The 173rd Fighter Wing (173 FW) is a unit of the
Oregon Air National Guard
The Oregon Air National Guard (OR ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Oregon, United States of America. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in the Ore ...
, stationed at
Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the
Air Education and Training Command (
AETC) of the
United States Air Force.
Overview
Kingsley Field ANGB, which is located in Klamath Falls, Oregon, is home to the 173d Fighter Wing. The 173d Fighter Wing is responsible for training combat pilots and support personnel on the
F-15C and
F-15D Eagle for the active duty Air Force and the
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
. In addition, as part of the Air National Guard, the 173 FW serves the state of
Oregon and the
United States in times of peace and war.
Units
* 173d Operations Group
:
114th Fighter Squadron
: 270th Air Traffic Control Squadron
* 173d Maintenance Group
* 173d Mission Support Group
* 173d Medical Group
History
On 1 April 1996, the 173d Fighter Wing was formed at Kingsley Field ANGB as a host organization and parent unit for the 114th Fighter Squadron (114 FS) when the unit was authorized to expand, with the 114th being transferred from the
142d Fighter Wing
The 142nd Wing is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon.
As a state militia unit, the 142nd Wing is not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. It is under the jurisdiction ...
at Portland to the new wing at Kingsley ANGB. The 173d Fighter Wing consists of the 173d Operations Group; 173d Maintenance Group, 173d Mission Support Group and 173d Medical Group.
Initially flying early versions of the
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
aircraft as a formal training unit (FTU), the F-16As and F-16Bs were retired in the late 1990s as their service life was ending. The squadron began receiving F-15A and F-15B Eagles in 1998, upgrading to the F-15C and F-15D Eagle in 2004 as the A and B series aircraft were retired and continuing its mission as a fighter-interceptor training unit for the Air Force and the Air National Guard.
Lineage
* Designated 173d Fighter Wing, and allotted to Oregon ANG, 1996
: Extended federal recognition and activated, 1 April 1996
Assignments
* Oregon Air National Guard
: Gained by:
Air Education and Training Command
Components
* 173d Operations Group, 1 April 1996 – present
**
114th Fighter Squadron, 1 April 1996 – present
Stations
*
Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon, 1 April 1996 – present
Aircraft
*
F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, 1996–1998
*
F-15A/B Eagle, 1998–2004
*
F-15C/D Eagle, 2004–present
References
173rd Fighter Wing lineage and history* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
173rd Fighter Wing website
External links
{{Oregon
Wings of the United States Air National Guard
Military units and formations in Oregon
173
Year 173 ( CLXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Pompeianus (or, less frequently, year 926 ''Ab urbe ...
1996 establishments in Oregon