131st Fighter/Bomb Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 131st Fighter/Bomb Wing

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caption= 131st Fighter Wing F-15C's Flying Over The St. Louis Riverfront In September 2008.
dates= 1923-Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force/Air National Guard
type= Wing
role= B-2 Spirit and F-15C operations
size= Currently 11 F-15C's Left; Shares B-2 with 509th Bomb Wing
command_structure= Air National Guard/Air Combat Command
current_commander= Colonel Robert L. Leeker
garrison= Whiteman AFB and Lambert Airport, Missouri
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot= Airman Banjo A. Burro
battles=
anniversaries=

The United States Air Force's 131st Fighter/Bomb Wing is a B-2 Spirit bomber unit of the Missouri Air National Guard. In association with the 509th Bomb Wing of the active duty United States Air Force, it is located at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Because of its roots go back to the early 1920s, it has become one of the most historical and important wings in the United States Air Force. The unit uses Runway 11/29 (the new runway) at Lambert for most of its operations. The F-15C Eagle fighters operated by the wing are in the process of redeploying to the 120th Fighter Wing.

Early history

The 35th Division Aviation section of the Missouri National Guard was formally organized on June 23, 1923. Its headquarters were located in a filling station on Manchester Avenue. From there, they were moved to a small room over a grocery store on Olive Street Road In Saint Louis County. Meetings were held at the airport, then little more than a pasture, and there were no airplanes and no uniforms for the enlisted men. The first flying equipment was a Curtiss OX JN-4 "Jenny," which was purchased by the officers of the squadron and used for flight training until early 1924 when three wartime JN-4's were received. The planes were housed in a corrugated sheet metal hangar erected on the field during the National Air Races in 1923, and were later turned over to the squadron. Additional aircraft and equipment were received throughout 1924, and by year's end, a well-received training program was in effect. Only eighteen months had elapsed since the unit was formally organized. Major Bill Robertson was the first commanding officer.

During the next few years, the JN- 4's were replaced by the PT-1, TW-3, O-11, and O-2H aircraft and the unit assumed a mission of observation and reconnaissance. The Douglas O-38 aircraft was received in 1933, and was replaced in 1938 by the North American O-47 A, an all-metal mid-wing observation aircraft. The unit's first summer encampments were held in 1924 and 1925 at Camp Clark Nevada, Missouri. Subsequent encampments were at Fort Riley, Kansas; Lambert Field, St Louis; Eglin Field, Florida; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The unit entered into active service at the very start of WWII. In the early stages of the war, the unit was equipped with P-39 and P-40 fighter aircraft. The unit distinguished itself in sinking an enormous amount of Japanese shipping tonnage and received the Presidential Unit Citation. Later in the war, the 110th converted to P-51 " Mustangs". In the early summer of 1946, plans were formulated to organize the Air National Guard. Federal recognition was granted to the 57th Fighter Wing and the 110th Fighter Squadron in September of 1946.

The 57th Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 71st Fighter Wing in 1947, and finally the 131st Composite Wing on 1 November 1950. On 1 March 1951, as a result of the Korean Emergency, the Wing was recalled to active federal service for a period of twenty-one months. Shortly after the unit's return, it was re-equipped with the B-26 Light Bomber. The 110th received its first jet aircraft in the spring of 1957. The unit flew F-80 and T-33 aircraft until June 1957, then transitioned to the F-84F. A high degree of operational readiness was maintained with annual summer encampments at Volk Field, Wisconsin.

Cold War

With the Berlin Crisis, the 110th Tactical fighter Squadron was recalled to active service at Toul-Rosleres Airbase in France from October 1961 to August 1962. After returning to Saint Louis, the unit received F-100C "Super Sabers" in late 1962. Its standard of excellence and operational readiness was maintained for the next sixteen years with the F-100. In the autumn of 1978, the 110th received the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II, then in 1985 the 110th converted to the F-4E, until September 1991, when it converted to the F-15 A/B Eagle. Note: the last F-4 Phantom II aircraft flown by the Missouri Air National Guard was the same fighter that shot down two MiG-21 aircraft over North Vietnam, and the same aircraft that flew the Phantom line's 10-millionth hour in January 1990. Today, it is gutted and mounted on a pedestal as a permanent exhibit in front of the Missouri Air National Guard's entrance near Lambert International Airport in Saint Louis.

Modern Day

In early 2004, the unit transferred from the outdated F-15A to the more up-to-date F-15C. In late 2005, BRAC {Base Realignment and Closure) put the 131st Fighter Wing on the list of closings. In July 2009, the 131st Fighter Wing will shut down operations at Lambert due to BRAC, and the wing will transfer to Whiteman Air Force Base, to be the first-ever wing associated with the B-2 Spirit. The 18 F-15C aircraft presently assigned to the unit will be relocated to the 120th Fighter Wing in Montana and Nellis AFB in Nevada, this ending an impressive history to an amazing base.

An F-15A from the 131st currently sits at the entrance of the Missouri Militia.

F-15 Crashes

On Wednesday morning, May 30, 2007, A Missouri National Guard F-15 pilot ejected safely from his aircraft just before it crashed during a training mission in rural Knox county, Indiana. The plane went down just before 11 a.m. EDT south of Vincennes, near the Illinois border, as it conducted standard training maneuvers, according to a release from the National Guard. Investigators said the plane was flying at about 20,000 feet prior to the crash. The pilot had been with the 131st Fighter Wing for 12 years and was highly experienced, officials said. The unit had most recently enforced no-fly zones in Iraq. This crash decreased the 131st's aircraft count from 20 to 19.

On November 2, 2007 another F-15C from the 131st crashed in Mark Twain National Forest, in Missouri. No property was damaged and no people on the ground were hurt, however the pilot broke an arm and a shoulder, despite ejecting from the plane. The pilot also was said to be in "shock" when landowners found him. The crash was due to a flaw in a part of the planes fuselage this led to all F-15 aircraft being grounded at one point between Nov. and Jan. Since after the accidents the 131st's flights have been reduced, also due to the wing slowly moving to flying B-2s. However the 131st and the F-15's are still on active duty.

131st Bomb Wing

In 2005, BRAC voted to take away the F-15C Eagle. In July 2009 the 131st will be the first-ever Air National Guard wing to employ the B-2 Spirit, and a total of 25 pilots will be chosen from the 131st to fly the aircraft. All other guard crewmembers will transfer to Whiteman Air Force Base to work on the B-2 aircraft. The new unit will be called the 131st Bomb Wing. Both the B-2 and the F-15 will be operated for a time by the unit at separate bases. (F-15's at Lambert and B-2's at Whiteman AFB).The F-15's will begin to leave Lambert on August 15th, and be finished by April 2009. All other pilots are currently taking training to be B-2 Pilots. However flights will continue until the jets have left. The F-15's Are Being Relocated To the 120th Fighter Wing In Montana, and Nellis AFB In Nevada. By The End Of The Year The 131st Will Still Be Flying 9 F-15C's.

Public Appearances

The Wing appears in numerous air shows throughout Missouri, most notably, the St. Louis County Fair and Air show, where an F-15C is used as a static display and 4 aircraft do formation flybys for the crowd as an "after event". The St. Louis County Fair and Air Show is no longer held after 2007, and took place at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.

Assignments

Major Command

*Air National Guard/Air Combat Command (1992-Present)
*Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command (???-1992)

Previous designationsRogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0

*131st Bomb Wing (2008-Present)
*131st Fighter Wing (1992-2009)
*131st Tactical Fighter Wing (1962-1992)
*131st Light Bombardment Wing (1953-1962)
*131st Composite Wing (1950-1953)
*71st Fighter Wing (1947-1950)
*57th Fighter Wing (1946-1947)

quadrons assigned

*110th Bomb Squadron (2008-Present)
*110th Fighter Squadron (1992-2009)
*110th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1962-1992)
*110th Bombardment Squadron (Light) (1953-1962)
*110th Composite Squadron (1950-1953)
*110th Fighter Squadron (1946-1950)

Bases stationed

*Whiteman Air Force Base (2008-Present)
*Lambert Field, Missouri (1920's-2008)

Aircraft OperatedWorld Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

*B-2 Spirit (2008- Present)
*F-15C Eagle(2004-2009)
*F-15A Eagle(1991-2004)
*F-4E Phantom II (1985-1991)
*F-4C Phantom II (1978-1985)
*F-100 Super Sabre (1962-1978)
*F-80 Shooting Star (1957-1962)
*F-84 Thunderjet (1957-1962)
*T-33 Shooting Star (1957-1962)
*B-26 Marauder (1952-1957)
*North American P-51 (1945-1952)
*P-40 (1940-1945)
*North American O-47 (1938-1945)
*Douglas O-38 (1933-1938)
*Consolidated O-17 (1930-1933)
*Douglas O-2H (1929)
*Douglas O-2C (1926-1929)
*Consolidated PT-1 (1925)
*JN-4 (1923-1925)

Decorations

* [http://wwa.afpc.randolph.af.mil/AwardsNet/SearchUnitAwards.aspx?Mode=Graphics Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)]
**1994-1996

References

External links

* http://www.131fw.ang.af.mil/ (ANG Website)
* The unofficial Myspace page of the wing
* http://www.youtube.com/131stfwfan (The 131st Fighter Wing youtube page)
* http://www.131stfwfan.blogspot.com (A Blog about the news of the 131st Fighter Wing)
* http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/aviation/131st.htm
* http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/tack/
* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/131fw.htm
* http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Nov02/0,4670,GuardJetCrash,00.html
* http://www.mostlo.ang.af.mil/131st_bomb_wing_whitemanpilotselection1.htm