| Ohio Air National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Ohio Air National Guard emblem | |
| Founded | 20 June 1927; 98 years ago (1927-06-20) |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  State of Ohio |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | state militia,military reserve force |
| Role | "To meet state and federal mission responsibilities." |
| Size | over 5,000 |
| Part of | Ohio National Guard United States National Guard Bureau |
| Garrison/HQ | Ohio Air National Guard, 7370 Readiness Road, Columbus, Ohio, 43217 |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | PresidentDonald Trump (Commander-in-Chief) Troy Meink (Secretary of the Air Force) GovernorMike DeWine (Governor of the State of Ohio) |
| State military leadership | Major General John C. Harris Jr. |
| Insignia | |
| Alternate Ohio Air Guard patch |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F-16C Fighting Falcon |
| Reconnaissance | MQ-1 Predator |
| Tanker | KC-135R Stratotanker |
TheOhio Air National Guard (OH ANG) is the aerial militia of theState of Ohio,United States of America. It is a reserve of theUnited States Air Force and along with theOhio Army National Guard an element of theOhio National Guard of the largerUnited States National Guard Bureau.
As state militia units, the units in the Ohio Air National Guard are not in the normalUnited States Air Forcechain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of theGovernor of Ohio through the office of theOhio Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of thePresident of the United States. The Ohio Air National Guard is headquartered at Beightler Armory, Columbus, and its commander is Major General John C. Harris Jr.
Under the "Total Force" concept, Ohio Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of theUnited States Air Force (USAF). Ohio 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 Ohio Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty andAir Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
Along with their federal reserve obligations, as state militia units the elements of the Ohio 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 Ohio Air National Guard consists of the following major units:
Support Unit Functions and Capabilities:
Aviation units of the National Guard first began operating in 1915. The state ofOhio received its first aerial unit afterWorld War I, when the 112th Observation Squadron (consolidated with the World War I112th Aero Squadron on 20 October 1936) was constituted in 1921 and assigned to the37th Division, but not activated. The 112th O.S. was organized and federally recognized on 20 June 1927, at Cleveland Airport. In 1933 the unit was assigned to the 45th Observation Group, a Regular Army Inactive (RAI) unit assigned to support theV Corps in wartime. The unit was inducted into federal service on 25 November 1940, and assigned toPope Field,North Carolina, in support of theI Corps.
One of its former members, Lt. Col.Addison E. Baker, was posthumously awarded theMedal of Honor while commanding theB-24-equipped 93rd Bomb Group during a mission against thePloesti oil refineries on 1 August 1943. The 112th Observation Squadron continues today as the 112th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing inToledo.
The Ohio Air National Guard was formed when the357th Fighter Group, a highly decorated fighter unit in World War II, was inactivated on 20 August 1946, and its squadrons designated for assignment to the Ohio ANG. The official site of the Ohio Air National Guard notes that it is "descended from the 357th Fighter Group".[5] The 357th Fighter Group was re-designated the121st Fighter Group on 21 August 1946, and the 121st FG then allocated to the OHANG.[6] In 1947, with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947 creating a separate Air Force, the Ohio Air National Guard came into being as a federally recognized reserve component.[7] The 121st FG received its federal recognition on 26 June 1948.
The three fighter squadrons of the 357th were also re-designated as squadrons of the Ohio Air National Guard. (Subsequently, the 121st FG was inactivated.) Initially fighter squadrons flyingF-84 and laterF-100 andA-7 jets, these redesignated squadrons that formed the first units of the OHANG are:
The121st Fighter Wing, of which the 121st FG was initially a part, was created as the55th Fighter Wing on 7 December 1947, to continue the history and the lineage of the 55th Bomb Wing, aB-24 outfit that saw combat inItaly duringWorld War II.[8]
In November 1950 it was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Wing and equipped with the first jet aircraft to serve in the OHANG. The 121st FW was called to federal service during theKorean War, although neither it nor its squadrons saw combat. Other units saw service during theBerlin Airlift, theVietnam War, andOperation Desert Storm.
The160th Air Refueling Wing was assigned to theStrategic Air Command on 1 July 1976. It was initially equipped withBoeing KC-97L Stratofreighters. The unit was based atRickenbacker AFB and equipped withBoeing KC-135s, the 160th ARW was one of 13 Air Guard refueling units assigned to SAC as part of the initial integration of Air Reserve Component units into its forces and mission. On the disbandment of SAC, the 160th Wing was reassigned to Air Mobility Command,Fifteenth Air Force on 31 May 1992, and its160th Air Refueling Group merged with the121st Fighter Wing to become the current121st Air Refueling Wing. The 160th ARG was inactivated but its 145th ARS continues as a unit of the 121st ARW today. The Major Command assignment of the 121st ARW is theAir Mobility Command.
The178th Tactical Fighter Group was formed on 15 October 1962, from the 162nd Tactical Fighter Squadron and its supporting units after serving on active duty in response to the1961 Berlin Crisis. In 1993 it also transitioned fromA-7 Corsair fighter bombers toF-16s and became the178th Fighter Wing. The Major Command assignment of the 178th FW is theAir Education and Training Command. The 178th is currently a Fighter Training Unit and the mission since 2007 has been a Foreign Sales Mission. The 178th engages in full scale training of theRoyal Netherlands Air Force under the FSM. This mission is scheduled through 2010.
The179th Tactical Fighter Group was formed out of the 164th TFS on 19 October 1962, after its release from federal service. Initially equipped with F-84s, the group converted toC-130 Hercules airlifters in January 1976 and became the179th Tactical Airlift Group. It underwent its most current redesignation on 1 October 1995, when it became the179th Airlift Wing.
The 179th is currently re-equipping with theC-27 Spartan tactical airlifter with planned initial operational capability delayed until 2011, and a deployment toAfghanistan originally scheduled for March 2011 delayed four months. The Major Command assignment of the 179th AW is theAir Mobility Command.
The180th Tactical Fighter Group was formed in October 1962 flyingF-84 Thunderstreak fighter bombers, shortly after its release from federal service. It later converted toF-100 Super Sabres andA-7s, and participated inOperation Just Cause in 1989. In 1993 it acquiredF-16 fighters and became the180th Fighter Wing. The Major Command assignment of the 180th FW is theAir Combat Command.
The Ohio Air National Guard participated in a joint state-federal mission as part of theGlobal War on Terror. F-16 and C-130 aircraft of all OHANG units display the tail code "OH". In 2005 the 179th Airlift Wing, 121st Air Refueling Wing, 180th Fighter Wing, 178th Fighter Wing, 200th Red Horse Squadron, 251st Combat Communications Group, 269th combat Communications Squadron, 123rd Air Control Squadron were deployed in response toHurricane Katrina.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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