Description
PVC made/mounted on velcro 4.0 inch-100mm
158th FIGHTER WING
Lineage. Established as 158th Fighter Group (Air Defense), and allotted to Vermont ANG in 1956. Received federal recognition and activated on 15 Apr 1956. Redesignated: 158th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 Jul 1960; 158th Defense Systems Evaluation Group on 9 Jun 1974; 158th Tactical Fighter Group on 1 Jan 1982; 158th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 Jul 1987; 158th Fighter Group on 15 Mar 1992; 158th Fighter Wing on 11 Oct 1995-.
Assignments. 101st Air Defense Wing, 15 Apr 1956; Vermont Air National Guard, 1 Jul 1960-.
Components. Groups. 158th Operations Group, 11 Oct 1995-. Squadrons. 134th Fighter-Interceptor (later Defense Systems Evaluation, Tactical Fighter, Fighter), 15 Apr 1956-.
Stations. Ethan Allen AFB, VT, 15 Apr 1956; Burlington IAP, (later: Burlington ANGB) VT, 1 Jul 1960-. (Detachment 1 operated from: Bangor IAP, Maine, 1987–1992)
Aircraft. F-94A/B, 1952-1958; F-89D, 1958-1965; F/TF-102A, 1965-1974; EB-57B/E, 1974-1982; F-4D, 1982-1986; F-16A/B/C/D, 1986-2019; F-35A, 2019-.
Operations. Air defense of NE USA, 1956-. Manned alert hangars 24 hours a day, 1960-1974. New mission was to act as the “friendly enemy” to evaluate both air and ground radar systems using EB-57 Canberras that were re-equipped with electronic counter-measures and chaff emitting equipment, 1974-1980. Gained by Tactical Air Command with a primary mission of ground attack and close air support, 1980-1989. Mission became air defense, having aircraft on 5-minute alert, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 1989-1997. In 1998 the squadron was equipped with the Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System (TARS), providing a tactical reconnaissance capacity. In 2000, deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch, responsible for enforcing the no-fly zone below the 32nd parallel north in Iraq as part of Air Expeditionary Force 9. Began flying Operation Noble Eagle air defense missions over major cities in the northeast, 2001. Beginning in May 2005, began a series of deployments to Balad AB, Iraq, as a rotation in the Air Expeditionary Force 9/10 cycle as part of another Rainbow deployment to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. A second OIF Expeditionary deployment was made in Feb 2006 and a third to Balad AB in Sep 2007.