TheKentucky Air National Guard (KY ANG)is the aerial militia of theU.S. stateofKentucky.It is a reserve of theUnited States Air Forceand along with theKentucky Army National Guard,an element of theKentucky National Guardof the much largerUnited States National Guard Bureau.
Kentucky Air National Guard | |
---|---|
Active | 16 February 1947 - present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | Kentucky |
Branch | Air National Guard |
Type | state militia,military reserve force |
Role | "To meet commonwealth and federal mission responsibilities." |
Part of | Kentucky National Guard United States National Guard Bureau |
Garrison/HQ | Kentucky Air National Guard, 1101 New Grade Lane, Louisville, Kentucky, 40213 |
Website | 123aw.ang.af.mil |
Commanders | |
Civilian leadership | PresidentJoe Biden (Commander-in-Chief) Frank Kendall III (Secretary of the Air Force) GovernorAndy Beshear (Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky) |
Commonwealth military leadership | Brigadier GeneralHaldane B. Lamberton |
Aircraft flown | |
Transport | Lockheed C-130 Hercules |
As commonwealth militia units, the units in the Kentucky Air National Guard are not in the normalUnited States Air Forcechain of command.They are under the jurisdiction of theGovernor of Kentuckythough the office of theKentucky Adjutant Generalunless they are federalized by order of thePresident of the United States.The Kentucky Air National Guard is headquartered at Louisville Air National Guard Base, and its commander is Brigadier General Dave Mounkes.
Overview
editUnder the "Total Force" concept, Kentucky Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of theUnited States Air Force(USAF). Kentucky ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by aMajor Command of the USAFif federalized. In addition, the Kentucky Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
Along with their federal reserve obligations, as commonwealth militia units the elements of the Kentucky ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. Commonwealth missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.
Components
editThe Kentucky Air National Guard consists of the following major unit:
- Established 16 February 1947 (as:165th Fighter Squadron); operates:C-130H Hercules
- Stationed at: Louisville Air National Guard Base
- Gained by:Air Mobility Command
History
editOn 24 May 1946, theUnited States Army Air Forces,in response to dramatic postwar military budget cuts imposed by PresidentHarry S. Truman,allocated inactive unit designations to theNational Guard Bureaufor the formation of an Air Force National Guard. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various state National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units.[1]
The Kentucky Air National Guard origins date to 9 June 1947 with the establishment of the123d Fighter Groupand is oldest unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard. It was federally recognized and activated at Standiford Field, near Louisville. Its 165th Fighter Squadron, the flying component of the 123d, was equipped with P-51D Mustangs. Its mission was the air defense of the state. 18 September 1947, however, is considered the Kentucky Air National Guard's official birth concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under the National Security Act of 1947.[1]
With the surprise invasion ofSouth Koreaon 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, the ANG was mobilized into federal active duty. The 165th Fighter Squadron was federalized and ordered to active duty on 10 October 1950. The squadron was moved toGodman Air Force BaseatFort Knoxalong with the 123d Fighter Group. At Godman, the squadron was joined by theNorth Carolina ANG156th Fighter Squadronand theWest Virginia ANG167th Fighter Squadron.All three squadrons were equipped with P-51Ds. After over a year of training at Godman AFB, the 123d was re-designated as a Fighter-Bomber Group and deployed toRAF Manston,Kent, England to replace theStrategic Air Command12th Fighter-Escort Wingwhich was returned toBergstrom AFB,Texas. In England, the mission of the 123d was to provide fighter escort forSACB-50 SuperfortressandB-36 Peacemakerbombers while flying over Western European airspace on their deterrence alert missions. The 123d left their P-51Ds at Godman AFB and the personnel boardedC-124 Globemaster IItransports to England where they initially began conversion training onF-84E Thunderjets.
Today, the 123d Airlift Wing (123 AW) provides worldwide theater airlift for U.S. military and humanitarian operations. The wing is equipped with eight C-130H2.5 model aircraft. The 123rd Airlift Wing will receive a squadron of eight new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, replacing its current fleet of the C-130H Hercules models which the unit has flown since 1992.Multiple groups, squadrons and flights carry out the unit's mission by providing administrative and logistical support, including airlift operations, combat control, pararescue, maintenance, supply, transportation, contracting, communications, civil engineering, personnel, base services, security forces and medical functions.
Since theSeptember 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States,elements of every Air National Guard unit in Kentucky have been activated in support of theGlobal War on Terrorism.Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers and air security personnel were engaged inOperation Noble Eagleair defense overflights of major United States cities. Also, Kentucky ANG units have been deployed overseas as part ofOperation Enduring Freedomin Afghanistan andOperation Iraqi Freedomin Iraq as well as other locations as directed.
On September 17, 2018, the Kentucky Air National Guard deployed the 123rd Fatality Search and Recovery Team followingHurricane Florenceat the request of the North Carolina public health officials. The Kentucky National Guard also deployed two other units in support of relief efforts; the Kentucky Air National Guard's Louisville-based 123rd Special Tactics Squadron and the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade from Frankfort.[2]
See also
editReferences
editThis article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ab"Rosenfeld, Susan and Gross, Charles J (2007), Air National Guard at 60: A History. Air National Guard history program AFD-080527-040"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 16, 2012.
- ^"Kentucky Air Guard Deploys Search and Recovery Team Following Hurricane Florence".Air Force Maj. Allison Stephens, 123rd AIRLIFT WING. September 18, 2018.RetrievedApril 17,2021.
- Arrington, Charles W. (2001). "Kentucky Air National Guard". In Kleber, John E. (ed.).The Encyclopedia of Louisville.Le xing ton, Kentucky:University Press of Kentucky.pp. 459–460.ISBN0-8131-2100-0.OCLC247857447.
- Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense,ISBN0160483026