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| 104th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 A-10C Thunderbolt IIs of the 104th FS, 2008 | |
| Active | 29 June 1921 – 18 October 1942 1 March 1943 – 1 May 1944 17 August 1946 – 23 September 2025 |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Maryland |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Ground Attack |
| Part of | Maryland Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland |
| Nickname | Fightin' O's[1] |
| Equipment | A-10C Thunderbolt II |
| Insignia | |
| 104th Fighter Squadron emblem |  |
| Squadron tail code | MD |
The104th Fighter Squadron (104th FS), nicknamedthe Fightin' O's, was a unit of theMaryland Air National Guard175th Wing stationed atWarfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland. The 104th was equipped with theFairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II. It was inactivated in September 2025.
The squadron is a descendant organization of the104th Squadron (Observation), which was formed on 29 June 1921. It is one of the29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of theUnited States Army National Guard formed beforeWorld War II and was the oldest unit of the Maryland Air National Guard.
Unit Emblem: On a disc Azure, a lightning bolt, bend sinister, overall a Baltimore Oriole Proper rampant bearing boxing gloves Or; all within a narrow Blue border. Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The Baltimore Oriole is significant to the unit's location and allegiance to Maryland Air National Guard. The lightning bolt refers to the squadron's use of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The boxing stance and boxing gloves signify the unit's role in ground attack.
The original insignia was designed by C. Ray Weyrauch Jr. and adopted by the unit 13 April 1947 following a design contest. Although the emblems were almost immediately painted on unit aircraft, it was not approved by the Air Force until 21 September 1953. The emblem was modified without the state's knowledge during the 1990-1994 heraldry review mandated by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, resulting in numerous changes in color, shape, and design, many of which resulted from production errors in the official drawing. It was again revised on 3 June 2020 to correct 1990s errors.[2]
In personnel, if not in official lineage, the 104th Fighter Squadron can trace its origins to 1920 when theFlying Club of Baltimore was organized for formerWorld War IArmy Air Service reserve officers of that city. Several members of this club who held reserve commissions became part of theMaryland National Guard in 1921 when Maryland formed one of the nation's first post-war flying units with the creation of the 1st Observation Squadron in Baltimore which received federal recognition on 29 June 1921.[2]
Maryland became the fifth state to have a post-World War I National Guard aviation unit. The 1st Observation Squadron (a state designation) was re-designated the104th Squadron (Observation) under the federal numbering system on 10 January 1922. At the time, the number 104 was widely used to designate combat support units in the Maryland National Guard, including the 104th Medical Regiment and the 104th Military Police Battalion.[2]
The 104th became the first post-World War I United States National Guard unit to be equipped with its own aircraft, 13Curtiss JN-4 Jennies, which it flew until 1927. Initially, it was one of four units assigned to 29th Division Aviation, the flying component of the29th Infantry Division (the other units were the 104th Photo Section, 164th Air Intelligence Section, and Medical Department Detachment, Air Service). The unit operated out of Baltimore'sLogan Field. In addition to Jennies, the 104th flew a variety of other aircraft during the interwar period, almost all of them two-seat biplanes.[2]
Conducted annual summer training at various locations to include Langley Field, VA; Shepard Field, Martinsburg, WV; Middletown Air Depot, PA; and atDetrick Airfield, Frederick, MD.
At the outset of World War II the 104th became part of the Antisubmarine Patrol used along the East Coast. Initially operating out of theFort Dix Army Airfield, squadron was moved to theAtlantic City Municipal Airport, as part of the59th Observation Group using O-46 and O-47 aircraft fling coastal patrol missions. On 18 October 1942, the 104th was inactivated and its personnel and aircraft transferred to the517th Bombardment Squadron. The 517th was soon moved toLangley Field, Virginia, where it was re-designated as the12th Antisubmarine Squadron and equipped withB-18 Bolo, and laterB-24 Liberator andB-25 Mitchell bombers configured for antisubmarine attack missions.
By this time most of the original Maryland National Guard members had been transferred elsewhere as individual replacements, although a handful were still serving with the unit when it deployed to England in 1943, by which time the 517th Bomb Squadron had been redesignated the859th Bombardment Squadron, part of the492d Bombardment Group,Eighth Air Force, a B-24 Liberator group. There is no official lineage however, between the 104th Observation Squadron and the 859th Bombardment Squadron.
Meanwhile, the 104th Observation Squadron was reactivated with the 59th Observation Group. The squadron was redesignated as the 104th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 1 March 1943. Equipped withP-39 Airacobras, the squadron was assigned to the59th Reconnaissance Group,III Fighter Command. Its mission was to train newly graduated pilots from AAF flight training schools to fly single-engine fighter planes as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). In August 1943, the squadron was redesignated as the 489th Fighter Squadron. However, those changes were administrative in nature, the mission of the squadron remaining the same. The squadron was inactivated and disbanded on 1 May 1944 as part of an Air Force reorganization of its training program. The squadron's training mission subsequently was carried out by "Squadron B", Thomasville Replacement Training Unit. With the end of the war, Thomasville AAF and all of its assigned units were inactivated on 30 September 1945.
The wartime 489th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted on 21 June 1945 and re-designated as the104th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to theMaryland Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized atHarbor Field, Baltimore, Maryland, and was extended federal recognition on 17 August 1946 by theNational Guard Bureau. The 104th Fighter Squadron continued the lineage of the 489th Fighter Squadron and all predecessor units. It was initially equipped withF-47D Thunderbolts.
The squadron was one of the first in the Air National Guard and was operationally gained by theAir Defense CommandFirst Air Force. As the ANG command and control echelons were formed, the 104th came under the operational control of the DC ANG's 113th Fighter Group, which in turn reported to the PA ANG53d Fighter Wing, although administrative control was retained by the Maryland ANG.[2]
With the surprise invasion ofSouth 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 Maryland Air National Guard was not federalized, however its aircraft were replaced by very long distanceF-51H Mustangs in 1951 to better carry out its air defense mission. While the 113th was mobilized, the squadron reported to the PA ANG's 112th Fighter Group.[2]
By 1955 the Mustangs were at the end of their operational lifetime, and the Air Force issued a directive to ADC to replace all of its interceptor force with Jet Aircraft. As a result, the 104th entered the jet age and receivedKorean War veteranF-86E Sabres to replace its propeller-driven Mustangs, which were retired. However, Baltimore Harbor Field was unsuitable for jet aircraft due to the length of its runway, and the squadron was forced to temporarily base its jet aircraft atAndrews AFB, and later at Friendship Airport (nowBWI Airport), while it looked for a new home. Eventually, the squadron relocated toGlenn L. Martin Company Airport on 1 July 1957 whose longer runway was necessary to support jet operations.
In 1957 the gaining command of the 104th was transferred toTactical Air Command (TAC), and the squadron received the post-Korean War North AmericanF-86H Sabre. The F-86H was a fighter-bomber version of the Sabre designed for TAC and was transferred to the ANG by TAC units being upgraded to theF-100 Super Sabre. The air defense of Baltimore and Washington, however, was retained as a secondary mission and the squadron remained under the administrative control of the PA ANG111th Air Defense Wing, the successor unit to the 53d Fighter Wing. On 10 November 1958 the squadron was re-designated as a Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 104th flew the F-86H for over a decade, remaining in service until well after the United States had committed itself to theVietnam War. However, no F-86Hs ever went overseas to participate in that conflict, the fighter-bomber mission in Vietnam being flown by F-100s,F-105s andF-4C Phantom IIs.
On 1 October 1962, the 104th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the175th Tactical Fighter Group was federally recognized and activated by the National Guard Bureau. The 104th TFS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 175th Headquarters, 175th Material Squadron, 175th Combat Support Squadron, and the 175th USAF Dispensary. With the formation of the 175th TFG, all administration of the unit by the 111th ADW ended.
On 13 May 1968, the 175th Tactical Fighter Group was federalized and ordered to active service. It was transferred toCannon Air Force Base, New Mexico along with the NY ANG139th Tactical Fighter Squadron and174th Tactical Fighter Squadron as well as the 104th TFS. At Cannon AFB, the Group's mission was to act as a filler unit for the27th Tactical Fighter Wing which were deployed to the Vietnam War. At Cannon, the squadron trained active Air Force pilots in forward air controller duties. The unit did not deploy overseas. The units were returned to New York and Maryland state control on 20 December 1968 when the TAC 4429th Combat Crew Training Squadron was activated with regular active-duty Air Force personnel.
In 1970, the F-86H Sabres were transferred after being with the 104th TFS for thirteen years. The 104th was one of the last ANG units to fly the F-86. The Sabres, however, were not retired, but instead transferred to theUnited States Navy which used them both as target drones and as MiG simulators for TOP GUN aggressor training. The F-86H had a similar size, shape, and performance as theMiG-17 fighter then being encountered overNorth Vietnam, and many a Navy F-4 pilot was "killed" by a F-86H Sabre during these mock battles.
In return, the 104th TFS receivedCessna A-37B Dragonfly ground-attack aircraft. In the Vietnam War, the A-37 was a very effective ground support aircraft that was simple to operate, maintain and fly. The mission of the 104th was to train in the aircraft to support Air Force and Army special forces personnel and units. In 1974, after the end of American participation in Vietnam, the unit began supporting the Military Assistance Program (MAP) by supplying training to Latin American Air Forces. In addition, in the OA-37 configuration, the aircraft was used as a Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft, that replaced the agingO-2 Skymaster. In the OA-37 configuration, the aircraft was equipped with small rocket pods, usually with smoke or white phosphorus warheads used for target marking.
In 1979, the 175th TFG was the first Air National Guard unit to receive theFairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II ground support aircraft. The 104th received brand new A-10A Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from the factory inHagerstown, Maryland. The unit continues to fly the latest version (A-10C) of the famed tank killer.
Early in the 1990s with the declared end of theCold War and the continued decline in military budgets, the Air Force restructured to meet changes in strategic requirements, decreasing personnel, and a smaller infrastructure. The 175th adopted the new USAF "Objective Organization" in early 1992, with the word "tactical" being eliminated from its designation and becoming the 175th Fighter Group. Tactical Air Command was inactivated on 1 June, being replaced by the newAir Combat Command (ACC).
On 15 June 1996, in accordance with the Air Force "One Wing, One Base" directive, the units of the135th Airlift Group and 175th Fighter Wing merged to form the 175th Wing. The 175th Wing became a composite organization with an Air Combat Command-gained fighter unit, anAir Mobility Command-gained airlift unit, aUnited States Air Forces in Europe-gained civil engineer flight, and, from 2006 to 2016, a network warfare squadron.
In mid-1996, the Air Force, in response to budget cuts, and changing world situations, began experimenting with Air Expeditionary organizations. The Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) concept was developed that would mix Active-Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard elements into a combined force. Instead of entire permanent units deploying as "Provisional" as in the 1991 Gulf War, Expeditionary units are composed of "aviation packages" from several wings, including active-duty Air Force, the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard, would be married together to carry out the assigned deployment rotation.
Following the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001, members of the 175th Wing repeatedly volunteered or have been mobilized to take part in theglobal war on terrorism. From January to June 2003, the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron was formed and deployed toBagram Air Base, Afghanistan, where it flew strikes against Taliban and al Qaeda forces and earned the distinction of being the longest-deployed Air National Guard fighter squadron at Bagram.[2]
In May 2022, ten 104th A-10Cs deployed to Europe for two weeks.[3] Four Warthogs were sent to Norway, while the other six deployed to North Macedonia. While in Europe,the Fightin' O's also visited Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of Agile Combat Employment training.[4]
During the summer of 2025 the squadron saw a majority of their A-10s retired and or handed down to other squadrons. Finally on 23 September 2025 the last two A-10s (79-0175 and 79-0104) departed Warfield Air National Guard Base, marking the end of the A-10 era for the 104th Fighter Squadron. A-10s 79-0088 and 79-0087 are both now stored in avation museums, 088 being stored at the Air Mobility Command Museum, DE and 087 being stored at the Hagerstown Avation Museum, MD.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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