127th Wing

127th Wing

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127th Wing

Flying two aircraft and supporting three Air Force Major Commands, the 127th Wing is one of the most complex units in the U.S. Air Force. As a component of the Michigan Air National Guard, the Wing has a dual state and federal role and stands ready to serve both at home and abroad.

Based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich, the 127th Wing is composed of approximately 1,700 Citizen-Airmen and provides highly trained personnel and aircraft and support resources to serve the community, state and nation. The 127th Wing operates KC-135 Stratotankers, providing global aerial refueling capability in support of Air Mobility Command, and the A-10 Thunderbolt II, flying the close air support mission in support of Air Combat Command. The Wing also supports the Air Force Special Operations Command with its 107th Weather Flight.

Organization
The 127th Wing was created in 1996 by the merger of the 127th Fighter Wing and the 191st Airlift Group. The 127th Wing is broken into five groups, each of which are composed of various flights and squadrons.

· The 127th Air Refueling Group flies and maintains the KC-135T Stratotanker. The 127th ARG includes the 171st Air Refueling Squadron, 191st Operation Support Flight, 191st Maintenance Squadron, 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 191st Maintenance Operations Flight.
· The 127th Operations Group which flies the A-10C Thunderbolt II. The 127th OG includes the 107th Fighter Squadron and 127th Operation Support Flight.
· The 127th Maintenance Group, which supports the A-10 mission. The 127th MXG includes the 127th Maintenance Squadron, 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 127th Maintenance Operations Flight.
· The 127th Mission Support Group, which includes 127th Civil Engineer Squadron, 127th Security Forces Squadron, 127th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 127th Force Support Squadron, 127th Communication Squadron and 171st Aerial Port Flight.
· The 127th Medical Group, which provides for the combat readiness of the wing and provides a variety of medical support capabilities to the Air Force. The 127th MDG includes the 127th Medical Operations Flight and the 127th Medical Support Flight.
· In addition to the five groups, the Wing includes the 107th Weather Flight, a highly-skilled Special Forces unit that has deployed to numerous contingencies and operations around the world.

History
The 127th Wing includes one of the oldest existing units in the U.S. Air Force, the 107th Fighter Squadron. First organized as the 107th Aero Squadron in 1917, the unit was de-activated after World War I. After meeting in a garage in Detroit in 1925, the 107th Observation Squadron - consisting of 20 officers and 90 Airmen -- received federal recognition and has been in continuous operation since that time. During World War II, the unit was sent to England and flew combat support and reconnaissance during D-Day and through the end of the war in Europe. After the 2001 Terror Attacks, the Wing began flying air superiority patrols over the Detroit region and stood on 24-hour alert.
In 2004, the unit was the first to fly the F-16 Falcon from a base inside Iraq. It began flying the A-10 in 2009.

The Wing's 171st Air Refueling Squadron traces its roots to World War II, when it was established as a unit flying the P-47 Thunderbolt in the European Command. During the Korean War it was activated to serve as a pilot training unit in the American Southwest. In the 1970s, it began flying the F-106 Delta Dart and the unit became known as the "Six Pack," a moniker it retains until this day. After many years of flying C-130 aircraft, the 171st transitioned to the aerial refueling mission in 2008. Since that time, the 127th ARG and its aircraft have supported operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other locations.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base is one of the oldest continuously operating military airfields in the nation. The Michigan National Guard took possession of the former Joy Aviation Field on July 1, 1917. The first flight on what was then called Selfridge Field took place on July 8, 1917. The base has been in continuous use ever since and in 2017 celebrated 100 years of service.

The 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard is the host unit at Selfridge. The Wing's 107th Fighter Squadron traces its history to two key dates: an original organization as the 107th Aero Squadron on Aug. 27, 1917. That unit was disbanded following World War I and then reorganized as the 107th Observation Squadron on May 7, 1926, after beginning initial meetings in the summer of 1925. The Wing's 171st Air Refueling Squadron was first created as the 374th Fighter Squadron in 1943, during World War II. The modern configuration of the 127th Wing was created in 1996 by the merger of the 127th Fighter Wing and the 191st Airlift Group.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base
- Base History
  Through the early years of U.S. military aviation, the official publication Air Service (later Air Corps) Newsletter tracked the events, large and small, that impacted the small community of uniformed American Airmen. Through the pages of this publication, one is able to track the history and early development of what was then called Selfridge Field, as well as the units and Airmen who served there.
- Housing
- World War I
- World War II
  The World War II history of the Airmen, units and other personnel affiliated with Selfridge Air National Guard Base could and has filled many volumes of books. The links below offer a brief overview of three key units during that time period.
  
  Some squadrons of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the all-Black unit which helped shatter racial stereotypes during the war, were assigned to Selfridge and to the base in Oscoda, Mich. The chronology below provides an overview of their arrival, duties and departure from Selfridge. The photo above shows Tuskegee Airmen at Selfridge planning a training mission.
  
  Chronology Highlights Tuskegee Airmen History at Selfridge
  
  Both of the Michigan Air National Guard flying units currently assigned to Selfridge had a distinguished record of service in World War II. Those records are summarized at the links below. For information on the photo above, see the 107th Squadron link.
  
  107th Squadron World War II Overview
- Sept. 11, 2001

Michigan Air National Guard
- Chronology
  The history of the Michigan Air National Guard officially dates from May 7, 1926, when the forerunner of today's 107th Fighter Squadron received federal recognition. This chronology, while not complete, lists major highlights and events tracked by the Air National Guard's Historian Office at ANG headquarters. This chronology primarily tracks the history of the three flying units that have historically been assigned to Michigan: the 107th and 171st, historically assigned to the Detroit area and now at Selfridge Air National Guard Base; and the 172nd, assigned to Battle Creek.
- Combat History
- Heritage
- A Short Story
- History
- This Date in History
  The history of the Michigan National Guard pre-dates the creation of the state of Michigan by more than a century. Units of the Michigan National Guard and its predecessor organizations played key roles at many crucial points in the history of the state and of the nation. The following link provides a look at many of the events that helped shape today's Michigan National Guard by looking at events that took place on various specific dates throughout the calendar year.

The Air National Guard as we know it today -- a separate reserve component of the United States Air Force -- was a product of the politics of postwar planning and interservice rivalry during World War II. The men who planned and maneuvered for an independent postwar Air Force during World War II didn't place much faith in the reserves, especially the state-dominated National Guard.

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Fact Sheets

127th Wing

127th Wing

History & Heritage

HISTORY & HERITAGE: Selfridge Air National Guard Base

HISTORY & HERITAGE

ang: A Short Story

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