122nd Fighter Wing

The 122nd Fighter Wing (122 FW sometimes 122nd) is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard, stationed at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

Units

 * 122nd Operations Group (Tail code formerly "FW," now "IN.")
 * 163rd Fighter Squadron


 * 122nd Maintenance Group
 * 122nd Mission Support Group
 * 122nd Medical Group

History


The 358th Fighter Group trained in the Mid-Atlantic United States with P-40 Warhawks, 1943. While in training also used for air defense of Philadelphia area. Moved to England during September and October 1943, they were equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts and began operations on 20 December 1943 and served in combat with Eighth and later, Ninth Air Forces until V-E Day.

In 2005 the wing introduced the reconnaissance Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System, becoming one of the first units to fly with it.

In 2008, after having flown for 17 years with the block 25 aircraft, these F-16s were nearing the end of their planned operational lifespans. The aircraft the 122nd received were only somewhat newer; Block 30 F-16C/Ds, manufactured between 1987 and 1989. These models were provided by the Michigan Air National Guard 107th Fighter Squadron, which was then transitioning to the A-10 Thunderbolt II at the time. With the upgrade to the Block 30 aircraft, the tail code of the 163rd was changed from "FW" (Fort Wayne) to "IN" (Indiana) in 2009 when the 181st Fighter Wing at Hulman Field became a non-flying unit. However, only a few of the F-16s were re-coded.

In 2009 – the year the unit honored its predecessor unit – the 358th FG – with a heritage jet – it was decided that the squadron was to retire their 20-year-old F-16s and become an A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron. The conversion happened in 2010.

In 2023, the unit converted back to the F-16 platform as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act. These started arriving in October 2023 and will continue until all 21 have arrived.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 358th Fighter Group on 20 December 1942
 * Activated on 1 January 1943
 * Inactivated on 7 November 1945


 * Re-designated: 122nd Fighter Group and allocated to Indiana ANG on 24 May 1946
 * Extended federal recognition on 9 December 1946
 * Federalized and ordered to active service on: 10 February 1951


 * Established as 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing, extended federal recognition and activated on 10 February 1951
 * Group re-designated as 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group and assigned as subordinate unit
 * Inactivated on 7 February 1952
 * Released from active duty and returned to Indiana state control, 1 November 1952


 * Re-activated on 1 November 1952
 * Re-designated: 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1954
 * Group re-designated 122nd Tactical Fighter Group
 * Re-designated: 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing (Special Delivery), 1 July 1959
 * Group re-designated 122nd Tactical Fighter Group (Special Delivery)
 * Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 October 1961
 * Operated as: 7122nd Tactical Wing (Special Delivery), 1 October 1961 – 31 August 1962
 * Released from active duty and returned to Indiana state control, 31 August 1962
 * 122nd Tactical Fighter Group inactivated 30 June 1974.
 * Re-designated: 122nd Fighter Wing, 16 March 1992 – present
 * Group re-activated and re-designated 122nd Operations Group

Assignments

 * I Fighter Command, 1 January–September 1943
 * Attached to: Philadelphia Fighter Wing, 28 April–September 1943


 * IX Fighter Command
 * Attached to: VIII Fighter Command, 20 October 1943


 * 71st Fighter Wing
 * Attached to: IX Tactical Air Command, 1 August 1944


 * 70th Fighter Wing
 * Attached to: IX Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944


 * XIX Tactical Air Command, 16 January–July 1945
 * Second Air Force, 3 August – 7 November 1945
 * 66th Fighter Wing, 9 December 1946
 * 55th Fighter Wing, 7 December 1947
 * Indiana Air National Guard, 31 October 1950
 * Gained by: Tenth Air Force, Continental Air Command


 * Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 10 February 1951
 * Central Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 1 December 1951 – 7 February 1952
 * Indiana Air National Guard, 1 November 1952
 * Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command
 * Gained by: Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1954


 * Ninth Air Force, 1 October 1961
 * Attached to Seventeenth Air Force, 1 October 1961 – 31 August 1962


 * Indiana Air National Guard, 1 September 1962
 * Gained by: Tactical Air Command
 * Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – present

Components

 * 122nd Fighter-Interceptor (later Tactical Fighter) Group, 10 February 1951 – 30 June 1974
 * Re-designated: 163rd Operations Group, 16 March 1992 – present


 * 112th Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter) Squadron, 9 December 1946 – 30 September 1962 (Ohio ANG)
 * 113th Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter) Squadron, 9 December 1946 – 30 September 1962 (GSU at Terre Haute, IN)
 * 163rd Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter, Fighter) Squadron, 9 December 1946 – Present
 * 365th Fighter Squadron: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945
 * 366th Fighter Squadron: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945
 * 367th Fighter Squadron: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945

Stations

 * Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 January 1943
 * Baltimore Municipal Airport, Maryland, 28 April 1943
 * Camp Springs AAF, Maryland, 28 May 1943
 * Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, 16 June 1943
 * Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 13 August – 25 September—1943
 * RAF Goxhill (AAF-345), England, 20 October 1943
 * RAF Leiston (AAF-373), England, 29 November 1943
 * RAF Raydon (AAF-157), England, 31 January 1944
 * RAF High Halden (AAF-411), England, 13 April 1944
 * Cretteville Airfield (A-14), France, 3 July 1944


 * Pontorson Airfield (A-28), France, 14 August 1944
 * Vitry Airfield (A-67), France, 14 September 1944
 * Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield (A-80), France, 16 October 1944
 * Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield (A-90), France, 9 November 1944
 * Mannheim/Sandhofen Airfield (Y-79), Germany, 2 April 1945
 * Reims/Champagne Airfield, France, c. 23 June–July 1945
 * La Junta Army Air Field, Colorado, 3 August – 7 November 1945
 * Stout Field, Indianapolis, Indiana, 9 December 1946
 * Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1 May 1951
 * Designated: Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, 1991 – present

Aircraft

 * P-40 Warhawk, 1943
 * P-47D/N Thunderbolt, 1943–1945
 * F-51D Mustang, 1946–1951
 * F-51H Mustang, 1951–1954
 * F-80C Shooting Star, 1954–1956
 * F-86A Sabre, 1956–1958
 * F-84F Thunderstreak, 1958–1962; 1964–1971


 * RF-84F Thunderstreak, 1962–1964
 * F-100D/F Super Sabre, 1971–1979
 * F-4C Phantom II, 1979–1986
 * F-4E Phantom II, 1986–1991
 * F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1991–2010
 * A-10 Thunderbolt II, 2010 – 2023
 * F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 2023 – present