| Mississippi Air National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of Headquarters, Mississippi Air National Guard | |
| Active | 1939–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Mississippi |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | state militia,military reserve force |
| Role | "To meet state and federal mission responsibilities" |
| Part of | Mississippi National Guard United States National Guard Bureau |
| Headquarters | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | PresidentDonald Trump (Commander-in-Chief) Frank Kendall III (Secretary of the Air Force) GovernorTate Reeves (Governor of Mississippi) |
| Major General | Major General Edward H. Evans Jr., MS ANG |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | MS ANG |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | C-17 Globemaster III |
| Tanker | KC-135 Stratotanker |
TheMississippi Air National Guard (MS ANG), commonly known as theMississippi Air Guard, is the aerial militia of theState of Mississippi,United States of America. It is a reserve of theUnited States Air Force and along with theMississippi Army National Guard, an element of theMississippi National Guard of the much largerUnited States National Guard Bureau.
As state militia units, the units in the Mississippi Air National Guard are not in the normalUnited States Air Forcechain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of theGovernor of Mississippi though the office of theMississippi Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of thePresident of the United States. The Mississippi Air National Guard is headquartered in Jackson, and its commander is currently[update] Major General Edward H. Evans, Jr.
Under the "Total Force" concept, Mississippi Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of theUnited States Air Force (USAF). Mississippi ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by aMajor Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Mississippi Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
Along with their federal reserve obligations, as state militia units the elements of the Mississippi ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.
The Mississippi Air National Guard consists of the following major units:
Support Unit Functions and Capabilities:
TheMilitia Act of 1903 established the present National Guard system, units raised by the states but paid for by the Federal Government, liable for immediate state service. Iffederalized by Presidential order, they fall under the regular military chain of command. On 1 June 1920, theMilitia Bureau issued Circular No.1 on organization of National Guard air units.[4]
The Mississippi Air National Guard origins date to 18 August 1939 with the establishment of the 153d Observation Squadron and is oldest unit of the Mississippi Air National Guard. It is one of the29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of theUnited States Army National Guard formed beforeWorld War II. The 153d Observation Squadron was ordered into active service on 15 October 1940 as part of the buildup of theArmy Air Corps prior to the United States entry into World War II.
On 24 May 1946, theUnited States Army Air Forces, in response to dramatic postwar military budget cuts imposed by PresidentHarry S. Truman, allocated inactive unit designations to theNational Guard Bureau for the formation of an Air Force National Guard. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various State National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units.[5]
The modern Mississippi ANG received federal recognition on 12 September 1946 as the 153d Fighter Squadron atKey Field, Meridian. It was equipped with F-47 Thunderbolts and its mission was the air defense of the state. 18 September 1947, however, is considered the Mississippi Air National Guard's official birth concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under the National Security Act.[5]
A second Mississippi ANG unit, the 183d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, was organized and federally recognized at Hawkins Field, Jackson and extended recognition as a new unit on 1 July 1953.
On 15 October 1962 the 153d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 186th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was allotted by the National Guard Bureau, extended federal recognition and activated. On 1 July 1965 the 183d Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 172d Air Transport Group was federally recognized at Jackson.
Today, the 172d Airlift Wing (172d AW) flies weekly missions into harm's way to return wounded patients of the Total Force safely back to the U.S. The 186th Air Refueling Wing (186 ARW) provides worldwide air refueling support to major commands of the United States Air Force, as well as other U.S. military forces and the military forces of allied nations.
After theSeptember 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, elements of every Air National Guard unit in Mississippi has been activated in support of the globalwar on terrorism. Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers and air security personnel were engaged inOperation Noble Eagle air defense overflights of major United States cities. Also, Mississippi ANG units have been deployed overseas as part ofOperation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan andOperation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq as well as other locations as directed.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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