May 1946, and then disbanded two months later.
Veterans of the 101st and Army Air Force reorganized the 101st at Logan Airport on July 29, 1946. The squadron was equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt
and was federally recognized on October 15, 1946. This meant that they had met all the requirements to be a unit and has been recognized by the military establishment as a part of the force.
The 102d Intelligence Wing traces its roots to the 318th Fighter Group
which was formed in 1942. It fought in the Pacific as part of bomber escort missions to Japan
, and participated in aircraft carrier operations, rarely experienced by the Army Air Force. The 318th returned to the United States after the war, was deactivated on January 12, 1946 and then reactivated as the 102d Fighter Group on May 22, 1946.
, which consisted of the 101st Fighter Squadron, the 131st Fighter Squadron
, the 132nd Fighter Squadron, the 202nd Air Service Group, 601st Signal Construction Company, 101st Communications Squadron, 101st Air Control Squadron, 151st Air Control and Warning Group, 567th Air Force Band, 101st Weather Flight and the 1801st Aviation Engineer Company. The 67th Wing was assigned to Air Defense Command.
Guard units were generally neglected when the United States Air Force
was created. Despite the introduction of jet fighters, the Guard units were left with generally overused World War II propeller aircraft, and had few funds for training. As the Cold War intensified, the Air Force looked to the Guard to fill United States-based interception missions and started overhauling their organization. Although the Massachusetts Air National Guard
wasn't federalized for the Korean War
, many airmen volunteered for active duty and flew in Korea
. On November 1, 1950 the 67th Fighter Wing was deactivated and replaced by the 102d Fighter Wing, including just the 101st and 131st squadrons and their associated support units, and at some point before 1961 the wing was renamed a Tactical Fighter Wing. Additionally, the wing kept the 567th, and the 1801st. The squadrons were issued F-84B Thunderjets, but these were recalled and replaced by F-51 Mustangs which were flown until 1954 when the F-94 Starfire
replaced the Mustangs. In 1952 the 253rd Combat Communications Group was activated and added to the 102d. In 1958 the Wing converted to the F-86H Sabre.
From 1956 to 1976, the 102d was commanded by Brigadier General
Charles W. Sweeney, pilot of the B-29 Superfortress
Bockscar
that dropped the Fat Man
nuclear bomb
on Nagasaki, Japan. During his tenure, the wing developed from a rather new unit to the mainstay of air defense in the Northeastern United States
.
On August 16, 1961, when the Berlin Wall
crisis was unfolding, several United States Air Force Reserve units were notified of their pending recall to active duty. On October 1 the wing and its three squadrons, the 101st, 131st and 138th were placed on active duty at Otis Air Force Base.
In late October, the 102d departed Logan for Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base
, Phalsbourg
, France. The wing had 82 Sabres, plus two C-47 Skytrain
s and six T-33 Shooting Star
s for support and training purposes. During the crisis, the wing controlled the 102d Tactical Fighter Group, the 104th Tactical Fighter Group, and the 174th Tactical Fighter Group from New York. The 102d's primary mission was to provide close air support to NATO ground forces, including the Seventh Army, and air interdiction. During the blockade, the 102d did not incur any losses. Starting on December 5, 1961 the 102d began deploying to Wheelus Air Base
, Libya
for gunnery training.
During its time in Europe, the 102d participated in several United States Air Force
and North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises, including a deployment to Leck Air Base
, West Germany near the Danish border. At Leck, ground and support crews from both countries exchanged duties, learning how to perform aircraft maintenance and operational support tasks.
The 102d returned to the United States in August 1962. Regular Air Force personnel and a group of Air National Guard personnel who volunteered to remain on active duty formed the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the newly activated 366th Tactical Fighter Wing.
the next year. The wing flew the F-84F Thunderstreak
from 1964 until June 1971, when a squadron of F-100D Super Sabres was transferred directly from units fighting the Vietnam War
. These were superseded soon after by the Mach 2 F-106 Delta Darts and on June 10, 1972, the unit became the 102d Air Defense Wing. On December 30, 1973, Otis Air Force Base was inactivated and transferred to the Massachusetts Air National Guard
as Otis Air National Guard Base
.
The wing intercepted Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers on many occasions, the first of which occurred off Long Island
on April 25, 1975. Many of these incidents involved escorting the Bears to Cuba
. The wing occasionally shadowed drug smuggling aircraft, and on one occasion was scrambled to escort an unidentified object, which later turned out to be a weather balloon.
In 1976, the 102d Fighter Interceptor Group was deactivated and re-formed as the 102d Fighter Interceptor Wing. It assumed authority for the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base
and the 125th Fighter Interceptor Group at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base. Both units flew the F-106. It also assumed command of the 107th Fighter Interceptor Group at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
and the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group at Ellington Field
, Texas
. The latter two flew the F-4C Phantom.
The 102d Fighter Interceptor Wing deactivated its F-106s on January 5, 1988. Between January and April 1988, the wing converted to the F-15A Eagle, which it received from the 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron which was deactivating at Minot Air Force Base
. It then resumed its alert commitment at Otis, and also established a new Detachment 1 at Loring Air Force Base
, taking over for the deactivating 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The 102d was the first Air National Guard unit to be equipped with the F-15.
On January 24, 1989, airmen monitoring the radar at the Northeast Air Defense Sector at Griffiss Air Force Base
spotted a plane which was not following any known flight plan. The order was then given to "scramble the Eagles," after repeated attempts to contact the pilot failed. Two jets then took off from Loring to search for the "unknown rider." The pilots later came across a plane that was blacked out, with no lights on on the inside or outside. The pilot, a narcotics smuggler from Colombia
's Medellin drug cartel, was Diego Jose Ganuza. He was carrying had a street value of two hundred million dollars in the amount of 500 kilograms of cocaine
.
. In 1992, the wing deployed eight pilots, five F-15 Eagles, and 48 maintenance and security personnel, for five days training at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. The same year, with the reorganization of the Air Force, the wing was reassigned from the disbanding Tactical Air Command
to the newly formed Air Combat Command
. In July 1993, the wing deployed 50 personnel from the 102d Civil Engineering Squadron under field conditions, to the island of Eleuthera
in the Bahamas. They helped rebuild schools and municipal facilities damaged by Hurricane Andrew
.
On February 11, 1993, jets were scrambled to intercept the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 592
, which eventually landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport
without incident. The planes were joined by F-16s from the 177th Fighter Wing
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. The F-15s initially intercepted the aircraft off the coast of eastern Canada
. The planes then began to trail the jet at a distance of 10 miles (16.1 km). As they approached the airport, the distance decreased to 5 miles (8 km). The fighters then did a low fly-by as the plane landed. They continued to circle around the airport until they returned to Otis.
In 1994, the 102d received more F-15A/B Eagles from the 32nd Fighter Group at Soesterberg Air Base
, which was deactivating as part of the post Cold War
draw down of forces in Europe
.
as part of Operation Coronet Nighthawk
, a drug interdiction operation. In 1992 the wing became simply the 102d Fighter Wing as part of a Air Force-wide renaming of units. From 1995 to 1998 the wing deployed to Iceland
for 45 days of air defense duty. During 1998 members both trained for and carried out assignments in Iceland
, Canada, Korea, and Europe. In 1999 the wing participated in Operation Northern Watch
when it deployed with its F-15s to Turkey
to patrol and enforce the no-fly zone north of the 36th Parallel in northern Iraq
. In 2000, more than 350 personnel were deployed to the Middle East
and Europe
to participate in Operation Southern Watch
.
Around 8:30 on the morning of September 11, 2001, the Otis Air Base Operations Center received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration
's Cape Cod Facility Calls Operations Center that it might be receiving a call from the North American Aerospace Defense Command
's Northeast Air Defense Sector. The manager of the Cape Cod facility then called the 102d at Otis Air National Guard Base
as the they figured "...a call [to Otis Air Base] will be coming from NEADS soon and a scramble order is likely." He called the base because he figured that the pilots would appreciate the heads up. When he called the Otis operations center, the superintendent of aviation management, Mark Rose, answered. He was initially confused by the call as no identification was given. Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Duffy was then handed the phone and alerted of the situation. On his radio, he called pilot Major Daniel Nash, the pilot who was sharing alert duty, and told him to get ready for a coming alert call. He also told him to suit up and get ready for a scamble call.
Soon after, the commander of the 101st Fighter Squadron phoned the Northeast Air Defense Sector and asked for permission to launch the fighter jets. The sector in turn responded by ordering the commander of the weapons team which controlled the jets, Major Kevin Naspany, to place the fighters on "battle stations." This resulted in a warning siren sounding at Otis and the pilots scrambled to their jets. Four to five minutes later, the scramble order was received and the jets took off. Officially, this occurred at 8:46 am, with a six minute difference between the official and unofficial accounts. Duffy radioed his command post for guidance and was told among other things that American Airlines Flight 11
was a Boeing 737
, when in reality it was a 767
. Once in the air, their radar kicked in, allowing them to effectively intercept the plane.
Difficulties in accurately locating Flight 11 caused a delay of five minutes, to 8:43 am, before the scramble order was given and pilots Duffy and Nash could respond. When Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46, the two jets were still readying for flight and did not take off until 8:52 am.
Major Naspany was then asked what to do with the fighters and he responded by saying, "Send 'em to New York City still. Continue! Go! This is what I got. Possible news that a 737 just hit the World Trade Center. This is a real-world...Continue taking the fighters down to the New York City area, JFK [International Airport] area, if you can. Make sure that the FAA clears it—your route all the way through...Let's press with this." Unsure of their target, they were directed to a holding pattern in military-controlled airspace Whiskey 105 off of Long Island
to avoid New York
area air traffic. At 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175
hit the South Tower as the fighters were progressing to their holding position. The Northeast Air Defense Sector was not advised of this hijacked aircraft until 9:03.
Between 9:09 and 9:13, the jets stayed in a holding pattern. Soon after, they headed toward Manhattan
and arrived at 9:25, where they established a Combat Air Patrol
over the city.
While all of this was going on, senior battle staff at Otis
were watching the news when United Airlines Flight 175
crashed into the South Tower. This immediately caused one commander to shout out, "We need to go to battle staff!" This order caused senior commanders to disperse and head towards nearby operations buildings. Inside, the gathered together in the battle cab of the installation operations center. Soon after, a voice came over the base's loudspeakers: "The commander has ordered the 102d core battle staff to assemble. Please report to the operations building immediately." Mobilization of the wing began to occur after this time. At the time of the order, eighteen planes were ready for flight and commanders began to prepare based on what they anticipated they would be asked to do. Most of these actions were guessing because there had never been an attack on the country before. Knowing that they couldn't await on guidance from the North American Aerospace Defense Command
, the recalled all training flights and began loading fuel and weapons onto all available fighter jets.
Meanwhile at the battle cab, a maintenance squadron officer was told, "Listen, I want you to generate as many airframes [i.e. fighter jets] as you can!" This immediately caused all personnel to be called back and they were ordered to work on the remaining jets. This rush involved the placement of missiles on all jets, including some newer missiles which were rarely pulled out. Six jets which were on a training mission were traversing through the Whiskey Airspace when they were told by the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center
to head back to Otis immediately. Once landed, the pilots were told to park their jets but leave the engines on. Finally, the first planes took off at 10:20 in the morning.
After awhile, an order was received to launch all available fighters. Pilots were briefed on the national emergency and the potential that they might have to take out an aircraft. At this point, someone then ran into the room and said that there had been an order that was received from the Northeast Air Defense Sector that all available jets must launch. The pilots then ran out to their aircraft with speaker Treacy saying "Go, go, go!" In the haste that the morning had become, not all the jets had been refueled and a majority of the jets were still unarmed. The handful of jets that were armed were sent up with one or two missiles. The standard missile load involves at least two missiles at launch. This is after the handlers had worked at a "furious pace" and "hurried to fix all available jets with live weapons." Arming of the jets even began fifteen minutes after the South Tower had been hit. Interestingly, this fact would later lend credence to the theory that there was an idea floating around to ram the hijacked planes with a jet. Starting around 10:30 and ending at six that night, all twenty one planes were put into the air.
After the initial shock of the attacks had passed, questions arose about how the military handled the hijacking and subsequent response with the jets. Some thought that the jets had been purposely kept from flying immediately to New York City. The questions arising from the response time of the jets come from the practice of Cold War
era policies which prohibited the immediate response to an emergency like a hijacking. First responder and pilot Daniel Nash said that he could not recall being told that the North Tower was hit but he did remember seeing the smoke over 70 miles (112.7 km) away. It is also claimed by conspiracists that the calculations of North American Aerospace Defense Command were incorrect because according to their own calculations, the planes were flying at 24% of their maximum speed. This statement takes into account the time in which the planes were in a holding pattern over military airspace. The jets were also prohibited from going supersonic over land by Federal Aviation Administration
rules. These rules are meant to prevent damage to buildings from the shock wave a sonic boom produces.
at different times. The wing began flying around-the-clock combat air patrol
missions immediately thereafter, and continued doing so until February 2002. On December 22, 2001 the wing escorted America Airlines Flight 63 as a direct result of Richard Reid
trying to blow up a plane.
In the buildup to the invasion of Afghanistan, six F-15s and 161 personnel were sent to the Persian Gulf
region. The wing also patrolled the skies of the Northeastern United States
during this time period. The wing though never deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The wing converted from the F-15A/B to the F-15C/D in 2004. These planes came from Kadena Air Base
.
and dissolve the 102d. Locals argued that this would leave a huge gap in the national air defenses. Commission officials, after visiting the base, decided to keep it open, but the 102d would still lose its planes, only this time they were only going to the 104th Fighter Wing
, based at Barnes Municipal Airport
.
In May 2006 it trained with the Israeli Air Force
's 115 Squadron
.
The wing hosted the Cape Cod Air Show & Open House
, its last air show with the F-15C Eagle at the end of Air Force Week in August, 2007. The wing shared a commonality with the 101st Air Refueling Wing
, the 103d Fighter Wing, and the 104th Fighter Wing
, which due to commission decisions, also changed the type of planes that they flew. Beginning in 2007, the F-15s began moving to Barnes Municipal Airport
. With the grounding of the F-15 Eagles, the 158th Fighter Wing
, which is based in Vermont
took over the role of patrolling the Northeast's skies earlier than expected. This interruption of the F-15's flight, coinciding with the transitioning of the fighter jets to the 104th Fighter Wing
, created some issues.
On January 24, 2008, the 102d Fighter Wing flew its last patrol mission. The unit's wing commander, Colonel Anthony Schiavi, led the flight, accompanied by Major Daniel Nash, who was one of the first responders for 9/11. Fire trucks were on hand when the team landed a half-hour later, giving the planes and the pilots the customary ceremonial hose-down for the last time.
would remain open, discussions began about the future of the 102d. Staff of the 102d and those at Massachusetts Air National Guard
headquarters considered a plan centered around the idea that the wing could transition to an intelligence mission to support the growing War on Terror
. The idea hit a roadblock when it was announced that the funds which the wing could use to convert into its new mission had been depleted.
Eventually, Governor Deval Patrick
announced that the wing would adopt an intelligence role as soon as the aircraft left.
Original Base Realignment and Closure commission plans only hinted at a Distributed Common Ground System
being created at Otis. These plans did not include the air guardsmen affected by the loss of their jobs. The issue was resolved when the Air Force announced its plans, right before the F-15s started to leave for Barnes.
The 102d Fighter Wing was formally re-designated the 102d Intelligence Wing on April 6, 2008 and was planned to reach full operational capacity in 2010.
Members of the wing had the option of moving with the F-15s to Barnes, but most decided to stay behind and train for new missions. The crash trucks went to Barnes, leaving the brush breakers of the Massachusetts Military Reservation
behind. The buildings formerly occupied by the fighter wing, including the hangars, will be occupied by the intelligence mission.
On November 6, 2009, ground was broken on new facilities for the 102d Intelligence Wing. The building will eventually replace the temporary facilities that the wing is now operating in.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 102d Intelligence Wing (102 IW), of the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
, is a military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
unit located at Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Its primary subordinate operational unit is the 101st Intelligence Squadron
101st Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 101st Intelligence Squadron , Massachusetts Air National Guard, is an intelligence unit assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing and located at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. From its creation in 1921 to its mission change in 2008, the 101st was the...
. According to the Air Force, the history of the 102d begins with the 318th Fighter Group
318th Fighter Group
The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.-History:...
, which was active during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, the 318th was deactivated, and eventually the 102d Fighter Wing was formed, which had a direct lineage link. In 1946, the 102d was activated at Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
where it stayed until 1968, when it moved to Otis Air Force Base. Beginning in 1946, the wing began regular patrols of the Northeastern United States which took place in conjunction with Air Force active duty units. In 1968, the 102d was moved to Otis where it continued its regular patrols until 1973.
During the time that the wing had a flying mission, the wing deployed to many locations around the globe to assist in missions for the Air Force. In 1961, the wing deployed to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the Berlin Crisis
Berlin Crisis of 1961
The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
. Twenty eight years later, the wing deployed to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
during Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk was a U.S. anti-narcotic smuggling air patrol operation. Formerly carried out from Howard Air Force Base in Panama, the operation was moved to Hato, at Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles from April 1999...
. It also participated in Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq...
, helping to patrol the No-Fly Zone
Iraqi no-fly zones
The Iraqi no-fly zones were a set of two separate no-fly zones , and were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect the Kurdish people in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the south. Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones...
north of the 36th parallel
36th parallel north
The 36th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 36 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. During the September 11th attacks, the 102d Fighter Wing deployed the first Air Force aircraft toward New York City, but they arrived too late to stop the attacks.
Over the years, the wing has controlled many other Air National Guard units. Following the deactivation of the 67th Fighter Wing
67th Fighter Wing
The 67th Fighter Wing was a unit of the United States Air Force for four years, between 1946 and 1950. It was located at Logan Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is unrelated to the modern 67th Network Warfare Wing.-Post war:...
in November 1950, the wing was put in charge of a few fighter units on the Atlantic Coast. In 1976, the wing even became responsible for the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, located in Texas.
Military downsizing through the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
(BRAC) process removed the wing's F-15C Eagles beginning in 2007, leaving the 102d with an intelligence gathering mission. It is one of three Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
wings that works with the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.
Mission
According to their home page, the 102d's mission is "to provide world wide precision intelligence and command and control, along with trained and experienced airmen for expeditionary combat support and homeland security." In addition, the website says that their Air Force based mission is in line with the ability of joint force commanders to keep pace with information and incorporate it into a campaign plan. In addition to its strictly military role, the wing shares the overall Air National Guard mission of providing assistance during national emergencies such as natural disasters and civil disturbances.Emblem
Symbolism
The symbolism of the history of the Air Force can be seen throughout the emblem of the 102d. The ultramarine blue and yellow color are the main colors of the Air Force. The blue alludes to the sky, the area where the Air Force primarily operates. The yellow is symbolic of the sun and refers to the excellence required of all personnel. The planes are symbolic of the wing's heritage of projecting aerospace power for the national objective. The land mass shown is that of the Northeastern United StatesNortheastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, where the wing performs its primary mission.
Origins
After the ending of the first World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Army showed an interest in creating an aviation element in the National Guard system. During the time when this was pondered, aircraft were attached to aviation units, much akin to other weapons like artillery. Guard units that lacked aircraft would need assets from other forces to co-operate with them. The War Department agreed the Guard should organize aviation squadrons as an organic part of the 18 infantry divisions assigned to the National Guard.
The War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
agreed the Guard should organize aviation squadrons as an organic part of the 18 infantry divisions assigned to the National Guard.
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
pilots, the Archie Club, lobbied for the formation of an aviation unit in the Massachusetts National Guard
Massachusetts National Guard
The Massachusetts National Guard was founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, and contains the oldest units in the United States Army. It is currently headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts and commanded by Major General Joseph C...
. At some point, the state had been allocated the entire 26th Infantry Division
26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
. On June 27, 1921, the 101st Observation Squadron was authorized at the command of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts
Adjutant General of Massachusetts
The Adjutant General of Massachusetts is the highest ranking military official in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is subordinate to the Governor of Massachusetts...
. Within weeks, fifteen World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran pilots were commissioned into the squadron and placed under the command of Captain James K. Knowles. The 101st built its own air base on land-filled tidal flats at Jeffries Point
Jeffries Point
Jeffries Point is a point on the south-central side of Cook Island in the South Sandwich Islands. Charted in 1930 by DI personnel on the assistant to the staff of the Discovery Committee. Jeffries Point is also the name of a neighborhood along the waterfront in East Boston in the Commonwealth of...
, East Boston. The 101st flew its Curtiss JN-4
Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" was one of a series of "JN" biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for the U.S...
"Jenny" aircraft throughout New England at air shows, county fairs and other events. Pilots flew their Curtiss O-11s to temporary fields on Cape Cod while ground crews followed in trucks. One of these fields was Cape Cod Airport
Cape Cod Airport
Cape Cod Airport, in Marstons Mills, Massachusetts is a public airport owned by the Town of Barnstable. It has three runways, averages 75 flights per week, and has approximately 20 aircraft based on its field. Biplane Rides, flight school, and skydive operations on the field. In the 1930s, the...
, where Douglas O-38
Douglas O-38
-References:*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, , 1152 pp.-External links:...
s were flown.
In 1933 Jeffery Field was rebuilt with new hangars and administrative buildings, and renamed Logan Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
in honor of Major General Edward L. Logan, who commanded the 26th Infantry Division from 1923 to 1928. The 101st was also ordered into state service because of a flood in 1936 and a hurricane in 1938. During the latter, they flew observation missions to drop equipment and food to stranded residents of Isle au Haut, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. The 101st gained attention when it played a part in the United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
's flight around the world
First aerial circumnavigation
The first aerial circumnavigation of the world was conducted in 1924 by a team of aviators of the United States Army Air Service, the precursor of the United States Air Force...
. The flight was the crowning achievement in United States aviation because it succeeded where five other nations had failed. The 101st serviced the aircraft at Boston which was on the flight leg from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Washington D.C.. It also serviced the Spirit of St. Louis
Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt...
when Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
visited the state.
101st Squadron
26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
and in November was ordered into active federal service for intensive training. The 101st’s 25 officers and 133 enlisted men initially remained at Logan until July 31, 1941 when they moved to Otis Field at Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It forms the largest part of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
. Otis Field was named after 1st Lt Frank J. Otis
Frank Otis
Frank "Jesse" Otis was a Boston surgeon and flight surgeon for the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 101st Observation Squadron who was memorialized after his death when Otis Field was named after him.-Biography:...
, Jr., MD, a 101st flight surgeon killed in a flying accident in 1938. The 101st participated in the North Carolina maneuvers in the fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 1941 and returned to Otis on December 6, 1941.
Following the outbreak of World War II, the 101st flew anti-submarine patrols off the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast until September 10, 1942. By then, many of its original members had been reassigned during the expansion of the Army Air Forces. During the next two years, the 101st was transferred to several bases and on May 20, 1944, had its mission re-designated as the 39th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. It joined the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
and deployed to the European Theater
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
in December 1944 with 45 officers and 297 enlisted men. The 39th flew P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s during operational missions from January 1945 to the end of the war in May. The 39th returned to the United States in August 1945, was re-designated 101st Fighter Squadron in May 1946, and then disbanded two months later.
Veterans of the 101st and Army Air Force reorganized the 101st at Logan Airport on July 29, 1946. The squadron was equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
and was federally recognized on October 15, 1946. This meant that they had met all the requirements to be a unit and has been recognized by the military establishment as a part of the force.
318th Fighter Group
The 102d Intelligence Wing traces its roots to the 318th Fighter Group
318th Fighter Group
The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.-History:...
which was formed in 1942. It fought in the Pacific as part of bomber escort missions to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and participated in aircraft carrier operations, rarely experienced by the Army Air Force. The 318th returned to the United States after the war, was deactivated on January 12, 1946 and then reactivated as the 102d Fighter Group on May 22, 1946.
Cold War
In the post-war era the National Guard Bureau began a major expansion of its air units. Massachusetts was allotted the 67th Fighter Wing67th Fighter Wing
The 67th Fighter Wing was a unit of the United States Air Force for four years, between 1946 and 1950. It was located at Logan Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is unrelated to the modern 67th Network Warfare Wing.-Post war:...
, which consisted of the 101st Fighter Squadron, the 131st Fighter Squadron
131st Fighter Squadron
The 131st Fighter Squadron flies the F-15C Eagle. It is a unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 104th Fighter Wing.-History:Patrols over the Pacific, September 1942-July 1943. Replacement training, July 1943-June 1944...
, the 132nd Fighter Squadron, the 202nd Air Service Group, 601st Signal Construction Company, 101st Communications Squadron, 101st Air Control Squadron, 151st Air Control and Warning Group, 567th Air Force Band, 101st Weather Flight and the 1801st Aviation Engineer Company. The 67th Wing was assigned to Air Defense Command.
Guard units were generally neglected when the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
was created. Despite the introduction of jet fighters, the Guard units were left with generally overused World War II propeller aircraft, and had few funds for training. As the Cold War intensified, the Air Force looked to the Guard to fill United States-based interception missions and started overhauling their organization. Although the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
wasn't federalized for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, many airmen volunteered for active duty and flew in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. On November 1, 1950 the 67th Fighter Wing was deactivated and replaced by the 102d Fighter Wing, including just the 101st and 131st squadrons and their associated support units, and at some point before 1961 the wing was renamed a Tactical Fighter Wing. Additionally, the wing kept the 567th, and the 1801st. The squadrons were issued F-84B Thunderjets, but these were recalled and replaced by F-51 Mustangs which were flown until 1954 when the F-94 Starfire
F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
replaced the Mustangs. In 1952 the 253rd Combat Communications Group was activated and added to the 102d. In 1958 the Wing converted to the F-86H Sabre.
From 1956 to 1976, the 102d was commanded by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Charles W. Sweeney, pilot of the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
Bockscar
Bockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....
that dropped the Fat Man
Fat Man
"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...
nuclear bomb
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
on Nagasaki, Japan. During his tenure, the wing developed from a rather new unit to the mainstay of air defense in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
.
Berlin Wall Crisis
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
crisis was unfolding, several United States Air Force Reserve units were notified of their pending recall to active duty. On October 1 the wing and its three squadrons, the 101st, 131st and 138th were placed on active duty at Otis Air Force Base.
In late October, the 102d departed Logan for Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base
Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base
Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Moselle département, about 2 miles west of the town of Phalsbourg, on the north side of the Route nationale 4 Highway adjacent to the village Saint-Jean-Kourtzerode; 29 miles northwest of...
, Phalsbourg
Phalsbourg
Phalsbourg is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France, with a population of about 5000.In 1911, it was a town of Germany, in the imperial province of Alsace-Lorraine, lying high on the west slopes of the Vosges, 25 miles north-west of Strasbourg by rail...
, France. The wing had 82 Sabres, plus two C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
s and six T-33 Shooting Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
s for support and training purposes. During the crisis, the wing controlled the 102d Tactical Fighter Group, the 104th Tactical Fighter Group, and the 174th Tactical Fighter Group from New York. The 102d's primary mission was to provide close air support to NATO ground forces, including the Seventh Army, and air interdiction. During the blockade, the 102d did not incur any losses. Starting on December 5, 1961 the 102d began deploying to Wheelus Air Base
Wheelus Air Base
-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
for gunnery training.
During its time in Europe, the 102d participated in several United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises, including a deployment to Leck Air Base
Leck Air Base
Leck Air Base is located in Leck, Germany. It was closed as a military airport but it remains open to public use. It was an important base during the Cold War because it served as an overflow to nearby bases. At Leck, ground and support crews from the United States and West Germany exchanged...
, West Germany near the Danish border. At Leck, ground and support crews from both countries exchanged duties, learning how to perform aircraft maintenance and operational support tasks.
The 102d returned to the United States in August 1962. Regular Air Force personnel and a group of Air National Guard personnel who volunteered to remain on active duty formed the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the newly activated 366th Tactical Fighter Wing.
Relocation to Otis
In 1968, the 102d Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Otis Air Force Base, and was reassigned from the Air Defense Command to the Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
the next year. The wing flew the F-84F Thunderstreak
F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built 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....
from 1964 until June 1971, when a squadron of F-100D Super Sabres was transferred directly from units fighting the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. These were superseded soon after by the Mach 2 F-106 Delta Darts and on June 10, 1972, the unit became the 102d Air Defense Wing. On December 30, 1973, Otis Air Force Base was inactivated and transferred to the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
as Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
.
The wing intercepted Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers on many occasions, the first of which occurred off Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
on April 25, 1975. Many of these incidents involved escorting the Bears to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The wing occasionally shadowed drug smuggling aircraft, and on one occasion was scrambled to escort an unidentified object, which later turned out to be a weather balloon.
In 1976, the 102d Fighter Interceptor Group was deactivated and re-formed as the 102d Fighter Interceptor Wing. It assumed authority for the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base
Atlantic City Air National Guard Base
Atlantic City Air National Guard Base has hosted the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing since 1958.-Overview:The 177th Fighter Wing is located at the Atlantic City International Airport, Egg Harbor Township, NJ...
and the 125th Fighter Interceptor Group at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base. Both units flew the F-106. It also assumed command of the 107th Fighter Interceptor Group at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is a United States Air Force base, located at Niagara Falls International Airport, New York. It is located east-northeast of Niagara Falls, New York.-Overview:...
and the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group at Ellington Field
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The latter two flew the F-4C Phantom.
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
. It then resumed its alert commitment at Otis, and also established a new Detachment 1 at Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base that was under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command for most of its existence. In 1992, it was transferred to the newly-established Air Combat Command, and it was finally closed as an active Air Force installation in...
, taking over for the deactivating 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The 102d was the first Air National Guard unit to be equipped with the F-15.
On January 24, 1989, airmen monitoring the radar at the Northeast Air Defense Sector at Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base, located in Rome, New York, about NW of Utica. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, and bombers...
spotted a plane which was not following any known flight plan. The order was then given to "scramble the Eagles," after repeated attempts to contact the pilot failed. Two jets then took off from Loring to search for the "unknown rider." The pilots later came across a plane that was blacked out, with no lights on on the inside or outside. The pilot, a narcotics smuggler from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
's Medellin drug cartel, was Diego Jose Ganuza. He was carrying had a street value of two hundred million dollars in the amount of 500 kilograms of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
.
Local defense
The wing continued its air defense mission after the fall of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1992, the wing deployed eight pilots, five F-15 Eagles, and 48 maintenance and security personnel, for five days training at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. The same year, with the reorganization of the Air Force, the wing was reassigned from the disbanding Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
to the newly formed Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. In July 1993, the wing deployed 50 personnel from the 102d Civil Engineering Squadron under field conditions, to the island of Eleuthera
Eleuthera
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...
in the Bahamas. They helped rebuild schools and municipal facilities damaged by Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
.
On February 11, 1993, jets were scrambled to intercept the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 592
Lufthansa Flight 592
Lufthansa Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that was hijacked on February 11, 1993. The Lufthansa-operated Airbus A310-300 was hijacked by Nebiu Demeke, an Ethopian man who forced the pilot to fly to New York City's John F....
, which eventually landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
without incident. The planes were joined by F-16s from the 177th Fighter Wing
177th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 177th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Atlantic City IAP, New Jersey.-Mission:Federal Mission: provide combat-ready citizen airmen, aircraft and equipment for worldwide deployment in support of United States Air Force objectives.State...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. The F-15s initially intercepted the aircraft off the coast of eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The planes then began to trail the jet at a distance of 10 miles (16.1 km). As they approached the airport, the distance decreased to 5 miles (8 km). The fighters then did a low fly-by as the plane landed. They continued to circle around the airport until they returned to Otis.
In 1994, the 102d received more F-15A/B Eagles from the 32nd Fighter Group at Soesterberg Air Base
Soesterberg Air Base
Soesterberg Air Base was a Royal Netherlands Air Force military airbase located in Soesterberg, eastnortheast of Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in 1911, and in 1913, the Dutch Army bought the field and established the Army Aviation Division.For almost 40 years, United States...
, which was deactivating as part of the post Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
draw down of forces in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Deployments
Between 1991 and 1995 the wing deployed to PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
as part of Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk
Operation Coronet Nighthawk was a U.S. anti-narcotic smuggling air patrol operation. Formerly carried out from Howard Air Force Base in Panama, the operation was moved to Hato, at Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles from April 1999...
, a drug interdiction operation. In 1992 the wing became simply the 102d Fighter Wing as part of a Air Force-wide renaming of units. From 1995 to 1998 the wing deployed to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for 45 days of air defense duty. During 1998 members both trained for and carried out assignments in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Canada, Korea, and Europe. In 1999 the wing participated in Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq...
when it deployed with its F-15s to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to patrol and enforce the no-fly zone north of the 36th Parallel in northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In 2000, more than 350 personnel were deployed to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to participate in Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
.
9/11 terrorist attacks
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
's Cape Cod Facility Calls Operations Center that it might be receiving a call from the North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
's Northeast Air Defense Sector. The manager of the Cape Cod facility then called the 102d at Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
as the they figured "...a call [to Otis Air Base] will be coming from NEADS soon and a scramble order is likely." He called the base because he figured that the pilots would appreciate the heads up. When he called the Otis operations center, the superintendent of aviation management, Mark Rose, answered. He was initially confused by the call as no identification was given. Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Duffy was then handed the phone and alerted of the situation. On his radio, he called pilot Major Daniel Nash, the pilot who was sharing alert duty, and told him to get ready for a coming alert call. He also told him to suit up and get ready for a scamble call.
Soon after, the commander of the 101st Fighter Squadron phoned the Northeast Air Defense Sector and asked for permission to launch the fighter jets. The sector in turn responded by ordering the commander of the weapons team which controlled the jets, Major Kevin Naspany, to place the fighters on "battle stations." This resulted in a warning siren sounding at Otis and the pilots scrambled to their jets. Four to five minutes later, the scramble order was received and the jets took off. Officially, this occurred at 8:46 am, with a six minute difference between the official and unofficial accounts. Duffy radioed his command post for guidance and was told among other things that American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight from Logan International Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, California...
was a Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, when in reality it was a 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
. Once in the air, their radar kicked in, allowing them to effectively intercept the plane.
Difficulties in accurately locating Flight 11 caused a delay of five minutes, to 8:43 am, before the scramble order was given and pilots Duffy and Nash could respond. When Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46, the two jets were still readying for flight and did not take off until 8:52 am.
Major Naspany was then asked what to do with the fighters and he responded by saying, "Send 'em to New York City still. Continue! Go! This is what I got. Possible news that a 737 just hit the World Trade Center. This is a real-world...Continue taking the fighters down to the New York City area, JFK [International Airport] area, if you can. Make sure that the FAA clears it—your route all the way through...Let's press with this." Unsure of their target, they were directed to a holding pattern in military-controlled airspace Whiskey 105 off of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
to avoid New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
area air traffic. At 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175 was United Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
hit the South Tower as the fighters were progressing to their holding position. The Northeast Air Defense Sector was not advised of this hijacked aircraft until 9:03.
Between 9:09 and 9:13, the jets stayed in a holding pattern. Soon after, they headed toward Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and arrived at 9:25, where they established a Combat Air Patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
over the city.
While all of this was going on, senior battle staff at Otis
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
were watching the news when United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175 was United Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
crashed into the South Tower. This immediately caused one commander to shout out, "We need to go to battle staff!" This order caused senior commanders to disperse and head towards nearby operations buildings. Inside, the gathered together in the battle cab of the installation operations center. Soon after, a voice came over the base's loudspeakers: "The commander has ordered the 102d core battle staff to assemble. Please report to the operations building immediately." Mobilization of the wing began to occur after this time. At the time of the order, eighteen planes were ready for flight and commanders began to prepare based on what they anticipated they would be asked to do. Most of these actions were guessing because there had never been an attack on the country before. Knowing that they couldn't await on guidance from the North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
, the recalled all training flights and began loading fuel and weapons onto all available fighter jets.
Meanwhile at the battle cab, a maintenance squadron officer was told, "Listen, I want you to generate as many airframes [i.e. fighter jets] as you can!" This immediately caused all personnel to be called back and they were ordered to work on the remaining jets. This rush involved the placement of missiles on all jets, including some newer missiles which were rarely pulled out. Six jets which were on a training mission were traversing through the Whiskey Airspace when they were told by the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center
Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center
Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center is located in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. The Boston ARTCC is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States....
to head back to Otis immediately. Once landed, the pilots were told to park their jets but leave the engines on. Finally, the first planes took off at 10:20 in the morning.
After awhile, an order was received to launch all available fighters. Pilots were briefed on the national emergency and the potential that they might have to take out an aircraft. At this point, someone then ran into the room and said that there had been an order that was received from the Northeast Air Defense Sector that all available jets must launch. The pilots then ran out to their aircraft with speaker Treacy saying "Go, go, go!" In the haste that the morning had become, not all the jets had been refueled and a majority of the jets were still unarmed. The handful of jets that were armed were sent up with one or two missiles. The standard missile load involves at least two missiles at launch. This is after the handlers had worked at a "furious pace" and "hurried to fix all available jets with live weapons." Arming of the jets even began fifteen minutes after the South Tower had been hit. Interestingly, this fact would later lend credence to the theory that there was an idea floating around to ram the hijacked planes with a jet. Starting around 10:30 and ending at six that night, all twenty one planes were put into the air.
Conspiracy link
After the initial shock of the attacks had passed, questions arose about how the military handled the hijacking and subsequent response with the jets. Some thought that the jets had been purposely kept from flying immediately to New York City. The questions arising from the response time of the jets come from the practice of Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era policies which prohibited the immediate response to an emergency like a hijacking. First responder and pilot Daniel Nash said that he could not recall being told that the North Tower was hit but he did remember seeing the smoke over 70 miles (112.7 km) away. It is also claimed by conspiracists that the calculations of North American Aerospace Defense Command were incorrect because according to their own calculations, the planes were flying at 24% of their maximum speed. This statement takes into account the time in which the planes were in a holding pattern over military airspace. The jets were also prohibited from going supersonic over land by Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
rules. These rules are meant to prevent damage to buildings from the shock wave a sonic boom produces.
Operation Noble Eagle
More than 600 wing members were mobilized for Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
at different times. The wing began flying around-the-clock combat air patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
missions immediately thereafter, and continued doing so until February 2002. On December 22, 2001 the wing escorted America Airlines Flight 63 as a direct result of Richard Reid
Richard Reid (shoe bomber)
Richard Colvin Reid , also known as the Shoe Bomber, is a self-admitted member of al-Qaeda who pled guilty in 2002 in U.S. federal court to eight criminal counts of terrorism stemming from his attempt to destroy a commercial aircraft in-flight by detonating explosives hidden in his shoes...
trying to blow up a plane.
In the buildup to the invasion of Afghanistan, six F-15s and 161 personnel were sent to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region. The wing also patrolled the skies of the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
during this time period. The wing though never deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The wing converted from the F-15A/B to the F-15C/D in 2004. These planes came from Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
.
BRAC 2005
The Base Realignment and Closure 2005 commission originally planned to close Otis Air National Guard BaseOtis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
and dissolve the 102d. Locals argued that this would leave a huge gap in the national air defenses. Commission officials, after visiting the base, decided to keep it open, but the 102d would still lose its planes, only this time they were only going to the 104th Fighter Wing
104th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 104th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Barnes Airport, Massachusetts.-Mission:To maintain highly trained, well equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat ready F-15C Eagles aircraft and support elements in response...
, based at Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport , also known as Westfield-Barnes Airport, is a tower-controlled joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Westfield, a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by City of Westfield...
.
In May 2006 it trained with the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
's 115 Squadron
115 Squadron (Israel)
115 Squadron, also known as the Flying Dragon or Red Squadron, is the Israeli Air Force's aggressor squadron. Based at Ovda, it is the sole IAF squadron to operate fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and also ground-based assets.-Formation:...
.
The wing hosted the Cape Cod Air Show & Open House
Cape Cod Air Show & Open House
The Cape Cod Airshow & Open House was an airshow held in August of every odd numbered year at Otis Air National Guard Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts. It most recently was run in 2007 after a six year hiatus. The show in 2003 was canceled because of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the show in 2005 was...
, its last air show with the F-15C Eagle at the end of Air Force Week in August, 2007. The wing shared a commonality with the 101st Air Refueling Wing
101st Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 101st Air Refueling Wing is an Air National Guard aerial refueling unit located at Bangor International Airport, Maine.-Mission:Federal...
, the 103d Fighter Wing, and the 104th Fighter Wing
104th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 104th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Barnes Airport, Massachusetts.-Mission:To maintain highly trained, well equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat ready F-15C Eagles aircraft and support elements in response...
, which due to commission decisions, also changed the type of planes that they flew. Beginning in 2007, the F-15s began moving to Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport , also known as Westfield-Barnes Airport, is a tower-controlled joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Westfield, a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by City of Westfield...
. With the grounding of the F-15 Eagles, the 158th Fighter Wing
158th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 158th Fighter Wing is a fighter unit located at Burlington International Airport, in Burlington, Vermont.-Mission:...
, which is based in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
took over the role of patrolling the Northeast's skies earlier than expected. This interruption of the F-15's flight, coinciding with the transitioning of the fighter jets to the 104th Fighter Wing
104th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 104th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Barnes Airport, Massachusetts.-Mission:To maintain highly trained, well equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat ready F-15C Eagles aircraft and support elements in response...
, created some issues.
New mission
When it was announced that the wing would be restructured and Otis Air National Guard BaseOtis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
would remain open, discussions began about the future of the 102d. Staff of the 102d and those at Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
headquarters considered a plan centered around the idea that the wing could transition to an intelligence mission to support the growing War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. The idea hit a roadblock when it was announced that the funds which the wing could use to convert into its new mission had been depleted.
Eventually, Governor Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
announced that the wing would adopt an intelligence role as soon as the aircraft left.
Original Base Realignment and Closure commission plans only hinted at a Distributed Common Ground System
Distributed Common Ground System
The Distributed Common Ground System, officially known as the AN/GSQ-272 Sentinel is a weapons system which produces intelligence for both the United States Army and United States Air Force...
being created at Otis. These plans did not include the air guardsmen affected by the loss of their jobs. The issue was resolved when the Air Force announced its plans, right before the F-15s started to leave for Barnes.
The 102d Fighter Wing was formally re-designated the 102d Intelligence Wing on April 6, 2008 and was planned to reach full operational capacity in 2010.
Members of the wing had the option of moving with the F-15s to Barnes, but most decided to stay behind and train for new missions. The crash trucks went to Barnes, leaving the brush breakers of the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Massachusetts Military Reservation
The Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to...
behind. The buildings formerly occupied by the fighter wing, including the hangars, will be occupied by the intelligence mission.
On November 6, 2009, ground was broken on new facilities for the 102d Intelligence Wing. The building will eventually replace the temporary facilities that the wing is now operating in.
Current
102d Intelligence Wing  |
Colonel Anthony Schiavi | ||
| 102d Intelligence Group | 102d Air Operations Group | 102d Mission Support Group | 102d Medical Group |
| 101st Intelligence Squadron 101st Intelligence Squadron The United States Air Force's 101st Intelligence Squadron , Massachusetts Air National Guard, is an intelligence unit assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing and located at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. From its creation in 1921 to its mission change in 2008, the 101st was the... |
101st Air Operations Squadron | 102d Force Support Squadron | |
| 102d Intelligence Support Squadron | 102d Air Intelligence Squadron | 102d Security Forces Squadron | |
| 102d Operations Support Squadron | 102d Air Communication Squadron | 102d Civil Engineer Squadron | |
| |202nd Weather Flight 202nd Weather Flight The 202nd Weather Flight is an Air National Guard weather flight that provides meteorological and atmospheric forecasting and observing to both United States Army and United States Air Force agencies.... |
102d Communications Flight | ||
| |102d Contracting Office | |||
| |102d Environmental Management Office | |||
| |102d Logistics Readiness Squadron |
Former
| 102d Fighter Wing |
Colonel Anthony Schiavi | ||
| 102d Operations Group | 102d Maintenance Group | 102d Mission Support Group | 102d Medical Group |
| 101st Fighter Squadron | 102d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron | 102d Civil Engineering Squadron | 102d Medical Squadron |
| 102d Operations Support Flight | 102d Maintenance Squadron | 102d Communications Squadron | |
| 202nd Weather Flight 202nd Weather Flight The 202nd Weather Flight is an Air National Guard weather flight that provides meteorological and atmospheric forecasting and observing to both United States Army and United States Air Force agencies.... |
102d Maintenance Operations Flight | 102d Security Forces Squadron | |
| |102d Mission Support Flight | |||
| |102d Student Pilot Flight | |||
| |102d Services Flight |