140th Wing
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The 140th Wing (140 WG) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard, stationed at
Buckley Space Force Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First lieutenant, First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units includin ...
, Aurora, Colorado. 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 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 ...
. The 140th Wing flies the F-16C/D Falcon. It also carries out 137th Space Warning Squadron (
Air Force Space Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
) and
Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
(
Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...
) missions. It has over 1200 personnel. The
120th Fighter Squadron The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. The squadron is a descendant organization ...
assigned to the Wings 140th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
120th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. It was reformed on 27 June 1923, as the 120th Observation Squadron, one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the
United States Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...
formed before
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


History

The wartime 370th Fighter Group was re-activated and re-designated as the 140th Fighter Group, and was allotted to the Colorado Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Buckley Field, Colorado, and was extended federal recognition on 1 October 1946 by the
National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...
. The unit was the first Air National Guard group receiving federal recognition. The 140th Fighter Group was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 370th Fighter Group. It was assigned to the 86th Fighter Wing. During August of '51 they deployed 20 P-51D aircraft and supporting personnel to Wilmington, North Carolina on Operation Southern Pine. It was one of the largest exercises of the era which involved 100,000 troops and over 400 aircraft to defend North and South Carolina from a mock Soviet invasion. The 140th Fighter Group consisted of the
120th Fighter Squadron The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. The squadron is a descendant organization ...
at Buckley Field. As part of the
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...
Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reserv ...
, the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat. On 31 October 1950 the 86th Fighter Wing was inactivated, and the 140th was changed in status to a Wing, taking over the personnel and mission of the 86th. : Organized and received federal recognition, 1 November 1950, assuming personnel and equipment of 86th Fighter Wing (Inactivated)


Korean War activation

As a result of the Korean War, the 140th Fighter Wing was federalized and brought to active duty on 1 April 1951. The unit was ordered to the new Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, which arrived in October 1951. The federalized 140th was a composite organization of activated Air National Guard units, composed of the 120th, the 187th Fighter Squadron ( Wyoming ANG) and the 190th Fighter Squadron ( Utah ANG). The 140th and its components were equipped with F-51D Mustangs, and were re-designated as Fighter-Bomber squadrons on 12 April 1951. During their period of federal service, many pilots were sent to Japan and South Korea to reinforce active-duty units. Three hundred and seventy five (375) airmen of the 140th FBW volunteered to take part in the tactical phase of the Charlie Shot of Operation Tumbler-Snapper which was a nuclear bomb test in Nevada. On 22 April 1952, they were among the first troops to go to ground zero an hour after the detonation to simulate an attack. It was also the first time the media was allowed to witness a nuclear test and it was the first event ever to be televised nationally. On 15 November 1952, the elements of the 140th returned to Air National Guard control in their respective states.


Cold War

Upon return to Colorado state control, the 140th was re-equipped by Tactical Air Command with F-80C Shooting Star jets. On 1 July 1955, the Wing was redesignated as the 140th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, being assigned to the 34th Air Division, Air Defense Command. In 1958, the 140th FIW implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program, in which interceptors of the 120th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five-minute runway alert. In 1960 the F-86s were again replaced by the F-86L Sabre Interceptor, a day/night/all-weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system.


Tactical Air Command/Vietnam War

The 140th was transferred back to Tactical Air Command in January 1961, being equipped with the F-100 Super Sabre supersonic tactical fighter-bomber. During the 1961 Berlin Crisis and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Wing was placed on Alert by Tactical Air Command, however the aircraft and personnel of the wing stayed in place at Buckley Air Force Base, and were not deployed. The 140th deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, for 15 days in 1967, to take part in a NATO exercise called "Deep Furrow". On 26 January 1968, the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing was federalized and taken under the jurisdiction of Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command. The Wing's 120th TFS was reassigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, its aircraft/personnel/equipment being reassigned to Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam. As was the practice during the Vietnam Era, most of the wing's personnel were also sent to various Tactical Air Command units, either in the United States or deployed to units in Pacific Air Forces or USAFE. The Wing, stripped of its assets, was placed in a Non-Operational status by HQ TAC. With the end of its federalized service, the Wing, the 120th TFS and its personnel were released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control on 30 April 1969. With its return to Buckley, the wing was returned to Operational Status. The 120th TFS F-100Cs returned to Buckley, however with the withdraw of the F-100Ds from South Vietnam in 1971, the squadrons were upgraded with the newer model from the Vietnam Veteran aircraft returning. In 1974, the Wing began receiving A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft from active duty U.S. Air Force wings as part of their transition to the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Then in 1975, new A-7Ds were received as the result of Congressional funding to the DOD FY 1975 and FY 1976 budgets for the procurement of additional A-7Ds, primarily to keep the LTV production line in Dallas open and the workers employed in the wake of post-Vietnam DOD procurement reductions. As a result of these unplanned acquisitions, the Air Force assigned these new 1975 and 1976 built aircraft in the mid-1970s. Then the wing relieved some new twin seat A-7Ks trainers in 1983. The 140th deployed in 1977 to Gilze-Rijen AB, Netherlands, to participate in exercise Coronet Ante, with A-7D Corsair. This was the first time a U.S. Air Force or National Guard unit had deployed to a Dutch-owned and operated base. In September and October 1979, the unit deployed to Merzilon AB, Turkey, as part of Exercise Coronet Rider. The unit deployed its entire squadron of 24 aircraft for 30 days. This was the first time any Air National Guard unit had deployed under "bare base" conditions in which only a runway and water supply were provided. Under the Coronet Cove program, the 140th deployed to the Republic of Panama 11 times to support the defense of the Canal Zone as provided under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The first such deployment took place in December 1978 and the last deployment ended in February 1989. The A-7Ds were flown to victory as the "World Champions" in the inaugural "
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...
" competition held at Nellis Air Force Base in 1981.


Modern era

The A-7Ds were operated until March 1992 when the Wing converted to Block 30 F-16C/Ds Fighting Falcons, and the Corsairs were retired to Davis-Monthan AFB. With the conversion to the F-16 in September 1991, the 140th Wing had deployed to the Republic of Korea; the CommonWealth of Australia in March 1995; to Incirlik, Turkey, for Operation Provide Comfort II in April 1995; to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, for Operation Southern Watch in June 1996; to Karup, Denmark, for NATO exercise Coronet Blade in August 1997 (with mini-deployments to Germany to fly with German MiG-29s and to the Republic of Slovenia for state-to-state partnership); and again to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch in January 1998. The unit deployed again to Incirlik, Turkey, in 2000 for Operation Northern Watch. The 140th WG transferred financial and operational responsibility for Buckley ANGB to US Air Force Space Command in October 2000. The major reason for the change in responsibilities for providing base operating support and quality of life services from the Colorado Air National Guard to the active-duty Air Force is the growing presence of active-duty personnel at Buckley. Becoming an active duty base, Buckley ANGB was renamed Buckley AFB. Following the attacks on the United States on September, 11th 2001, the 140th FS assumed tasking to provide homeland defense as an integral part of
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.. ...
. In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport AGS, OH. It would distribute the 178th Fighter Wing's F-16 aircraft to the 140th Wing (ANG), Buckley AFB, CO (three aircraft) and two other installations. DoD claimed that it made this recommendation because Buckley (64) had higher military value than Springfield-Beckley (128) and Buckley had a role in the Homeland Defense mission.


Units circa 2019

The 140th Wing is a composite organization, composed of diverse units. * 140th Operations Group :: The
120th Fighter Squadron The 120th Fighter Squadron (120 FS) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. The squadron is a descendant organization ...
(FS) operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon. It is a dual-purpose fighter squadron with pilots qualified to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, including offensive counter-air (OCA), defensive counter-air (DCA), OCA
interdiction Interdiction is interception of an object prior to its arrival at the location where it is to be used in military, espionage, and law enforcement. Military In the military, interdiction is the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy f ...
,
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
(CAS), and combat
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
(CSAR) missions. :: 140th Operations Support Flight * 140th Mission Support Group * 140th Medical Group * 140th Maintenance Group *
233rd Space Group The 233d Space Group (233SG) is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard located at Greeley Air National Guard Station, Greeley, CO. The 233d Space Group provides immediate, worldwide missile warning as well as space launch and detection in ...
based at
Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 United States census, an increase of 17.12% since the ...
. The group is composed of more than 300 Airmen and operates a strategic, survivable, mobile USAF ground system that provides immediate, worldwide missile warning, space launch, and nuclear detection data to the National Command Authority (Secretary of Defense and President). They are able to survive and operate through all phases of trans/post nuclear attack.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 140th Fighter Wing, and allotted to Colorado ANG on 31 October 1950 : Organized and federally recognized on 1 November 1950 : Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 April 1951 : Redesignated: 140th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 12 April 1951 : Released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control, 15 November 1952 : Redesignated: 140th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 July 1955 : Redesignated: 140th Air Defense Wing on 1 July 1957 : Redesignated: 140th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 January 1961 : Federalized and placed on active duty, 25 January 1968 : Released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control, 30 April 1969 : Redesignated: 140th Fighter Wing on 15 March 1992 : Redesignated: 140th Wing on 1 July 1995


Assignments

* Colorado Air National Guard, 1 November 1950 : Gained by:
Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reserv ...
,
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...
*
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 ...
, 1 April 1951 * Colorado Air National Guard, 15 November 1952 : Gained by:
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 ...
: Gained by: 34th Air Division,
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 ...
, 1 July 1955 : Gained by: Albuquerque Air Defense Sector,
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 ...
, 1 July 1960 : Gained by:
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 ...
, 1 January 1961 : Gained by:
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 ...
, 1 June 1992–Present


Components


Air National Guard

* 140th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber, Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter (Air Defense), Tactical Fighter, Operations) Group, 31 October 1950 – 30 June 1974; 1 July 1995 – Present * 120th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1960 (Montana ANG) * 124th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1960 (Idaho ANG) * 150th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 July 1957 – 31 December 1960 (New Mexico ANG) * 153d Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 Jul 1957 – 31 December 1960 (Wyoming ANG) * 200th Airlift Squadron, 1 June 1992 - 1 June 2018 * 120th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber, Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter, Fighter) Squadron, 30 June 1974 – 1 July 1995


Stations

* Buckley Field, Colorado, 1 November 1950 * Clovis Air Force Base (later Cannon Air Force Base), New Mexico, 12 April 1951 * Buckley Field (later Buckley Air National Guard Base), Colorado, 1 January 1953 * Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, c. 1 May 1968 (not operational) * Buckley Air National Guard Base (then Buckley Air Force Base, later Buckley Space Force Base), Colorado, 30 April 1969 – Present


Aircraft

*
P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
, 1943–1945 *
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
, 1945 *
F-51D Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA- ...
, 1946–1953 * F-80C Shooting Star, 1953–1958 * F-86E Sabre, 1958–1960 * F-86L Sabre Interceptor, 1960–1961 * F-100C/F Super Sabre, 1961–1971 *
F-100D/F Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United S ...
, 1971–1974 * A-7D/K Corsair II, 1974–1992 * Boeing T-43A, 1992-1997 * Fairchild C-26B Metroliner, 1996-1997 * C-21A Learjet, 1997–2018 * F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1992–Present


Decorations

*
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...
Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)
**1994–1996


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography


USAF 140th Wing, CoANG
( 2009-07-25) Official Site * Jones, Jay. ''The 370th Fighter Group in World War II: in Action over Europe with the P-38 and P-51''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2007. . * * Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., ''A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980'', Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980).


External links


www.GoANG.com: 140th Wing
{{Colorado Wings of the United States Air National Guard Military units and formations in Colorado 0140 Military units and formations established in 1950 1950 establishments in Colorado