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[[File:106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses 1951.jpg|thumb|106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses at March AFB, 1951]]
[[File:106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses 1951.jpg|thumb|106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses at March AFB, 1951]]
With the surprise invasion of [[South 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 on 1 February 1951. The 102d and 114th's B-26 light attack bombers were sent to [[Fifth Air Force]] in Japan for use in the [[Korean War]], and the 106th Bomb Group was federalized and assigned to Strategic Air Command. On 28 March 1951, the Wing was deployed less equipment to [[March Air Force Base]], California. The 106th was re-equipped with [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]es and given the mission to train reservist crewmen to back-fill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the air guardsmen were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. The personnel and equipment at March were re-designated as the [[320th Bombardment Wing]] in December 1952 and the 106th Bomb Wing was returned to New York state control.
With the surprise invasion of [[South 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 on 1 February 1951. The 102d and 114th's B-26 light attack bombers were sent to [[Fifth Air Force]] in Japan for use in the [[Korean War]], and the 106th Bomb Group was federalized and assigned to Strategic Air Command. On 28 March 1951, the Wing was deployed less equipment to [[March Air Force Base]], California. The 106th was re-equipped with [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]es and given the mission to train reservist crewmen to back-fill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the air guardsmen were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. The personnel and equipment at March were re-designated as the [[320th Bombardment Wing]] in December 1952 and the 106th Bomb Wing was returned to New York state control.

====Cold War====
With its return to New York state control in 1953, the 106th was again equipped with B-26 Invaders, the aircraft being returned from combat duty in Korea. The 102d trained in proficency with the attack bomber until the removal of the B-26 from bombing duties in 1956 as neared the end of their service lives.

The 106th was transferred from Tactical Air Command to [[Air Defense Command]] (ADC) and assumed an air defense mission over Long Island and New York City, entering the Jet Age with the limited all-weather [[F-94B Starfire]] interceptor. With the Starfire, the 102d began standing end of runway air defense alert, ready to launch interceptors if ADC Ground Intercept Radar picked up an unidentified target. The squadron stood air defense alert from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset every day, 365 days a year. In 1957, ADC upgraded the 102d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to the all-weather [[F-86D Sabre Interceptor]]. With the reciept of the F-86D, the alert mission was extended to 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year.
[[File:102d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Convair F-102A-70-CO Delta Dagger 56-1241.jpg|thumb|left|102d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Convair F-102A-70-CO Delta Dagger 56-1241. Photographed in September 1974, the 102d FIS was unusual in the fact that its interceptors carried an unusual color tactical camouflage motif.]]
In 1956, Lt. Col. Norma Parsons made military and National Guard history when she became the first woman member of the National Guard, the first woman member of the Air National Guard, and the first woman to be commissioned in the Air National Guard.<ref>http://firstaero.org/normaparsonserb.htm</ref>

The State of New York was notified by HQ United States Air Force on 26th September 1957 that support for the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron would be ended due to fiscal constraints. Despite protests from the Governor of New York State that this was in violation of the law with respect to State militia units, the Air Force eventually prevailed and the 114th FIS was inactivated on 30 September 1958.

In 1959, the 106th FIG was reassigned to [[Military Air Transport Service]] (MATS), trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4-engined [[C-97 Stratofreighter]] transports, being allocated to the MATS Eastern Transport Air Force (EASTAF). Initially equipped with specialized MC-119J Flying Boxcars configured for transport of wounded and injured, the 102d Aeromedical Transport Squadron airlifted critically injured and sick personnel for a year. In 1960, with air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need, the 102d was re-designated the 102d Air Transport Squadron (Heavy). During the [[1961 Berlin Crisis]], the 102d augmented MATS airlift capability world-wide in support of the Air Force’s needs in Europe. It also flew scheduled MATS transport missions to Europe, Africa the Caribbean and South America.

With the acquisition of KC-97 Stratotankers from Strategic Air Command, the 104th was transferred back to Tactical Air Command in July 1962 the 106th became an air refueling group. It's mission was to provide aireal refueling to tactical fighters. With the KC-97 being a variant of the C-97 Stratofreighter the conversion of the unit from transports to refueling aircraft was easily accomplished, the squadron receiving the KC-97Ls with addition of jet engine pods mounted to the outboard wings. In 1964, it participated in Operation “Ready Go”, the first all United States Air National Guard (ANG) non-stop deployment of fighter aircraft to Europe. 1967 saw the beginning of Operation Creek Party, a continuous rotational mission flying from Rhein Main Air Base, West Germany, providing air refueling to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) tactical aircraft. The success of this operation, which would continue until 1972, demonstrated the ability of the Air National Guard to perform significant day-to-day missions without being mobilized.

In 1969, the Air Force closed [[Suffolk County Air Force Base]] and the NYANG relocated there. The 102d Air Refueling Squadron returned to Air Defense Command in 1972 and again became an air defense unit. The 102d was re-equipped with the F-102A Delta Dagger, which was being replaced in the active duty interceptor force by the F-106. The Mach-2 "Deuce", still a very potent interceptor, served with the 106th FIG until June 1975, when [[Aerospace Defense Command]] was reducing the USAF interceptor force as the threat of Soviet Bombers attacking the United States was deemed remote.


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Revision as of 14:14, 20 November 2012

106th Rescue Wing
106th Rescue Wing HC-130 refuleling an HH-60 Pave Hawk over Long Island, New York
Active1943–Present
Country United States
Branch  Air National Guard
TypeWing
RoleCombat Search and Rescue
SizeAbt. 1,000
Part ofNew York Air National Guard
Garrison/HQFrancis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York
PatronSo that others may live
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
106th Rescue Wing emblem

The 106th Rescue Wing (106 RW) is a unit of the New York Air National Guard, stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command.

The 102d Rescue Squadron assigned to the Wings 106th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the World War I 102d Aero Squadron, established on 23 August 1917. It was reformed on 4 November 1922, as the 102d Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 102d Rescue Squadron, with a history going back to 30 April 1908, is the oldest unit of the New York Air National Guard; the Air National Guard's Oldest Unit, and has over a century of service to the state of New York and the United States.

Overview

The 106th Rescue Wing deploys worldwide to provide combat search and rescue coverage for U.S. and allied forces. Combat search and rescue missions include flying low-level, preferably at night aided with night vision goggles, to an objective area where aerial refueling of a rescue helicopter is performed, or pararescue teams are deployed.

During peacetime, the unit also provides search and rescue services to the maritime community and NASA.

Units

The 106th Rescue Wing consists of the following major units

* Note: In 2004, Air Force Special Operations Command re-organized Air National Guard rescue wings, establishing separate squadrons for fixed-wing, helicopter and pararescue

History

World War II

Martin B-26G-5-MA Marauder Serial 43-34373 of the 587th Bomb Squadron.

Constituted as 394th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 15 February 1943. Activated on 5 March 1943. Trained with B-26's. Moved to RAF Boreham England, February–March 1944, and assigned to Ninth Air Force. Their group marking was a white diagonal band across the fin and rudder.

When the first Martin B-26 Marauders of the Group arrived some hardstands and buildings were still being built. Operations commenced only 12 days after the majority of the group arrived with the initial mission being flown on 23 March.

In the weeks that followed, the 394th was repeatedly sent to attack bridges in occupied France and the Low Countries, which led to its dubbing itself 'The Bridge Busters'. A total of 96 missions, on which 5,453 tons of bombs were dropped, were flown from Boreham before the 394th was moved on 24 July to RAF Holmsley South in the New Forest due to the urgent requirement of IX Bomber Command to extend the radius of action of part of its Martin B-26 Marauder force.

There was no break in operations at this critical period when the Saint-Lô offensive was underway. The 394th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its work during the period 7–9 August, when it made a series of attacks against heavily-defended targets, destroying four rail bridges and devastating an ammunition dump.

Loading bombs on Martin B-26G-1-MA Marauder Serial 43-34194 of the 584th Bomb Squadron.

It was during a bridge attack on 9 August that the Lead B-26. piloted by Captain Darrell Lindsey, was hit by flak and the right engine set alight. Although knowing that the fuel tanks were likely to catch fire and explode, Lindsey did not waver from leading the bomb run or order his crew to bail out until after bombs had been released. The bombardier offered to lower the nosewheel so that Lindsey might escape through the nose hatch but, knowing the likelihood of his losing control if this was done, Lindsey ordered the bombardier to jump. Lindsey did not escape before the aircraft crashed.

The award of a posthumous Medal of Honor was the only occasion that this highest US award for bravery went to a Ninth Air Force bomber crewman living in the ETO. All told, six 394th B-26s were lost in operations from Holmsley South. The group's aircraft began to move to the airfield at Tour-en-Bessin in France (A-13) on 21 August and the last personnel left Holmesley South on the 31st.

On the continent the group hit strong points at Brest and then began to operate against targets in Germany. Took part in the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945, by hitting communications to deprive the enemy of supplies and reinforcements. Bombed transportation, storage facilities, and other objectives until the war ended; also dropped propaganda leaflets.

By VE-Day, the 394th was based at Venlo (Y-55) in the southeastern Netherlands. The group remained in the theater to serve with United States Air Forces in Europe as part of the army of occupation at Kitzingen, Germany. It was transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the United States on 15 February 1946 and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.

New York Air National Guard

The wartime 394th Bombardment Group was re-designated as the 106th Bombardment Group (Light), and was allotted to the New York Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York, and was extended federal recognition on 21 March 1947 and activated by the National Guard Bureau. The 106th Bombardment Group was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 394th Bombardment Group. It was assigned to the NY Air National Guard 52d Fighter Wing.

The Group was assigned the 106th and 114th Bombardment Squadrons, both equipped with B-26 Invader attack bombers. Its mission was to train in proficiency with the B-26 and obtain operational readiness with the weapons system. In the postwar era, the Air National Guard was like a flying club for the many World War II veterans that filled its ranks. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were experienced from wartime duty so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. A pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans.

In October 1950, the Air National Guard converted to the wing-base (Hobson Plan) organization. As a result, the 52d Fighter Wing was withdrawn from the Air National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 106th Bombardment Wing was activated as one of two new NY ANG Wings (the other being the 107th Fighter Wing at Niagara Falls Airport) which replaced it, both reporting directly to the New York National Guard Adjutant general in Albany.

Korean War activation

106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses at March AFB, 1951

With the surprise invasion of South 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 on 1 February 1951. The 102d and 114th's B-26 light attack bombers were sent to Fifth Air Force in Japan for use in the Korean War, and the 106th Bomb Group was federalized and assigned to Strategic Air Command. On 28 March 1951, the Wing was deployed less equipment to March Air Force Base, California. The 106th was re-equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and given the mission to train reservist crewmen to back-fill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the air guardsmen were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. The personnel and equipment at March were re-designated as the 320th Bombardment Wing in December 1952 and the 106th Bomb Wing was returned to New York state control.

Cold War

With its return to New York state control in 1953, the 106th was again equipped with B-26 Invaders, the aircraft being returned from combat duty in Korea. The 102d trained in proficency with the attack bomber until the removal of the B-26 from bombing duties in 1956 as neared the end of their service lives.

The 106th was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Air Defense Command (ADC) and assumed an air defense mission over Long Island and New York City, entering the Jet Age with the limited all-weather F-94B Starfire interceptor. With the Starfire, the 102d began standing end of runway air defense alert, ready to launch interceptors if ADC Ground Intercept Radar picked up an unidentified target. The squadron stood air defense alert from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset every day, 365 days a year. In 1957, ADC upgraded the 102d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to the all-weather F-86D Sabre Interceptor. With the reciept of the F-86D, the alert mission was extended to 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year.

102d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Convair F-102A-70-CO Delta Dagger 56-1241. Photographed in September 1974, the 102d FIS was unusual in the fact that its interceptors carried an unusual color tactical camouflage motif.

In 1956, Lt. Col. Norma Parsons made military and National Guard history when she became the first woman member of the National Guard, the first woman member of the Air National Guard, and the first woman to be commissioned in the Air National Guard.[1]

The State of New York was notified by HQ United States Air Force on 26th September 1957 that support for the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron would be ended due to fiscal constraints. Despite protests from the Governor of New York State that this was in violation of the law with respect to State militia units, the Air Force eventually prevailed and the 114th FIS was inactivated on 30 September 1958.

In 1959, the 106th FIG was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service (MATS), trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4-engined C-97 Stratofreighter transports, being allocated to the MATS Eastern Transport Air Force (EASTAF). Initially equipped with specialized MC-119J Flying Boxcars configured for transport of wounded and injured, the 102d Aeromedical Transport Squadron airlifted critically injured and sick personnel for a year. In 1960, with air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need, the 102d was re-designated the 102d Air Transport Squadron (Heavy). During the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 102d augmented MATS airlift capability world-wide in support of the Air Force’s needs in Europe. It also flew scheduled MATS transport missions to Europe, Africa the Caribbean and South America.

With the acquisition of KC-97 Stratotankers from Strategic Air Command, the 104th was transferred back to Tactical Air Command in July 1962 the 106th became an air refueling group. It's mission was to provide aireal refueling to tactical fighters. With the KC-97 being a variant of the C-97 Stratofreighter the conversion of the unit from transports to refueling aircraft was easily accomplished, the squadron receiving the KC-97Ls with addition of jet engine pods mounted to the outboard wings. In 1964, it participated in Operation “Ready Go”, the first all United States Air National Guard (ANG) non-stop deployment of fighter aircraft to Europe. 1967 saw the beginning of Operation Creek Party, a continuous rotational mission flying from Rhein Main Air Base, West Germany, providing air refueling to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) tactical aircraft. The success of this operation, which would continue until 1972, demonstrated the ability of the Air National Guard to perform significant day-to-day missions without being mobilized.

In 1969, the Air Force closed Suffolk County Air Force Base and the NYANG relocated there. The 102d Air Refueling Squadron returned to Air Defense Command in 1972 and again became an air defense unit. The 102d was re-equipped with the F-102A Delta Dagger, which was being replaced in the active duty interceptor force by the F-106. The Mach-2 "Deuce", still a very potent interceptor, served with the 106th FIG until June 1975, when Aerospace Defense Command was reducing the USAF interceptor force as the threat of Soviet Bombers attacking the United States was deemed remote.

Lineage

  • Constituted as 394th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 15 February 1943
Activated on 5 March 1943
Inactivated on 31 March 1946
  • Re-designated: 106th Bombardment Group (Light) and allotted to New York ANG on 24 May 1946
Extended federal recognition on 21 March 1947
  • Established as 106th Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1950
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 March 1951
Re-designated: 106th Bombardment Group (Medium), 1 May 1951
Released from active duty and returned to New York state control, 1 December 1952
Re-designated: 106th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 July 1956
Re-designated: 106th Aeromedical Transport Wing, 1 July 1959
Re-designated: 106th Air Transport Wing (Heavy), 1 July 1960
Re-designated: 106th Air Refueling Wing, 1 July 1962
Re-designated: 106th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 2 December 1972
Re-designated: 106th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Wing, 14 June 1975
Re-designated: 106th Air Rescue Wing, 1 October 1989
Re-designated: 106th Rescue Wing, 16 March 1992

Assignments

Attached to: XII Fighter Command, September 1945-15 February 1946
Gained by: Tactical Air Command
Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 1 July 1956
Gained by: Eastern Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, 1 July 1959
Gained by: Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1962
Gained by: 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, 2 December 1972
Gained by: Military Airlift Command, 14 June 1975
Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992
Gained by: Air Force Special Operations Command, 1 October 2003-Present

Components

  • 106th Bombardment (later Fighter-Interceptor, Aeromedical Transport, Air Transport, Air Refueling, Aerospace Rescue & Recovery, Air Rescue, Rescue) Group, 1 November 1950-1 March 1951; 1 December 1952-30 September 1995
Re-designated: 106th Operations Group, 1 October 1995-Present

Stations

Aircraft

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ http://firstaero.org/normaparsonserb.htm
  • Freeman, Roger A. UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle, 1994. ISBN 0-900913-80-0.
  • Freeman, Roger A. The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle, 1996. ISBN 1-85409-272-3.
  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  • Ziegler, J. Guy. Bridge Busters, the Story of the 394th Bomb Group of the 98th Bomb Wing, 9th Bomb Division, 9th Air Force. New York: Ganis and Harris, 1949.
  • Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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