110th Attack Wing
110th Attack Wing | |
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The 110th Attack Wing, which formerly operated manned aircraft, now hosts an operations center for the MQ-1 Predator (shown above) and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Active | 1 September 1956–present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | Michigan |
Branch | Air National Guard |
Type | Wing |
Part of | Michigan Air National Guard |
Garrison/HQ | Kellogg Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan |
Tail Code | Blue tail stripe, "Michigan" in yellow letters |
Insignia | |
110th Airlift Wing emblem | 125px |
The 110th Attack Wing (110th ATKW) is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, stationed at Kellogg Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan. If activated to federal service the Wing would be gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
Contents
Overview
The main operations unit of the wing is the 110th Air Operations Group, a remote-split operations center for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper operations for Third Air Force. The aircraft and a contingent of maintainers are deployed forward, along with some pilots to handle takeoffs and landings, but the majority of the pilots remains stateside and operates the aircraft via satellite communications links.
Units
- 110th Operations Group
- 110th Air Operations Group[1]
- 110th Maintenance Group
- 110th Mission Support Group
- 110th Medical Group
History
In 1956 the 172d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) of the Michigan Air National Guard was authorized to expand to a group level, and the United States Air Force constituted the 110th Fighter Group (Air Defense) and associated support units and allotted them to the Air National Guard for activation. The 172d FIS became the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 110th Material Squadron, 110th Air Base Squadron, and the 110th USAF Dispensary.
In 1957, the 172d FIS received a new aircraft, the RB-57 Canberra, and a new mission – tactical reconnaissance. The resulting reorganization cost the 110th Fighter Group 40 percent of its manpower and its name – the group was inactivated and the 172d, now the 172d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, once again became Battle Creek's primary Air National Guard unit. The activation of a non-flying squadron, the 127th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, helped prevent the loss of additional Guard members.
In 1962, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and support organizations were reactivated with Major Howard Strand serving as its commander. Major Strand departed in January 1965 to become deputy commander of the 127th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Selfridge AFB, Michigan. He returned again in 1974 to lead the 110th until 1981.
The 172d flew Canberras until 1971, when it undertook the radical and unexpected transformation from the RB-57 jets to the smaller, prop-powered Cessna O-2 Skymaster. On 11 June 1971, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group became the 110th Tactical Air Support Group. In 1980, the 110th saw a return to jet power when it reequipped with OA-37 Dragonfly.
In 1991 the 110th Tactical Air Support Group transitioned from the Dragonfly to the OA-10 Thunderbolt II, and was redesignated the 110th Fighter Group. In June 1995 the 110th Fighter Group became the 110th Fighter Wing.
In 1997 the wing took part in Operation Deny Flight. The 110th Fighter Wing served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
In May 1999 the 110th Fighter Wing was deployed to Trapani Italy in support of Operation Noble Anvil, the air operations over Kosovo.
The 110th Fighter Wing underwent a major transition moving from the A-10 aircraft to the Learjet C-21A aircraft in 2008. The C-21, which arrived in October 2008, is a twin turbofan engine passenger aircraft, the military version of the Lear Jet 35A. With a crew of two, it can accommodate eight passengers and 42 cubic feet (1,200 L) of cargo. For aero medical evacuations, it can carry one little litter or five ambulatory patients plus one flight nurse and two medical technicians. The 110th Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 110th Airlift Wing with no change in station. It changed from an Air Combat Command unit to an Air Mobility Command unit on 1 December 2009.[2]
The base also witnessed the creation of a new unit, the 217th Air Operations Group (AOG) on 1 April 2009. The 217th AOG is an organization supporting the 17th Air Force (AFAFRICA). The 217th AOG has four squadrons that include intelligence, communications, operations and Air Force Forces planning in a largely self-contained package.
On 13 December 2014, in a ceremony presided by Gov. Rick Snyder, the wing was redesignated as the 110th Attack Wing.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 110th Fighter Group and allotted to the Air National Guard ca. 15 April 1956
- Extended federal recognition and activated, 1 September 1956
- Inactivated on 30 June 1957
- Redesignated 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
- Activated on 1 October 1962
- Redesignated 110th Tactical Air Support Group, 1 July 1971
- Redesignated 110th Fighter Group, 16 October 1991
- Redesignated 110th Fighter Wing, 1 October 1995
- Redesignated 110th Airlift Wing, 1 March 2009
- Redesignated 110th Attack Wing, 13 December 2014
Assignments
- Michigan Air National Guard, 1 September 1956 – 30 June 1957
- Gained by: Air Defense Command
- Michigan Air National Guard, 1 October 1962 – Present
- Gained by: Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1962
- Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992
- Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 March 2009
- Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 October 2013
Components
Groups
- 110th Operations Group, 1 June 1992 – Present
- 110th Logistics Group (later 110th Maintenance Group), 1 October 1995 – 30 September 2013
- 110th Medical Group, 15 October 1962 – Present[3]
- 110th Support Group (later 110th Mission Support Group), 1 October 1995 – Present
- 217th Air Operations Group, 1 April 2009 – Present
Operational Squadron
- 172d Airlift Squadron,[4] 1 September 1956 – 30 June 1957; 1 October 1962 – Present
Stations
- W. K. Kellogg Airport, Michigan, 1 September 1956 – 30 June 1957; 1 October 1962–
- Designated: Kellogg Air National Guard Base, Michigan, 1991–Present
Aircraft
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References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ↑ http://www.110aw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123143192
- ↑ http://www.110aw.ang.af.mil/history/index.asp
- ↑ This unit was designated the 110th USAF Dispensary, 110th Tactical Dispensary, 110th Tactical Clinic, and 110th Medical Squadron before becoming a group in June 2004.
- ↑ Earlier 172d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 172d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 110th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 110th Fighter Squadron
- 110th Airlift Wing history webpage
- 110th Airlift Wing@globalsecurity.org
- Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
- Use dmy dates from March 2012
- Pages with broken file links
- Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Wings of the United States Air National Guard
- Military units and formations in Michigan
- Fighter wings of the United States Air Force
- Military units and formations established in 2014