202nd Weather Flight
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United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
's 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is a
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...
unit located at
Otis Air National Guard Base Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
, Massachusetts. Its primary subordinate operational unit is the 101st Intelligence Squadron. The 102nd Fighter Wing was redesignated the 102nd Intelligence Wing on 6 April 2008 and was planned to reach full operational capacity in 2010.


Mission

The
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
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. However, the 102nd Intelligence Wing has been ordered to halt its intelligence-gathering mission.Reuter
(19 Apr 2023) Alleged leaker Teixeira's unit ordered to halt intelligence mission -Air Force
A
(18 Apr 2023) Air Force unit in document leaks case loses intel mission
Secretary Austin has ordered a DoD-wide review of the military intelligence practices to be completed in 45 days.LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COP
(19 Apr 2023) Air National Guardsman age not key in Pentagon leaks: Austin
Leo Shane II
(1 Jun 2023) Top National Guard officer vows intel leaks 'will never happen again'
The recertified 102nd ISRG (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance group) resumed its intelligence mission on 1 June 2024.Audrey Decke
(31 May 2024) Air Force unit resumes intel ops after Discord leak
/ref>


Units assigned


Current


Former


History

According to the Air Force, the history of the 102nd begins with the 318th Fighter Group, which was active during World War II. After the war, the 318th was inactivated, and eventually the 102nd Fighter Wing was formed, which had a direct lineage link. In 1946, the 102nd was activated at
Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...
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 102nd 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 A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ), is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power's terri ...
north of the 36th parallel in Iraq. During the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, the 102nd 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 inactivation of the
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. History World War II Th ...
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 (BRAC) was a process by a Federal government of the United States, United States federal government commission to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and ...
(BRAC) process removed the wing's F-15C Eagles beginning in 2007, leaving the 102nd with an intelligence gathering mission. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (Air Force ISR Agency or AFISRA) was until 29 September 2014 a :Field Operating Agency, field operating agency of the United States Air Force headquartered at Lackland Air Force ...
, and is one of three Air National Guard wings under this agency. As commonwealth militia units, the units in the 102nd Intelligence Wing are not in the normal
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the
Massachusetts National Guard The Massachusetts National Guard is the United States National Guard, National Guard component for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded as the Massachusetts militia, Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the ...
unless they are federalized by order of the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
. After a large-scale leak of Department of Defense documents in early 2023 that were traced to Jack Teixeira from the wing, the USAF announced a separate investigation on April 18 and halted the wing from carrying out its intelligence tasks.


Roots of the 102nd

The 102nd 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 inactivated on 12 January 1946. The wartime 318th Fighter Group was redesignated the 102nd Fighter Group, and allotted to the Massachusetts Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Logan Airport, Boston, and was extended federal recognition on 22 October 1946 by the National Guard Bureau.


Cold War

In 1946-47 the National Guard Bureau began a major expansion of its air units. Massachusetts was allotted the
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. History World War II Th ...
, which consisted of the 101st Fighter Squadron, the 131st Fighter Squadron, the
132nd Fighter Squadron The 132nd Air Refueling Squadron (132 ARS) is a unit of the Maine Air National Guard 101st Air Refueling Wing located at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine, Bangor, Maine. It is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker. History World W ...
, 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 Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
. Guard units were generally neglected when the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
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 was not federalized for the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, many airmen volunteered for active duty and flew in
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. On 1 November 1950, the 67th Fighter Wing was inactivated and replaced by the 102nd 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 102nd. In 1958 the Wing converted to the F-86H Sabre. From 195, the 102nd was commanded by Brigadier General Charles W. Sweeney, pilot of the
B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined Propeller (aeronautics), propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to ...
''
Bockscar ''Bockscar'', sometimes called ''Bock's Car'', is the United States Army Air Forces Boeing B-29 Superfortress, B-29 bomber that dropped the Fat Man, Fat Man nuclear weapon over the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II in the secondand ...
'' that dropped the
Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) was the design of the nuclear weapon the United States used for seven of the first eight nuclear weapons ever detonated in history. It is also the most powerful design to ever be used in warfare. A Fat Man ...
nuclear bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
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. Sweeney retired as a major general in 1976.


Berlin Wall Crisis

On 16 August 1961, when the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...
crisis was unfolding, several United States Air Force Reserve units were notified of their pending recall to active duty. On 1 October 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 102nd departed Logan for Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, Phalsbourg, France. The wing had 82 Sabres, plus two C-47 Skytrains and six T-33 Shooting Stars for support and training purposes. During the crisis, the wing controlled the 102nd Tactical Fighter Group, the 104th Tactical Fighter Group, and the 174th Tactical Fighter Group from New York. The 102nd's primary mission was to provide close air support to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
ground forces, including the Seventh Army, and air interdiction. During the blockade, the 102nd did not incur any losses. Starting on 5 December 1961 the 102nd began deploying to Wheelus Air Base, Libya for gunnery training. During its time in Europe, the 102nd participated in several
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
and
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...
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 102nd 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 102nd Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Otis Air Force Base, and was reassigned from the
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
to the
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
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 The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. These were superseded soon after by the Mach 2 F-106 Delta Darts and on 10 June 1972, the unit became the 102nd Air Defense Wing. On 30 December 1973, Otis Air Force Base was inactivated and transferred to the Massachusetts Air National Guard as
Otis Air National Guard Base Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
. The wing intercepted
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers on many occasions, the first of which occurred off
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
on 25 April 1975. Many of these incidents involved escorting the Bears to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. 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 102nd Fighter Interceptor Group was inactivated and reformed as the 102nd 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 Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (Niagara Falls Air Force Base -1971) is an Air Force Reserve Command military installation operationally gained by Air Mobility Command. It is located adjacent to Niagara Falls International Airport, New York, ...
and the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group at
Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegi ...
, Texas. The latter two flew the F-4C Phantom. The 102nd Fighter Interceptor Wing lost its F-106s on 5 January 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 inactivating at
Minot Air Force Base Minot Air Force Base ( ; ) is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot via U.S. Route 83. In the 2020 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5 ...
. It then resumed its alert commitment at Otis, and also established a new Detachment 1 at
Loring Air Force Base Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, and was ...
, taking over for the inactivating 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The 102nd was the first Air National Guard unit to be equipped with the 102nd 's conversion to the F-15 marked the first Air National Guard air defense unit to receive the Eagle. The 102nd Fighter Interceptor Wing was redesignated the 102nd Fighter Wing in April 1992. On 24 January 1989, airmen monitoring the radar at the
Northeast Air Defense Sector The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) is a United States Air Force unit of Air Combat Command (ACC), permanently assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). A joint, bi-national military organization, EADS is composed of U ...
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 inside or outside. The pilot was a narcotics smuggler from
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
's Medellin drug cartel. He was carrying had a street value of two hundred million dollars in the amount of 500 kilograms of
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
.


Post-Cold War


Local defense

The wing continued its air defense mission after the fall of the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. 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 Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...
. The same year, with the reorganization of the Air Force, the wing was reassigned from the disbanding
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
to the newly formed
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
. In July 1993, the wing deployed 50 personnel from the 102nd Civil Engineering Squadron under field conditions, to the island of
Eleuthera Eleuthera () refers both to a single island in the archipelagic state of the The Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahamas and to its associated group of smaller islands. Eleuthera forms a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The island of Eleuthera incor ...
in the
Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...
. They helped rebuild schools and municipal facilities damaged by
Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a compact, but very powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures dama ...
. On 11 February 1993, jets were scrambled to intercept the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 592, which eventually landed at
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...
without incident. The planes were joined by F-16s from the 177th Fighter Wing in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
. 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 . As they approached the airport, the distance decreased to . 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 102nd received more F-15A/B Eagles from the 32nd Fighter Group at
Soesterberg Air Base Soesterberg Air Base was a Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) military base, military military airbase, air base located in Soesterberg, boxing the compass, east-northeast of Utrecht (city), Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in ...
, which was inactivating as part of the post
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
draw down of forces in Europe.


Deployments

Between 1991 and 1995, the 102nd deployed to
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
as part of Operation Coronet Nighthawk, which was a drug interdiction operation. In 1992 the wing became simply the 102nd Fighter Wing as part of an Air Force-wide renaming of units. The wing was deployed from 1995 to 1998 to
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
for periodic 45-day deployments. In 1998, the wing's members also trained and deployed to Iceland, Canada, Korea, and Europe. The next year, the 102nd participated in Operation Northern Watch and was deployed to
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
in order to enforce the no-fly zone over Iraq north of the 36th Parallel. In 2000, personnel were deployed to the Middle East and Europe in order to participate in Operation Southern Watch.


9/11 terrorist attacks

Around 8:30 on the morning of 11 September 2001, the Otis Air Base Operations Center received a call from the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
'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 (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a Combined operations, combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air ...
's
Northeast Air Defense Sector The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) is a United States Air Force unit of Air Combat Command (ACC), permanently assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). A joint, bi-national military organization, EADS is composed of U ...
. The manager of the Cape Cod facility then called the 102nd at
Otis Air National Guard Base Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
as they figured "...a call o Otis Air Basewill 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 scramble call. Soon after, the commander of the 101st Fighter Squadron phoned the
Northeast Air Defense Sector The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) is a United States Air Force unit of Air Combat Command (ACC), permanently assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). A joint, bi-national military organization, EADS is composed of U ...
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 was a domestic Airline, passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijacked airliner was deliberately crashed into ...
was a
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
, 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 nternational Airportarea, 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 is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
to avoid New York area air traffic. At 9:03 am,
United Airlines Flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in California that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as ...
hit the South Tower as the fighters were progressing to their holding position. The
Northeast Air Defense Sector The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) is a United States Air Force unit of Air Combat Command (ACC), permanently assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). A joint, bi-national military organization, EADS is composed of U ...
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 ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
and arrived at 9:25, where they established a
Combat Air Patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) 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, ...
over the city. While all of this was going on, senior battle staff at Otis were watching the news when
United Airlines Flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in California that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as ...
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 102nd 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 could not await on guidance from the
North American Aerospace Defense Command North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a Combined operations, combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air ...
, 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 .e. fighter jetsas 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 running. Finally, the first planes took off at 10:20 in the morning. After a while, 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 The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) is a United States Air Force unit of Air Combat Command (ACC), permanently assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). A joint, bi-national military organization, EADS is composed of U ...
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. 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 The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
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 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 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
rules. These rules are meant to prevent damage to buildings from the shock wave a sonic boom produces.


Global War on Terror


Operation Noble Eagle

More than 600 wing members were mobilized for
Operation Noble Eagle Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.. ...
, and the wing began flying around-the-clock
combat air patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) 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, ...
missions immediately thereafter. This continued until February 2002. On 22 December 2001 the wing escorted ''American 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 The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
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 Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
. The wing converted from the F-15A/B to the F-15C/D in 2004. These planes came from Kadena Air Base.


BRAC 2005

The Base Realignment and Closure 2005 commission originally planned to close
Otis Air National Guard Base Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
and dissolve the 102nd. 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 102nd 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 The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
'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 101st Air Refueling Wing (101 ARW) is a unit of the Maine Air National Guard, stationed at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the 101 ARW is operationally-gained by ...
, 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 Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
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 24 January 2008, the 102nd Fighter Wing flew its last patrol mission. The unit is 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.


2008: new mission

When it was announced that the wing would be restructured and
Otis Air National Guard Base Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
would remain open, discussions began about the future of the 102nd. Staff of the 102nd and those at Massachusetts Air National Guard headquarters considered a plan centered on 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 Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African Americans, African-American Governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic Pa ...
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. 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 6 November 2009, ground was broken on new facilities for the 102nd Intelligence Wing. The building was to eventually replace the temporary facilities in which the wing was then operating.


Intelligence leak

In an article published on April 13, 2023, the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
revealed that the individual responsible for the 2023 Pentagon document leaks was a junior enlisted member of the 102nd. (subscription required) The FBI arrested Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira, cyber transport systems journeyman of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Joint Base Cape Cod for allegedly uploading Top Secret information to a
Discord Discord is an instant messaging and Voice over IP, VoIP social platform which allows communication through Voice over IP, voice calls, Videotelephony, video calls, text messaging, and digital media, media. Communication can be private or take ...
server.Geoff Ziezulewic
(13 April 2023) Deputy defense secretary to troops: Don't share classified information
/ref> Teixeira was stationed at
Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
during the time of the data leaks, which were widely reported. The detachment commander and operations commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron have both been suspended, pending completion of the Inspector General's investigation into the leak; both commanders have also lost their access to classified data.Haley Britzky, Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand, CN
(26 April 2023) Air Force suspends leadership for unit of suspected Pentagon document leaker
/ref> Other airmen from the unit are sidelined from the primary mission of the 102nd.Thomas Novell

/ref> Texeira was observed making notes on the intelligence stream and was warned about his behavior.Alexander Smith and Ken Dilania
(18 May 2023) Intel leak suspect was caught twice taking notes on classified info but allowed to keep access, prosecutors say
/ref> Texeira has been indicted on six counts; after the warnings, authorities were baffled over how long Texeira was allowed to continue to operate at the Air National Guard Base.Holmes Lybrand, CN

21-year-old Texeira's response to the warnings: " IDGAF"
Robert Legare, Andres Tria
(29 Feb 2024) Jack Teixeira, alleged Pentagon leaker, to plead guilty
15 superiors enabled the leaks.
''See Need to know'' In response, the Pentagon is instituting °Top Secret Control Officers,Reuter
(5 July 2023) Pentagon to Tighten Controls on Classified Information After Leak
/ref> °plans for electronic device detection systems suitable for classified, secret, and top secret areas, and °an office to address insider threats. The Justice department said each violation for "Unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000".Caitlin M. Kenne
(5 Jul 2023) Pentagon will create office to monitor users and insider threats in wake of leaks
"the Joint Management Office for Insider Threat and Cyber Capabilities"
On 11 December 2023 Wing Commander Sean Riley was relieved of command, and 14 others were disciplined.Audrey Decke
(11 Dec 2023) USAF cracks down on 'need to know' violations in wake of Discord leaks
WCV
(11 Dec 2023) Members of Mass. Air National Guard unit had opportunities to blunt document leak, Air Force IG finds
Video by Timothy Sandland, 102nd Intelligence Win
(1 Mar 2023) Command Message - March 2023 - Colonel Enrique Dovalo
not relieved of command; Brian MacQuarri
(17 Apr 2023) With leak case, Massachusetts Air National Guard is thrust into the spotlight
Photo by Airman 1st Class Julia Ahaesy 102nd Intelligence Win
(4 Jun 2023) 102nd ISRG participates in Resiliency Tactical Pause
Image 7 of 7; Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpos
(11 Dec 2023) Wing commander relieved over Teixeira classified document leak
102nd ISR
(2023) 102nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group


Formation of A-staff

On 28 June 2023 the 102nd Wing commander announced the formation of an A-staff to operate in parallel with wing staff;Airman 1st Class Julia Ahaesy, 102nd Intelligence Win
(11 Aug 2023) 102nd IW establishes an A-Staff
/ref> from twenty to twenty-six positions would reach initial operating capability (IOC) on 1 October 2023. The A-staff would have crisis action planning capability to off-load demands on the operational wing; the A-staff will have functional directorates (A-1: Manpower, Personnel and Services, A-2/3/5: Intelligence, Operations and Strategic Plans, A-4: Logistics and Engineering, and A-6: Communications), each reporting to the wing's chief of staff. 102nd IW will serve as test unit for non-flying wings, and a beta site for ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance).Rear Admiral Patrick Piercey, U.S. Navy (Retired
(Sep 2023) Planning for the Next War Must Be a Mixture of Art & Science
"In recent decades, military planning has leaned more heavily on science than art, but success in a peer-level fight will depend on commander’s intent and the art of warfare". ''Proceedings of US Naval Institute'' vol 149 (9) #1,447
Corresponding A-staffs are being formed, for example at Air Task Forces (ATFs) as a test.Greg Hadle
(19 Sep 2023) USAF Will Test Out a New Way to Organize Deployments: Air Task Forces
/ref>


References


Further reading

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External links


102nd Intelligence Wing


{{Authority control Military units and formations in Massachusetts Wings of the United States Air National Guard 0102 Military units and formations established in 1950 1946 establishments in Massachusetts