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181st Intelligence Wing | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1962 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Indiana |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Intelligence analysis and information protection |
| Part of | Indiana Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Terre Haute Air National Guard Base, Indiana |
| Nickname | Racers |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col. Charles T. Goad |
| Insignia | |
| 181st Intelligence Wing emblem |  |
The181st Intelligence Wing is a unit of theIndiana Air National Guard, stationed atTerre Haute Air National Guard Base, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by theUnited States Air ForceIntelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.
The Wing's113th Air Support Operations Squadron is a descendant organization of theWorld War I113th Aero Squadron, established on 26 August 1917. It was reformed on 1 August 1921, as the113th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United StatesArmy National Guard formed beforeWorld War II.
The181st Intelligence Wing is one of three Air National Guard Wings that work with theAir Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency; being equipped with the AN/GSQ-272 SentinelDistributed Common Ground System.
Intelligence analysts of the wing monitor data from manned and unmanned assets throughout the world producing actionable intelligence in support of worldwide contingency operation and senior government officials.
The 181st Intelligence Wing consists of the following units:
On 1 October 1962, theIndiana Air National Guard113th Tactical Fighter Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the181st Tactical Fighter Group was established by theNational Guard Bureau. The 113th Taxtical Fighter Squadron becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 181st Headquarters, 181st Material Squadron (Maintenance), 181st Combat Support Squadron, and the 181st USAF Dispensary. The 113th was temporarily equipped withRF-84F Thunderstreaks photo-reconnaissance aircraft to allow its pilots to maintain proficiency. In 1964, the squadron receivedF-84F Thunderstreak tactical fighter-bombers.
Re-equipped with F-84Fs, in 1965, the 181st TFG deployed toHickam Air Force Base, Hawaii for Tropic Lighting I, an exercise designed to assist in the training of Army ground units prior to their deployment to South Vietnam. This deployment required two over-water air refuelings in either direction. In addition, the 113th deployed toVincent Air Force Base, Arizona for extensive gunnery, rocketry and special weapons delivery training.
The F-84F remained with the 181st until December 1971, when they were retired to AMARC and replaced by North AmericanF-100C/D Super Sabres following their withdrawal from theVietnam War. The F-100 remained with the squadron until 1979 and participated in numerous deployments and exercises. In April 1976, the squadron deployed toRAF Lakenheath, England as part of Cornet Prize, and was awarded anAir Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period October 1975 to May 1976. The unit had the honor to fly the last active United States Military F-100 mission when it flew F-100D 56-2979 to MASDC (nowAMARC),Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in November 1979.
In the summer of 1979 the unit had begun conversion to theF-4C Phantom II (actual aircraft wereVietnam War EF-4CWild Weasel aircraft which had been de-modified). By 1 April 1988 the unit had completed its conversion to more the advanced F-4E version of the Phantom II. However, the squadron was not assigned the specialized Wild Weasel mission, and it operated its F-4Cs in the conventional strike role. With the receipt of the Phantoms in 1979, the 113th began usingTactical Air Command Tail Code "HF" on their aircraft (Hulman Field). The 113th initially operated the F-4Cs in a tactical role. In addition, they served in the air defense role as part of the Air National Guard taking over the mission of the inactivatedAerospace Defense Command for continental air defense. In the air defense role, the squadron operated underAir Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), a named unit that operated at thenumbered air force level of TAC.
Beginning in April 1991 the unit started its conversion to exUSAFE50th Tactical Fighter Wing Block 25 F-16C/Ds (the last Phantoms left in October 1991) and completed this on 1 July 1992 when the last F-16 leftHahn Air Base prior to its closure. With the changeover to the F-16, the squadron changed its Tail Code to "TH" (Terre Haute).
In 1992, the unit designation changed to181st Fighter Group (15 March 1992) and in June its gaining command changed from Tactical Air Command toAir Combat Command (1 June 1992). On 1 October 1995 the 181st Fighter Group was changed in status to a Wing, this being part of the Air Force's Objective Wing reorganization.
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 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.
Since equipping with F-16s the Racers (The 113th's nickname coming from the proximity of Terre Haute to theIndianapolis 500 racetrack) have participated in a humanitarian deployment toRomania, provided security for the1996 Summer Olympic Games and have deployed in support ofOperation Southern Watch (operating fromAl Jaber Air Base, Kuwait) andOperation Northern Watch (fromIncirlik Air Base, Turkey). Additionally, the Unit received exceptional ratings on a number of higher headquarters evaluations.
The 113th swapped their Block 25 F-16C/Ds for Block 30s in July/August 1995 and flew those aircraft until 2008. The unit's "vipers" were equipped with theLITENING targeting pod, a precision targeting pod system designed for Air Force Reserve's and Air National Guard's F-16 Block 25/30/32 Fighting Falcons. This precision targeting system significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the F-16 during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground targets with a variety of standoff weapons.
On 11 September 2001, the 181st Fighter Wing wasted no time in joining the war on terrorism as it responded after the attack on theWorld Trade Center andThe Pentagon in less than four hours to the task of flying Combat Air Patrols over the Midwest as part ofOperation Noble Eagle.
The 181st Fighter Wing drastically increased its operations tempo during the early 2000s to guard America's skies and protect freedom. The 181st deployed members and equipment to 19 countries to simultaneously support seven different military operations, including:Operation Southern Watch,Operation Northern Watch,Operation Joint Forge,Operation Noble Eagle,Operation Deep Freeze,Operation Enduring Freedom andOperation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2005, theBase Realignment and Closure commission mandated the end of the flying era for the 181st. On 8 September 2007, the 181st Fighter Wing flew their last training mission out of Hulman Field International Airport. The Block 30 F-16 aircraft were reassigned to the177th Fighter Wing,New Jersey Air National Guard atAtlantic City Air National Guard Base in September 2007.
A realignment was directed with two new Air Force missions: a Distributive Ground Station (DGS) and an Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS). On 3 May 2008 the 181st Fighter Wing was redesignated as the181st Intelligence Wing.
The DGS is an intelligence based mission, monitoring near real time video feed from Predators, Global Hawks and other unmanned aerial vehicles hovering the skies over any military area of operation. The servicemembers will process, exploit, and disseminate the video feed, providing actionable intelligence to the ground commanders and war-fighting forces.
The ASOS will bring unity to joint forces fighting in the globalwar on terrorism. Their mission is to advise the ground commanders on the best way to utilize U.S. and NATO assets for close air support.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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