146th Airlift Wing

The 146th Airlift Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Oxnard, California. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

Mission

The 146th AW's primary mission is to provide global military airlift capability to a full spectrum of state and federal agencies. Flying the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, the 146th has provided humanitarian relief in the aftermath of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other disasters, in California, the United States and internationally.
The 146th is one of four C-130 ANG units whose contribution to the United States' aerial firefighting capability includes equipment and techniques for efficient, effective suppression of large wildland fires from the air. Since 1974, using the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System units supplied by the US Forest Service and mounted in four C-130s, the wing's aerial firefighting crews have been credited with saving many lives and millions of dollars' worth of structures, forests, and brushland in California and other states and countries.
MAFFS II was used for the first time on a fire in July 2010, using the latest generation Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The 146th Airlift Wing was the first to transition to the MAFFS 2 system in 2008, and it remains the only unit flying the new system on the C-130J aircraft.

Units

The 146th Airlift Wing consists of the following units:

146th Operations Group
146th Mission Support Group
146th Maintenance Group
146th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
146th Medical Group
History

The 115th Airlift Squadron, assigned to the Wing's 146th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the 115th Observation Squadron, established on 16 June 1924. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. It is the oldest unit in the California Air National Guard, having over 100 years of service to the state and nation.

World War II

Formed at Westover Field, Massachusetts, in August 1943. During World War II the 373d Fighter Group was assigned to the European Theater of Operations, Ninth Air Force, in Western Europe. It was equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts.
The Group flew its first combat mission on 8 May 1944, a fighter sweep over Normandy. It then took part in pre-invasion activities. The Group patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots, and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month.
The Group moved to the Continent in July 1944 where it struck railroads, hangars, boxcars, warehouses, and other objectives to prevent reinforcements from reaching the front at St. Lo, where the Allies broke through on 25 July 1944. The Group bombed such targets as troops in the Falaise-Argentan area in August 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Group concentrated on the destruction of bridges, marshalling yards, and highways. It flew reconnaissance missions to support ground operations in the Rhine Valley in March 1945, hitting airfields, motor transports, etc. The Group continued tactical air operations until 4 May 1945.
Returned to the United States and prepared for transfer to the Pacific Theater during the Summer of 1945, the Japanese Capitulation in August led to the Group's inactivation in November 1945.

California Air National Guard

The wartime 373d Fighter Group was re-designated as the 146th Fighter Group, and was allotted to the California Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Van Nuys Airport, Los Angeles, California, and was extended federal recognition on 16 September by the National Guard Bureau. The 146th Fighter Group was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 373d Fighter Group. The Group was assigned to the California ANG 62nd Fighter Wing.
Upon activation, operational squadrons of the 146th Fighter Group were:

195th Fighter Squadron, Van Nuys Airport, California
196th Fighter Squadron, San Bernardino Army Air Field, California
197th Fighter Squadron, Luke Army Airfield, Arizona

The 196th, 197th, and 198th Fighter Squadrons were all re-designations of the 373d Fighter Group's operational squadrons during World War II. All of the fighter squadrons were initially equipped with F-51D Mustangs, with a mission of air defense of Southern California and Arizona. The 115th was equipped with B-26 Invader light bombers, gained by Tactical Air Command. Other components were the 146th Headquarters, 146th Material Squadron, 146th Combat Support Squadron, and the 1146th USAF Dispensary.
During World War II, Van Nuys Airport had been used as an Army Airfield and the organization moved into several buildings and hangars vacated just a few months previously by the 441st Army Air Force Base Unit.

146th Composite Wing

At the end of October 1950, the Air National Guard converted to the wing-base organization. As a result, the 62d Fighter Wing was withdrawn from the California ANG and was inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 146th Composite Wing was established by the National Guard Bureau, allocated to the state of California, recognized and activated 1 November 1950; assuming the personnel, equipment, and mission of the inactivated 62d Fighter Wing.
The 146th Composite Group was assigned to the new wing as its operational group with the three fighter squadrons. The 115th Bombardment Squadron at Van Nuys Airport was transferred from the 62d Fighter Wing to the new 144th Composite Wing. The 115th was a re-designation of the original California National Guard pre-war 115th Observation Squadron with origins dating to 1917.

Korean War federalization

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 146th Fighter Wing was federalized on 1 March 1951 and assigned to Tactical Air Command. It was re-designated as the 146th Fighter-Bomber Wing and moved to Moody AFB, Georgia, where it was assigned two federalized ANG squadrons from Idaho and Montana and became a F-51D Fighter-Bomber training unit.

The 115th Bomb Squadron was moved to Langley AFB, Virginia, where it became a training unit for B-45A Tornado jet bomber crews.
The 195th Fighter Squadron remained at Van Nuys however it was placed under the Air Defense Command 28th Air Division. It was re-equipped with long-range F-51H Mustangs and became part of the air defense forces for Southern California.
The 196th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the Georgia ANG 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing, re-equipped with F-84D Thunderjets and deployed to Japan and South Korea where it engaged in combat over Korea.
The 197th Fighter Squadron stayed at Luke AFB, Arizona where it was assigned to the 127th Fighter-Bomber Wing, equipped with F-84A Thunderjets, and was a training unit for F-84 pilots heading to the Korean War.

The units were returned to California State control in November 1952, and on 1 January 1953, the 146th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reformed at Van Nuys Airport.

Air Defense Command

With the end of combat in Korea, jet-propelled aircraft began to be made available to the Air National Guard. In 1953, the 195th at Van Nuys received F-86A Sabres, to be used in day-interceptor missions. The 195th's F-51Hs were reassigned to the 115th, now a Fighter-Bomber Squadron ; the 115th was upgraded to F-86As in late 1953. In 1954, the 196th FBS at Norton AFB was equipped with F-86As, and the 197th at Luke AFB also being upgraded to F-86As. With the F-86A, the squadrons began standing dusk-to-dawn alerts, joining its Air Defense Command active-duty counterparts. On 1 January 1954, the 196th FBS was moved from the expanding Norton AFB to Ontario Municipal Airport. The 146th was re-designated the 146th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 1 July 1955.
The 146th FIW continued to fly the F-86A until 31 March 1958. On 1 April 1958, the transition was made to the F-86L Sabre Interceptor, which was designed from the onset as an interceptor, had all-weather capability, and thus was able to be used in all weather. In addition, the F-86L could be controlled and directed by the SAGE computer-controlled Ground Control Interceptor sites which would vector the aircraft to the unidentified target for interception.
In 1958, the 196th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Ontario Airport was authorized to expand to a group level. The 163d Fighter-Interceptor Group was federally recognized on 17 May; the 196th FBS was re-designated as a Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and transferred to the new group under California ANG jurisdiction. On 2 October 1957, the 197th FBS at Luke AFB was expanded into the 161st Fighter-Interceptor Group, and came under Arizona ANG jurisdiction.

Strategic Airlift

In 1961, the 146th FIW was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service, trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4-engined C-97 Stratofreighter transports. With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need, the 146th was re-designated the 146th Air Transport Wing. During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, both the Wing and squadrons were federalized on 1 October 1961. From Van Nuys, the wing augmented MATS airlift capability worldwide in support of the Air Force's needs. It returned again to California state control on 31 August 1962. Throughout the 1960s, the unit flew long-distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements, frequently sending aircraft to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and, during the Vietnam War, to both South Vietnam, Okinawa, and Thailand.
The C-97s were retired in 1970 and the unit was transferred to Tactical Air Command. It transitioned to the C-130A Hercules theater transport, flying missions in support of TAC throughout the United States and Alaska. In 1973, the C-130A models were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force and they were replaced by the C-130B. During this period, both the 115th and its sister squadron, the 195th Tactical Airlift Squadron shared the same pool of aircraft.
With the end of the Vietnam War, the California National Guard bureau began to downsize the 146th Tactical Airlift Wing as part of the post-war drawdown. With C-130s units being transferred to Military Airlift Command, the junior 195th TAS was inactivated on 30 September 1974. The personnel, equipment, and aircraft of the 195th TFS were reassigned to the 115th TAS.
In the early 1970s, USAF's "Total Force" policy brought the wing into full partnership with its Air Force counterparts by mandating co-operation and teamwork between Air Guard and active duty Air Force units in all phases of military airlift operations. As a result, in succeeding years the wing's C-130s traveled to all corners of the world, airlifting troops, passengers, and cargo during training missions, exercise deployments, and real-world military operations to support Federal and State military airlift requirements.
The 146th TAW and its subordinate units participated in numerous Cold War military exercises such as Team Spirit, Volant Oak, Red Flag, and Reforger. Other Joint Chief of Staff exercises included "Ember Dawn IV" in Alaska and "Brave Shield" in Europe. In 1979, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve assumed full responsibility for airlift operations in Panama, which recently moved to Puerto Rico, a commitment still fulfilled.
In mid-December 1989, and continuing for several weeks, wing aircraft, air crews, and support personnel on deployment for exercise Volant Oak at Howard AFB, Canal Zone, Panama, flew combat airlift missions for U. S. Southern Command during Operation "Just Cause" in Panama. More than 100 combat sorties were flown by 146th aircraft and crews, with no casualties or damage to aircraft.