127th Wing

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127th Wing
An A-10 Thunderbolt II Aircraft refueling near the border between Latvia and Estonia (7365967504).jpg
An A-10 Thunderbolt II refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker near the border between Latvia and Estonia
Active1950–1952; 1952–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Fighter and air refueling
Part of Michigan Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Selfridge ANGB
Motto(s)We Stand Ready [note 1]
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
127th Wing emblem [note 2] [1] 127th Wing.png
Aircraft flown
Attack Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
Tanker Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

The 127th Wing is a composite wing of the United States Air Force, Air National Guard and Michigan National Guard. It comprises approximately 1,400 citizen airmen and provides highly trained personnel, aircraft, and support resources to serve the Michigan community, the state and the United States. The Wing operates Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, providing global aerial refueling capability supporting Air Mobility Command and the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, flying the close-air support mission for Air Combat Command. The current commander of the 127th Wing is Brig. Gen. Matthew G. Brancato. The 127th Wing's is host unit of Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the largest facility managed by a reserve component (Air National Guard or U.S. Air Force Reserve) of the U.S. Air Force.

Contents

History

In the fall of 1950, the Air National Guard reorganized its tactical units according to the United States Air Force's Wing Base Organization, which combined tactical and support units under a single wing. On 1 November 1950, the 127th Fighter Wing was activated with the 127th Fighter, Air Base, Maintenance & Supply, and Medical Groups assigned.

In February 1951, the wing and groups were called to active duty. Unlike other Air National Guard wings called to active duty for the Korean War, the 127th became part of Air Training Command and moved to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, becoming the 127th Pilot Training Wing. [2] Seventeen members of the wing's 172nd Squadron had already volunteered for duty overseas as members of the regular Air Force the previous month. [3] The 197th Pilot Training Squadron of the Arizona Air National Guard, already at Luke, equipped with Republic F-84 Thunderjets, joined the wing. [3] The wing trained fighter pilots with North American F-51 Mustangs, Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars and Republic F-84 Thunderjets. On 1 November 1952, the wing was inactivated and returned to the Air National Guard as the 127th Fighter-Bomber Wing, transferring its equipment and most of its personnel at Luke to the newly formed 3600th Flying Training Wing. [2]

In April 1962, Volunteer pilots and ground support personnel from the wing's 172nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron began training at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, for Operation Blue Straw, nuclear tests conducted at Christmas Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Flying specially equipped Martin RB-57 Canberras, their pilots flew through nuclear dust clouds to gather samples for study. [3]

In July 1967, over 80 per cent of the Michigan Air Guard's personnel were ordered on active duty to help deal with massive rioting, looting, and arson in Detroit. They guarded utility installations, rode with police and firefighters, guarded prisoners, and secured a base at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated, and the unit's Air Police contingent was flown to the city. Its RB-57s flew over damaged parts of the city, producing over 9,000 photos. By July 30, all unit personnel but the Air Police had been demobilized. [3]

Prompted by a disastrous tornado in Lubbock, Texas, in 1970, the National Guard Bureau set up a pilot program for nationwide civil defense tornado aerial photographic assessment and assigned the mission to the wing's 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. [3]

In September 1994, Air National Guard Lockheed C-130 Hercules units, including the wing's 191st Airlift Group units, began supporting Operation Provide Comfort, providing humanitarian relief for Kurdish refugees displaced in Iraq from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. [3]

The wing also supported the Air Force Special Operations Command with its 107th Weather Flight (inactivated by 30 September 2017). [4]

In 2022, the squadron made national headlines when it became the first Air Force squadron to demonstrate that military aircraft could use modern highways as temporary airstrips. It was the first time integrated combat turns had been executed on a public highway in the United States. [5]

From July 2023 to November 2023, the 127th Air Refueling Group was deployed in support of U.S. Central Command.

It was announced on January 11, 2024 that the Air Refueling Group will be moving over from the KC-135 Stratotanker to the KC-46A Pegasus, due to arrive in possibly 2028. These 12 will replace the current 8 that are assigned to the group. [6]

Lineage

Activated on 1 November 1950
Redesignated 127th Pilot Training Wing on 10 February 1951
Inactivated on 1 November 1952 and returned to the Air National Guard
Redesignated 127th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 July 1955
Redesignated 127th Air Defense Wing on 16 April 1956
Redesignated 127th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 12 April 1958
Redesignated 127th Tactical Fighter Wing on 30 June 1972
Redesignated 127th Fighter Wing on 31 March 1992
Redesignated 127th Wing c. 1 January 1993

Assignments

Components

Groups
Operational squadrons

Stations

Awards

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 1983 – 31 December 1984127th Tactical Fighter Wing [8]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">110th Wing</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">131st Bomb Wing</span> Missouri Air National Guard unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">137th Special Operations Wing</span> Oklahoma Air National Guard unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">127th Air Refueling Group</span> Military unit

The 127th Air Refueling Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, assigned to the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">127th Operations Group</span> Unit of the Michigan Air National Guard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">171st Air Refueling Squadron</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">196th Attack Squadron</span> Unit of the California Air National Guard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">137th Special Operations Group</span> Oklahoma Air National Guard unit

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References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. Originally approved on 30 July 1954 in Latin as Parati Stamus. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 243-244
  2. Approved 30 July 1954.
Citations
  1. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 243-244
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 A History of AETC, p. 99
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 No byline. "Michigan ANG Chronology, 1926-201" (PDF). Michigan Air National Guard. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  4. "127th Wing > Home". www.127wg.ang.af.mil.
  5. Hadley, Greg (30 June 2022). "A-10s, AFSOC Aircraft Land on Michigan Highway to Practice ACE". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  6. "Selfridge to get new state-of-the-art refueling tankers, ensuring base's future". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  7. A History of AETC, p. 97
  8. "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 24 October 2022. (search)

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency