Oklahoma Air National Guard
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. It is, along with the Oklahoma Army National Guard
, an element of the Oklahoma National Guard
. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force
, as well as of the state. It is under the administrative command of the Oklahoma Department of the Military
.
was organized in December 1940 as the Oklahoma National Guard's first flying unit in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was federally recognized in January 1941. For the next three and a half years the squadron was attached to the 77th Observation Group
and the 76th Reconnaissance Group
at various locales in the United States before arriving at Liverpool
, United Kingdom
on D-Day
, 6 June 1944. After moving across the English Channel
to France
in August 1944, the 125th Liaison Squadron was attached to the U.S. Ninth Army
until V-E Day, participating in the campaigns of northern France, Ardennes
, Rhineland
and Central Europe
, and was awarded the Belgian Fourragère
for gallantry during the Battle of the Bulge
in July 1945. Over the course of those five years, the 125th flew the Douglas 0-38E
, the Curtiss O-52 Owl, and the Stinson L-5 Sentinel.
The 137th Wing traces its origins to the World War II 404th Fighter Group
, which was allocated to the Oklahoma Air National Guard and redesignated as the 137th Fighter Group on 24 May 1946. The unit was founded on 21 November 1946 at Norman, Oklahoma as the 137th Fighter Group, and received its federal recognition on 18 December 1947.
The 125th Fighter Squadron returned to Tulsa in November 1945 and flew the F-51D Mustang until February 1947 when it was designated the 125th Fighter Bomber Squadron (Jet) and equipped with the F-84 Thunderjet. After receiving the Spaatz Trophy Award in 1950, the 125th was again ordered to active duty under the Ninth Air Force
and sent to England AFB in Alexandria, Louisiana
until July 1952. After returning to Tulsa under state control the squadron again flew the F-51 Mustang and the F-80 Shooting Star until becoming part of the 138th Fighter Group (AD) for duty with the Aerospace Defense Command
flying the F-86D Sabre in August 1957.
January 1960 brought significant change to the 125th as the unit was designated the 125th Air Transport Squadron and assigned to the 137th Air Transport Wing in Oklahoma City. For the next eight years the unit flew the C-97 Stratofreighter, transporting cargo to Vietnam
and throughout the world before converting to the C-124 Globemaster II in 1968.
The 137th Tactical Airlift Wing received the C-130 Hercules transport in 1972. In October 1972, the 125th was redesignated Tactical Fighter Squadron and converted to the T-33 Shooting Star in preparation for equipping with the F-100D Super Sabre in March 1973. The 125th converted to the A-7D Corsair II in July 1978.
After conversion to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the 138th Fighter Wing has participated in Operation Provide Comfort
, Operation Northern Watch
, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's deployment to Iraq
in 2008 marked their 10th deployment to the Middle East
. Additionally, the laser targeting pod system for precision guided munitions employment has been incorporated into the unit mission.
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure
committee brought an expansion to the 138th Fighter Wing's mission. The wing acquired three F-16 Block 42 aircraft from the 57th Wing
located at Nellis Air Force Base
as well as six F-16 Block 42 aircraft from 132d Fighter Wing
, Iowa Air National Guard
. The 138th FW is also the host unit for the Defense Air Sovereignty Alert mission located at Ellington Field
in Houston, Texas. BRAC also recommened the realignment of the 137th Airlift Wing, which lost its C-130 transport aircraft in 2008. Since then, as the 137th Air Refueling Wing, it shares the aircraft the aircraft with the 507th Air Refueling Wing
, Air Force Reserve Command
, at Tinker AFB.
On 14 March 2008 a 138th Fighter Wing-assigned fighter aircraft en route to the Smokey Hill Gunnery Range in Salina, Kansas accidentally dropped a 22-pound, non-explosive practice bomb on an apartment complex in Tulsa, damaging a building foundation and knocking out the power to the building. No one was injured and the 138th Fighter Wing announced that they were investigating the incident themselves.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It is, along with the Oklahoma Army National Guard
Oklahoma Army National Guard
The Oklahoma Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Oklahoma National Guard. The Commander in Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard is the Governor of Oklahoma, who appoints the State Adjutant General , a Major General from either Army or Air. Currently, the TAG is Major...
, an element of the Oklahoma National Guard
Oklahoma National Guard
The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Department of the Military, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Governor of Oklahoma is Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National...
. It is considered a part of 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...
, as well as of the state. It is under the administrative command of the Oklahoma Department of the Military
Oklahoma Department of the Military
The Oklahoma Military Department is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that serves as the administrative agency for all matters concerning the Oklahoma National Guard and other state military organizations...
.
History
The 125th Observation Squadron125th Fighter Squadron
The 125th Fighter Squadron flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 138th Fighter Wing.-Major Command:*Air National Guard/Air Combat Command...
was organized in December 1940 as the Oklahoma National Guard's first flying unit in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was federally recognized in January 1941. For the next three and a half years the squadron was attached to the 77th Observation Group
77th Aeronautical Systems Wing
The 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio....
and the 76th Reconnaissance Group
76th Reconnaissance Group
The 76th Reconnaissance Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces organization. It served primarily in the American Theatre.The unit was constituted on 5 February 1942 and activated on 27 February. The group was a Third Air Force training unit for Reconnaissance and Observation...
at various locales in the United States before arriving at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 6 June 1944. After moving across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
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...
in August 1944, the 125th Liaison Squadron was attached to the U.S. Ninth Army
U.S. Ninth Army
The Ninth United States Army was one of the main U.S. Army combat commands used during the campaign in Northwest Europe in 1944 and 1945. It was commanded from its inception by Lieutenant General William Simpson...
until V-E Day, participating in the campaigns of northern France, Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
, Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, and was awarded the Belgian Fourragère
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
for gallantry during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in July 1945. Over the course of those five years, the 125th flew the Douglas 0-38E
Douglas O-38
-References:*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, , 1152 pp.-External links:...
, the Curtiss O-52 Owl, and the Stinson L-5 Sentinel.
The 137th Wing traces its origins to the World War II 404th Fighter Group
404th Fighter Group
The 404th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with III Fighter Command, stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 November 1945....
, which was allocated to the Oklahoma Air National Guard and redesignated as the 137th Fighter Group on 24 May 1946. The unit was founded on 21 November 1946 at Norman, Oklahoma as the 137th Fighter Group, and received its federal recognition on 18 December 1947.
The 125th Fighter Squadron returned to Tulsa in November 1945 and flew the F-51D Mustang until February 1947 when it was designated the 125th Fighter Bomber Squadron (Jet) and equipped with the F-84 Thunderjet. After receiving the Spaatz Trophy Award in 1950, the 125th was again ordered to active duty under 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 sent to England AFB in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
until July 1952. After returning to Tulsa under state control the squadron again flew the F-51 Mustang and the F-80 Shooting Star until becoming part of the 138th Fighter Group (AD) for duty with the Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
flying the F-86D Sabre in August 1957.
January 1960 brought significant change to the 125th as the unit was designated the 125th Air Transport Squadron and assigned to the 137th Air Transport Wing in Oklahoma City. For the next eight years the unit flew the C-97 Stratofreighter, transporting cargo to Vietnam
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...
and throughout the world before converting to the C-124 Globemaster II in 1968.
The 137th Tactical Airlift Wing received the C-130 Hercules transport in 1972. In October 1972, the 125th was redesignated Tactical Fighter Squadron and converted to the T-33 Shooting Star in preparation for equipping with the F-100D Super Sabre in March 1973. The 125th converted to the A-7D Corsair II in July 1978.
After conversion to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the 138th Fighter Wing has participated in Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...
, 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...
, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's deployment to 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 2008 marked their 10th deployment 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...
. Additionally, the laser targeting pod system for precision guided munitions employment has been incorporated into the unit mission.
In 2005, 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...
committee brought an expansion to the 138th Fighter Wing's mission. The wing acquired three F-16 Block 42 aircraft from the 57th Wing
57th Wing
The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
located at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
as well as six F-16 Block 42 aircraft from 132d Fighter Wing
132d Fighter Wing
The 132d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit located at Des Moines International Airport, Iowa.-Major Command:*Air National Guard/Air Combat Command *Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command -Previous designations:...
, Iowa Air National Guard
Iowa Air National Guard
The Iowa Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is, along with the Iowa Army National Guard, an element of the Iowa National Guard.-Units:The Iowa Air National Guard consists of the following units:...
. The 138th FW is also the host unit for the Defense Air Sovereignty Alert mission located 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...
in Houston, Texas. BRAC also recommened the realignment of the 137th Airlift Wing, which lost its C-130 transport aircraft in 2008. Since then, as the 137th Air Refueling Wing, it shares the aircraft the aircraft with the 507th Air Refueling Wing
507th Air Refueling Wing
The 507th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It is one of two Air Force Reserve flying units in the state of Oklahoma....
, Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
, at Tinker AFB.
On 14 March 2008 a 138th Fighter Wing-assigned fighter aircraft en route to the Smokey Hill Gunnery Range in Salina, Kansas accidentally dropped a 22-pound, non-explosive practice bomb on an apartment complex in Tulsa, damaging a building foundation and knocking out the power to the building. No one was injured and the 138th Fighter Wing announced that they were investigating the incident themselves.
Units
- 137th Air Refueling Wing137th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 137th Air Refueling Wing is an Oklahoma Air National Guard wing located at Will Rogers Air National Guard base, Oklahoma. The wing flies KC-135 Stratotankers....
at Tinker Air Force BaseTinker Air Force BaseTinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma.-Overview:...
, Oklahoma CityOklahoma cityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. This unit flies the KC-135R Stratotanker and shares the aircraft with the 507th Air Refueling Wing507th Air Refueling WingThe 507th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It is one of two Air Force Reserve flying units in the state of Oklahoma....
, Air Force Reserve CommandAir Force Reserve CommandThe Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
.- 205th Engineering Installation Squadron at Tinker AFB. This squadron is responsible for the installation and upkeep of electronic equipment, such as: ground radar, ground communications, avionic radar, avionic communications and cryptography repair.
- 146th Air Support Operations Squadron at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base
- 138th Fighter Wing138th Fighter WingThe United States Air Force's 138th Fighter Wing is a fighter unit located at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma. An Air National Guard unit operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command , the wing flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter.-Mission:The federal mission of the...
at Tulsa International AirportTulsa International AirportTulsa International Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located five miles northeast of downtown Tulsa, a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was originally named Tulsa Municipal Airport, when the city acquired it in 1929...
in Tulsa, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.- 124th Space Superiority Squadron
- 125th Fighter Squadron125th Fighter SquadronThe 125th Fighter Squadron flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 138th Fighter Wing.-Major Command:*Air National Guard/Air Combat Command...
, this unit flies the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. - 125th Mobile Oppression Squadron
- 125th Weather Flight125th Weather FlightThe United States Air Force's 125th Weather Flight is a combat weather team located at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma.-Mission:...
- 219th Electronics Engineering and Radar Installation Squadron219th Electronics Engineering and Radar Installation SquadronThe United States Air Force's 219th Engineering Installation Squadron is a communications infrastructure engineering Air National Guard squadron located at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The mission of the 219th EIS is to support the warfighter by engineering, installing and...
.
Aircraft operated
Since 1947 the Oklahoma Air National Guard has operated the following aircraft:- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
(2008–Present) - F-16C Fighting Falcon (since 1993)
- A-7D Corsair (1978–1993)
- C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(1974–2007) - F-100D Super Sabre (1973–1978)
- T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe 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...
(1972–1973) - C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
(1968–1972) - C-97 StratofreighterC-97 StratofreighterThe Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
(1960–1968) - F-86D Sabre (1957–1960)
- F-80 Shooting Star (1953–1957)
- F-51 Mustang (1951–1953)
- F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
(1947–1950) - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe 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...
(1945–1947)