144th Fighter Wing

144th Fighter Wing
144th Fighter Wing emblem
Active	1943 - Present
Country	US
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Fighter Support
Part of	California Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Fresno Air National Guard Base, California
Commanders
Current commander	Col Sami Said
Aircraft flown
Fighter	18 F-16C Fighting Falcon
Trainer	1 F-16D Fighting Falcon
Transport	1 C-26A Metroliner

A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons fly during a sortie for the weapons systems evaluation program at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

The 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

Mission

The 144th Fighter Wing's mission is to provide air defense protection for California from the Mexican border to Oregon utilizing the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter aircraft. The 144th also supports the nation's Counter Drug Program and responds to state emergencies when requested by the Governor of California. The wing's current inventory of aircraft includes 18 F-16Cs, one F-16D, a two place fighter trainer, and one C-26A transport.

Units

The 144th Fighter Wing is comprised of the following units:

• 144th Operations Group

194th Fighter Squadron

• 144th Maintenance Group
• 144th Mission Support Group
• 144th Medical Group.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 372d Fighter Group on 12 October 1943

Activated on 28 October 1943

Re-designated 372d Fighter-Bomber Group in April 1944

Re-designated 372d Fighter Group in June 1944

Inactivated on 7 November 1945

• Re-designated 144th Fighter Group and allotted to California ANG on 24 May 1946.

Extended federal recognition on 2 June 1948

Status changed from Group to Wing, 31 October 1950

Re-designated: 144th Fighter Wing, 31 October 1950

Re-designated: 144th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 October 1952

Re-designated: 144th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 December 1952

Re-designated: 144th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 7 July 1955

Re-designated: 144th Fighter Wing, 16 March 1992

Assignments

• IV Fighter Command, 28 October 1943
• III Fighter Command, 29 March 1944-7 November 1945
• 61st Fighter Wing, 2 June 1948
• California Air National Guard, 31 October 1950

Gained by: Tactical Air Command

Gained by: 28th Air Division, Air Defense Command, 1 October 1952

Gained by: San Francisco Air Defense Sector, Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960

Gained by: 26th Air Division, Air Defense Command, 1 April 1966

Gained by: 26th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, 1 January 1970

Gained by: Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), 1 October 1979

Gained by: First Air Force, Tactical Air Command, 9 December 1985

Gained by: Northwest Air Defense Sector (NWADS), 1 July 1987

Gained by: Western Air Defense Sector (WADS), 1 October 1997-Present

Components

• 407th Fighter Squadron: 1943-1945
• 408th Fighter Squadron: 1943-1945
• 409th Fighter Squadron: 1943-1945.

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, 28 October 1943
• Portland Army Air Base, Oregon, 7 December 1943
• Esler Army Airfield, Louisiana, 29 March 1944
• Pollock Army Airfield, Louisiana, 14 April 1944
• Esler Army Airfield, Louisiana, 9 February 1945
• Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana, 14 September–November 1945.

Aircraft

• P-39 Aircobra, 1943–1944
• P-40 Warhawk, 1944–1945
• P-51 Mustang, 1945

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

• Official website of the 144th Fighter Wing
• 144th Fighter Wing - GlobalSecurity.org