TheWest Virginia Air National Guard (WV ANG)is the aerial militia of theState of West Virginia,United States of America.It is, along with theWest Virginia Army National Guard,an element of theWest Virginia National GuardandUnited States National Guard Bureau,and is a reserve of theUnited States Air Force.
| West Virginia Air National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the West Virginia Air National Guard | |
| Active | 7 March 1947 - present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  West Virginia |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | state militia,military reserve force |
| Role | "To meet state and federal mission responsibilities" |
| Part of | West Virginia National Guard United States National Guard Bureau National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | West Virginia Air National Guard, 1703 Coonskin Drive, Charleston, West Virginia, 25311 |
| Website | https:// wv.ng.mil/About-Us/West-Virginia-Air-National-Guard/ |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | PresidentJoe Biden (Commander-in-Chief) GovernorJim Justice (Governor of the State of West Virginia) |
| State military leadership | Brig GenDavid V. Cochran[1] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | C-130J Super Hercules C-17 Globemaster III |
As state militia units, the units in the West Virginia Air National Guard are not in the normalUnited States Air Forcechain of command.They are under the jurisdiction of theGovernor of West Virginiathough the office of theWest Virginia Adjutant Generalunless they are federalized by order of thePresident of the United States.The West Virginia Air National Guard is headquartered in Charleston, and its commander is Brigadier General David V. Cochran.
Under the "Total Force" concept, West Virginia Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of theUnited States Air Force(USAF). West Virginia ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by aMajor Command of the USAFif federalized. In addition, the West Virginia Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty andAir Force Reservecounterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
Along with their federal reserve obligations, as state militia units the elements of the West Virginia 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. State 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.
History
editOn May 24, 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.[2]
The West Virginia Air National Guard origins date to March 7, 1947, with the establishment of the167th Fighter Squadron,which is oldest unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard. Originally equipped with F-51D Mustangs (the new name of theP-51 Mustangafter 1947), the 167th Fighter Squadron was federally recognized and activated at Kanawha Airport, Charleston with a primary mission of air defense of the state. However, September 18, 1947, is considered the West Virginia Air National Guard's official birth, which is concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under theNational Security Act of 1947.[2]
On October 10, 1950, the 167th FS and all personnel were sworn in for 21 months of active duty during theKorean War.Most personnel and all aircraft became part of the123d Fighter-Bomber Wing,located atGodman Army Airfield,Kentucky. Some members transferred toRAF Manstonnear London, in theUnited Kingdom,flyingF-84 Thunderjetaircraft. Other seasoned (experienced) pilots transferred toFar East Air Forcefor combat duty in the Korean War. Released from active duty on July 9, 1952, the 167th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (167th FIS) returned to Charleston, West Virginia and resumed flying the F-51 Mustang aircraft.
In the early 1950s, Kanawha Airport could not accommodate jet aircraft, soShepherd Fieldin Martinsburg received approval as the new site for the 167th FIS on September 21, 1955. The official move came on December 3, 1955, when the 167th FIS officially relocated from Kanawha Airport to Shepherd Field.
The West Virginia Air National Guard was authorized to expand to two separate aircraft squadrons in 1955 by the National Guard Bureau. On October 1, 1955, the130th Troop Carrier Squadron(130th TCS) was created at Kanawha Airport, Charleston and was extended federal recognition. This squadron was assigned toTactical Air Command,which placed it under theEighteenth Air Force.Equipped withGrumman HU-16 Albatrossamphibious aircraft andCurtiss C-46 Commandotroop transport aircraft, the primary mission of the 130th TCS was Air Commando special operations missions. On July 1, 1960, the HU-16 and C-46 were replaced byC-119 Flying BoxcarandU-10D Super Couriercombat observation aircraft. In 1975, both of these aircraft were replaced by the far more capableC-130E Herculestransport aircraft, with a second upgrade to theC-130H Herculescompleted in 1986. Today, the 130th Airlift Wing (130 AW) provides tactical airlift support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and other allied nations through the continued use of the C-130H Hercules.
The 167th Airlift Wing (167 AW) provides global airlift to Air Mobiity Command, with its C-17 Globemaster III transports operating globally in support of the active-duty missions of the Air Force.
After theSeptember 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States,elements of every Air National Guard unit in West Virginia has 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, West Virginia ANG units have been deployed overseas as part ofOperation Enduring Freedomin Afghanistan andOperation Iraqi Freedomin Iraq as well as other locations as directed.
On May 13, 2005, theDepartment of Defensereleased itsBase Realignment and Closure, 2005(BRAC) report, and the 130th Airlift Wing was one of the units scheduled for decommission. Its eight C-130H aircraft would be reassigned toPope Air Force Base,and its expeditionary combat support (ECS) personnel would be transferred to the 167th Airlift Wing.
Upon learning of this recommendation, several former commanders of the 130th Airlift Wing along with members of the local Kanawha County Commission and theYeager AirportBoard of Directors formed theKeep 'Em Flyinggrassroots organization to try to prevent the unit from being decommissioned. Following an outpouring of community support, money was raised for newspaper ads and radio ads, and to hire analysts familiar with BRAC, all in an attempt to save the unit. On June 13, 2005, members of the BRAC commission came to Charleston to evaluate the base and talk to General Tackett, GovernorJoe Manchin,SenatorRobert Byrd,CongresswomanShelley Moore Capitoand Col. Bill Peters, Jr., former commander of the 130th and chair for Keep 'Em Flying.
Following this visit, and taking in all the information that was presented to them during that time, the BRAC commission voted unanimously to keep the 130th AW intact.
Components
editThe West Virginia Air National Guard consists of two major units:
- Established as 130th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1995; operates theLockheed C-130J Super Hercules
- Stationed at:Yeager Airport(McLaughlin Air National Guard Base), Charleston
- Gained by:Air Mobility Command
- The 130th Airlift Wing provides tactical airlift in support of the United States Air Force and the State of West Virginia.[3]
- Established 7 March 1947 (as:167th Fighter Squadron); operates:C-17 Globemaster III
- Stationed at:Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base,Martinsburg
- Gained by:Air Mobility Command
- The 167th Airlift Wing provides strategic airlift in support of the United States Air Force.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit
This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency
- ^Wriston, Edwin (2021-07-28)."Cochran assumes command WVA air national guard".dvidshub.net.
- ^ab"Rosenfeld, Susan and Gross, Charles J (2007), Air National Guard at 60: A History. Air National Guard history program AFD-080527-040"(PDF).
- ^"130th Airlift Wing > Home".130aw.ang.af.mil.
- ^"167th Airlift Wing > Home".167aw.ang.af.mil.
- Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense,ISBN0160483026
- West Virginia National Guard website
External links
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