Pennsylvania Air National Guard

Pennsylvania Air National Guard
Pennsylvania ANG 193d Special Operations Wing Commando SOlo EC-130J.
Active	27 June 1924 - present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Pennsylvania
Branch	Air National Guard
Role	"To meet commonwealth and federal mission responsibilities."
Part of	Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs United States National Guard Bureau
Garrison/HQ	Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Bldg. S-0-47, Fort Indiantown Gap , Annville, PA 17003
Commanders
Civilian leadership	President Barack Obama (Commander-in-Chief) Michael B. Donley (Secretary of the Air Force) Governor Tom Corbett (Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
Commonwealth military leadership	Major General Wesley E. Craig, Jr. (The Adjutant General) Major General Stephen M. Sischo (Deputy Adjutant General - Air)
Insignia
Emblem of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard

The Pennsylvania Air National Guard (PA ANG) is the air force militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

As commonwealth militia units, the units in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is headquartered at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, and its commander is Major General Stephen M. Sischo.

Overview

Under the "Total Force" concept, Pennsylvania Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of the United States Air Force (USAF). Pennsylvania ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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

The Pennsylvania Air National Guard consists of the following major units:

• 111th Fighter Wing

Established 20 December 1948

Stationed at: Horsham Air National Guard Station, Willow Grove; Gained by: Air Combat Command

As a result of BRAC 2005 directives, the wing’s A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft have been transferred out of Pennsylvania and the wing continues conversion to new engineering and non-flying air support operations missions. Although the Willow Grove base will reduce in size as some military organizations leave over the next few years as a result of BRAC, the base will remain open and the wing will continue to train on its new missions. The wing hosts several new tenant organizations at the base including units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve, among others.

• 171st Air Refueling Wing

Established 22 April 1949 (as: 146th Fighter Squadron); operates: KC-135T Stratotanker

Stationed at: Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station; Gained by: Air Mobility Command

The 171st ARW provides aerial refueling capability to U.S. and Allied forces worldwide using the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.

• 193d Special Operations Wing

Established 27 February 1947 (as: 148th Fighter Squadron); operates: EC-130E Hercules

Stationed at: Olmsted Air National Guard Base, Middletown; Gained by: Air Force Special Operations Command

Provides the only aerial television and radio broadcasting capability in the Air Force using the EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft

Support Unit Functions and Capabilities:

• 112th Air Operations Squadron, located in State College, Pennsylvania.
• 201st Red Horse Civil Engineering Flight, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• Regional Equipment Operators Training Site, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• 203d Weather Flight, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• 211th Engineering Installation Squadron, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• 270th Engineering Installation Squadron, located at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station.
• 271st Combat Communications Squadron, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• 553d Air Force Band (Air National Guard Band of the Mid-Atlantic), located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• Lightning Force Academy, affiliated with the Community College of the Air Force and is located at Fort Indiantown Gap.
• Bollen Air-to-Ground Weapons Range, located at Fort Indiantown Gap.

History

The Pennsylvania Air National Guard was formally established in 1947. During the Vietnam War, the PA Air Guard flew 134 supply missions to Vietnam in 1966-1967, becoming the first reserve air force ever to enter a combat zone without actually being mobilized.

In 1972, widespread flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes resulted in 45 deaths and $ 3 billion in property damage. Nearly 13,000 Army and Air Guard members were called to state active duty to help with relief operations.

Several Air Guard units from Pennsylvania were mobilized in 1990-1991 for duty in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Every member returned home safely.

Previously the Pennsylvania ANG also included the 112th Air Refueling Group, which was assigned to Strategic Air Command on 16 October 1991, at Pittsburgh International Airport. It was equipped with KC-135s. It was reassigned to Air Mobility Command on 31 May 1992. However, following the end of the Cold War, it was inactivated through the Base Realignment and Closure process in October 1993.

Hundreds of Pennsylvania soldiers and airmen were deployed to Germany, Hungary and Bosnia in 1996-1997, in support of United Nations peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia.

In 2004, some 2,000 Pennsylvania citizen soldiers and airmen were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, searching for weapons of mass destruction, providing convoy security, rebuilding infrastructure and protecting senior officials.

2,500 Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard members were deployed in September 2005 for a month-long mission in support of hurricane disaster relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This was the largest state activation of Pennsylvania National Guard troops since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. These Guard members also assisted with relief efforts following Hurricane Rita.

References

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

• Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense, ISBN: 0160483026
• Pennsylvania Air National Guard Official Website

External links

• Pennsylvania National Guard Official Website
• Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
• 111th Fighter Wing
• 171st Air Refueling Wing
• 193rd Special Operations Wing