131st Fighter Squadron

131st Fighter Squadron
131st Fighter Squadron - McDonnell Douglas F-15C-21-MC Eagle 78-0476
Active	1942-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Fighter
Part of	Massachusetts Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts
Nickname(s)	Barnestormers
Tail Code	"MA" Red tail stripe
Insignia
131st Fighter Squadron emblem

The 131st Fighter Squadron (131 FS) is a unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing located at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts. The 131st is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle.

History

World War II

Established in August 1942 at Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory. Initially part of the air defense of Hawaii, equipped with P-39 Aircobras. Also used as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), flew reconnaissance patrols over Hawaii until late 1943.

Deployed to Central Pacific as part of Thirteenth Air Force island hopping campaign against Japanese in late 1943. Engaged in combat with until April 1944, returning to Hawaii and being re-equipped and trained with long-range P-51 Mustangs. Re-deployed to Western Pacific, being stationed on Iwo Jima while battle for the island was still ongoing and engaged in long-range B-29 Superfortress escort missions over Japan; continuing that mission until the end of hostilities in August 1945. Reassigned to Mariana Islands, as a Far East Air Force fighter squadron, inactivated 1946.

Massachusetts Air National Guard

The wartime 333d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 131st Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Massachusetts Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Barnes Municipal Airport, Westfield, Massachusetts, and was extended federal recognition on 24 February 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 131st Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 333d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was assigned to the Massachusetts ANG 102d Fighter Group.

The postwar era was a time of organization and expansion of the Air National Guard. The units had to be organized, federally recognized, equipped and stationed. The first several years were difficult as units had to contend with worn-out World War II aircraft while the Air Force converted to modern jet fighters. Air Guard units were under-funded and largely left to themselves to conduct training with little assistance and supervision by the Air Force.

However, as a result of using wartime aircraft, parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans.

In 1950, the Massachusetts ANG converted to the wing-base (Hobson Plan) organization. As a result, the 67th Fighter Wing was withdrawn from the Air National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950. In its place, the 102d Fighter Group was expanded to a Wing, however there was no change in mission to the 131st and it remained assigned to the 102d Fighter Group.

Air Defense Mission

The mission of the 131st Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Massachusetts. With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty. The 131st was retained by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to maintain the air defense mission. In 1951, the F-47s were retired to Davis-Monthan AFB and the 131st was re-equipped with the F-51H Mustang Very Long Range fighter and the 131st was re-designated as a Fighter-Interceptor squadron.

Beginning on 1 March 1953, the 131st placed two F-51D fighters and five pilots on air defense “runway alert” from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. The runway alert program was the first broad effort to integrate reserve forces into a major Air Force operational mission on a volunteer basis during peacetime. In 1954, the Mustangs were reaching the end of their service life, and the 131st entered the Jet Age when it received F-94A Starfire interceptors.

After the Korean War, the Massachusetts Air Guard began to modernize and expand. On 1 May 1956 the 102d was re-designated as the 102d Air Defense Wing and the 131st FIS was was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 104th Fighter Groups (Air Defense) was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 131st FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 104th Headquarters, 104th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 104th Combat Support Squadron, and the 104th USAF Dispensary. The 104th, along with the new 102d Fighter Group (Air Defense) at Logan Airport, Boston began attending annual training at Otis Air Force Base.

Tactical Air Command

The air defense mission ended on 10 November 1958 when the Massachusetts Air Guard and its units were reassigned to Tactical Air Command and converted to F-86H Sabre fighter-bombers. During the 1950s and early 1960s, better training and equipment, and closer relations with the Air Force greatly improved the readiness of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

1961 Berlin Federalization

During the summer of 1961, as the 1961 Berlin Crisis unfolded, the 131st TFS was notified on 16 August of its pending federalization and recall to active duty. On 1 October the 131st was federalized and assigned to the 102d Tactical Fighter Wing, which was federalized and placed on active duty at Otis Air Force Base.

The mission of the 102d TFW was to reinforce the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and deploy to Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, France. In France, the unit was to provide close air support to NATO ground forces and air interdiction. This involved keeping its aircraft on 24/7 alert. Between 28 and 30 October, the 102d TFW departed Otis AFB for Phalsbourg. The wing deployed 82 F-86H Sabres. In addition 2 C-47 and 6 T-33 aircraft were assigned to the wing for support and training purposes.

Starting on 5 December, the 102d began deploying to Wheelus Air Base Libya for gunnery training. During its time in Europe, the 102d participated in several USAF and NATO exercises, including a deployment to Leck Air Base, West Germany near the Danish border. At Leck, ground and support crews from both countries exchanged duties, learning how to perform aircraft maintenance and operational support tasks.

On 7 May 1962, USAFE Seventeenth Air Force directed that the 102d TFW would deploy back to the United States during the summer, and the unit returned to the United States in July 1962. Regular USAF personnel, along with a group of ANG personnel who volunteered to remain on active duty formed the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the newly activated 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. The last of the ANG aircraft departing on 20 July.

Lineage

Legacy 333d Fighter Squadron emblem

• Constituted 333d Fighter Squadron on 18 August 1942

Activated on 23 August 1942

Inactivated on 12 January 1946

• Re-designated 131st Fighter Squadron and allotted to Massachusetts ANG, on 24 May 1946

Extended federal recognition and activated on 24 February 1947

Re-designated: 131st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 November 1951

Re-designated: 131st Tactical Fighter Squadron , 10 November 1958

Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 October 1961

Released from active duty and returned to Massachusetts commonwealth control, 31 August 1962

Re-designated: 131st Fighter Squadron, 1 June 1992-present.

Components designated as: 131st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron when deployed as part of an Air and Space Expeditionary unit after June 1996.

Assignments

• 18th Fighter Group, 23 Aug 1942
• 318th Fighter Group, 11 Jan 1943-12 Jan 1946
• 102d Fighter Group, 24 February 1947
• 102d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 November 1951
• 104th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 1 May 1956
• 104th Tactical Fighter Group, 10 November 1958
• 104th Tactical Fighter Group, 15 Oct 1962
• 104th Fighter Group, 15 Mar 1992
• 104th Operations Group, Oct 1995-present

Stations

• Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 23 August 1942
• Canton Army Airfield, Phoenix Islands, 11 September 1942
• Hilo Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 6 April 1943
• Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 28 July 1943
• East Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 6 July 1944
• Ie Shima Airfield, Ryukyu Islands, 30 April 1945

• Naha Airfield, Okinawa, November–December 1945
• Fort Lewis, Washington, 11–12 January 1946.
• Barnes Municipal Airport, Massachusetts, 14 May 1946

Deployed to: Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, France, 1 October 1961 – 20 August 1962

Designated: Barnes Air National Guard Base, 1991-Present

Aircraft

• P-39 Aircobra, 1942–1944
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945
• P-38 Lightning, 1944–1945
• F-47D Thunderbolt, 1947–1951
• F-51D Mustang, 1951–1954
• F-94A Starfire, 1954–1957

• F-86H Sabre, 1957–1965
• F-84F Thunderstreak, 1965–1971
• F-100D Super Sabre, 1971–1979
• A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1979–2007
• F-15C Eagle, 2007–present

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• 104th Fighter Wing history