Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 3.5 inch-90mm
103rd AIRLIFT WING (AMC)
Lineage. Constituted as the 324 Fighter Group on 24 Jun 1942. Activated on 6 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Redesignated 103 Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. Activated on 1 Jul 1946. Extended federal recognition on 7 Aug 1946. Federalized and ordered to active service on 2 Mar 1951. Redesignated: 103 Fighter-Interceptor Group on 2 Mar 1951. Inactivated on 6 Feb 1952. Returned to Connecticut state control on 1 Nov 1952. Redesignated 103 Fighter-Bomber Group 1 Jan 1953; 103 Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 Jul 1955. 103 Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 1 Jul 1955; 103 Tactical Fighter Group on 30 Nov 1957; 103 Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 1 Sep 1960; 103 Tactical Fighter Group on 12 Jun 1971; 103 Fighter Group on 15 Mar 1992; 103 Fighter Wing on 11 Oct 1995; 103 Airlift Wing on 1 Apr 2008-.
Assignments. 103 Air Defense Wing: 103 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 31 Oct 1950; 103 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 2 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; 103 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Jan 1953; 103 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 July 1955; 103 Air Defense Wing, 1 Jul 1955-1 Jul 1957.
103 Air Defense Wing: Connecticut Air National Guard, 1 Nov 1950; Eastern Air Defense Force, 2 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; Connecticut Air National Guard: 1 Nov 1952-1 Jul 1957.
103 Airlift Wing: I Fighter Command: 6 Jul 1942; Ninth Air Force: Dec 1942; 64 Fighter Wing: Jul 1943; XII Air Support Command (later XII Tactical Air Command): 25 Oct 1943; Army Service Forces, New York Port of Embarkation, 20 Oct 1945-7 Nov 1945; Connecticut Air National Guard: 7 Aug 1946; 103 Fighter Wing: 1 Nov 1950; Air Defense Command: 2 Mar 1951; 103 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, (later 103 Air Defense), 23 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952, 1 Nov 1952; Connecticut Air National Guard: 1 Jul 1957; 102 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Nov 1957; 101 Air Defense Wing, 1 Sep 1960; 102 Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 Jun 1971; 127 Tactical Fighter Wing, c. Jun 1972; 174 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1979; 128 Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1992-.
Components. 103 Airlift Wing. Groups. 103 Operations, 11 Oct 1995-; 103 Logistics (later Maintenance), 11 Oct 1995-; 103 Medical, 11 Oct 1995-; 103 Support Group (later Mission Support), 11 Oct 1995-. Squadrons. 118 Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber, Tactical Fighter, Fighter, Airlift), 7 Aug 1946-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1952-11 Oct 1995; 152 Fighter, 15 Sep 1948-10 Feb 1951, 1 Mar 1953-19 Nov 1955; 314 Fighter, 6 Jul 1942-7 Nov 1945; 315 Fighter, 6 Jul 1942-7 Nov 1945; 316 Fighter, 6 Jul 1942-7 Nov 1945.
103 Air Defense Wing. Groups. 103 Air Base Group, 1 Nov 1950-2 Mar 1951; 23 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1952-15 Apr 1956. 103 Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter-Bomber, Fighter (Air Defense)) 1 Nov 1950-2 Mar 1951; 23 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1952-1 July 1957. 103 Medical Group, 1 Nov 1950-2 March 1951; 23 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1952-15 Apr 1956. 103 Maintenance & Supply, 1 Nov 1950-2 Mar 1951; 23 Mar 1951-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1952-15 Apr 1956.
Stations. 103 Airlift Wing. Mitchel Field, NY 6 July 1942; Baltimore Municipal Airport, MD 6 Jul-8 Oct 1942; RAF El Amiriya Egypt Dec 1942; RAF Kabrit, Egypt 2 Feb 1943; Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia 2 Jun 1943; El Haouaria Airfield, Tunisia c. 18 Jun 1943; Menzel Heurr Airfield, Tunisia 3 Oct 1943; Cercola Airfield, Italy 25 Oct 1943; Pignataro Maggiore Airfield, Italy, 6 May 1944; Le Banca Airfield, Italy 6 Jun 1944; Montalto Di Castro Airfield, Italy ; 4 Jun 1944; Ghisonaccia Airfield, Corsica, 19 Jul 1944; Le Luc Airfield, France 25 Aug 1944; Istres Airfield (Y-17), France 2 Sep 1944; Amberieu Airfield (Y-5), France 6 Sep 1944; Dôle-Tavaux Airfield (Y-7), France 20 Sep 1944; Luneville Airfield (Y-2), France 4 Jan 1945; AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen (R-50), Germany 8 May 1945; Camp Shanks, NY 20 Oct 1945 – 7 Nov 1945; Bradley Field, CT, 7 Aug 1946; Bradley IAP, 1 Jan 1947; Suffolk County AFB, NY, 1 Jun 1951-6 Feb 1952; Bradley Field (later Bradley ANGB), CT, 1 Nov 1952-.
103 Air Defense Wing. Brainard Field, CT, 1 Nov 1950; Suffolk County AFB, NY, 1 Jun 1951-6 Feb 1952; Brainard Field, Hartford, CT, 1 Nov 1952-1 Jul 1957.
Aircraft. P-40, 1942-1944; P-47, 1944–1952; F-51H, 1952-1953; F-84, 1953-1956; F-94, 1956-1957; F-86, 1957-1960; F-100, 1960-1966; F/TF-102A Delta Dagger, 1966–1971; F-100, 1971-1979; A-10I, 1979-2008; C-21, 2007-2013; C-130, 2013-.
Operations. Combat operations in MTO and ETO. Responsible for air defense of Connecticut. Federalized for the Korean War call-up, 1951-1952. Operationally-gained by the Tactical Air Command (TAC) as a Fighter-Bomber unit, however, air defense remained as a secondary mission. Equipped with long range F-51H with an assigned mission of close air support (CAS), 1952-1953. From 1971-1993, the mission was close air support and it began a NATO commitment, deploying frequently to West Germany to reinforce USAFE. In 1993-1994, participated in Operation DENY FLIGHT to enforce the no-fly zone over Bosnia and provided close air support to UN troops, conducting approved air strikes under a UN command arrangement. In 1996, participated in Operation DECISIVE ENDEAVOR to provide support to NATO’s Implementation Force (IFOR) and close air support for UN forces in Croatia in accordance with the Dayton Peace Accord. Other deployments were made to augment combat operations during Operations DENY FLIGHT /SOUTHERN WATCH to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait in Apr 1999 and again in Sep 2001. Mobilized by Presidential Order in Feb 2003 for deployment to Southwest Asia for what was to become Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, operating as part of the 387th AEG flew over 892 combat missions over western Iraq Mar-Apr 2003. In April 2008, now the 103 AW, a bridge mission flying C-21A supporting JOSAC VIP airlift, counter drug operations in the U.S., Central America, South America and the Caribbean, A Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) for TF-34 engines used on A-10 attack aircraft and an Air Operations Center (AOC) responsible for Command and Control operations during wartime. Receiving the C-130H Hercules aircraft in Sep 2013, the new mission is providing theater cargo and passenger airlift.
Campaigns. Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; EAME Theater.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa and Sicily, Mar-[Jul] 1943; Cassino, 12-14 May 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Distinguished Unit Citation: May 1943-Jul 1943; 12 May 1944-14 May 1944; 1 Jan 1972-31 Decr 1973; 1 Jan 1976-31 Dec 1977; 19 May 1985-18 May 1987; 1 Jul 1992-30 Jun 1994; French Croix de Guerre with Palm, 1944–1945.
Insignia. Approved 1 May 1953.