115th Fighter Wing

The wing trained for its air defense mission until 1958. It was again activated in April 1961, remaining in the air defense mission, although its original group at the same station assumed the air refueling mission. In June 1971, the squadron again moved from General Mitchell Field to Truax Field, where the 115th Fighter-Interceptor Group was located.

In September 1972, the wing's 176th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron won the "William Tell Competition" in the F-102 category. The event, held at Tyndall Air Force Base, included top Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force and active US Air Force units worldwide. The competition included 12 teams of 48 aircraft, each team scored on aerial marksmanship, weapons control, weapons loading and maintenance.

In November 1974, the wing's gaining command changed from Air Defense Command to Tactical Air Command and its designation changed to the 128th Tactical Air Support Wing. With the realignment to TAC, in December 1974, the unit's F-102s were replaced by the Cessna O-2A Skymaster Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft. The O-2 was the military version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster, a high wing, twin-boom aircraft with a unique centerline pusher/tractor twin engine configuration. The O-2A version was used in forward air control missions, often in conjunction with a ground forward air controller and a radio operator, maintenance, and driver (ROMAD) team.

In November 1979, the O-2s were replaced by the Cessna OA-37B Dragonfly forward air control aircraft. It was developed from the A-37 light attack plane which was used extensively in the Vietnam War as a counter-insurgency aircraft, with the surviving planes either being sold to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force or returned to the United States. The OA-37s were received from ANG units in Maryland and New York.

With most of the pilots and maintenance crews having prior jet aircraft experience with the F-102s, the unit was able to transition the OA-37 to C-1 status, (full combat ready), in less than six months. Awards during the OA-37 era included an overall rating of "Excellent" in the unit's Operational Readiness Inspection, the Distinguished Flying Award and its first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

On 1 October 1981, the group was redesignated the 128th Tactical Fighter Wing. Along with the mission change came a new aircraft, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the "Warthog". The OA-37s were sent to other ANG units; survivability made the A-10 an excellent weapons delivery system for ground targets. The A-10's most dominant feature is its seven-barrel GAU-8/A 30 mm cannon, capable of firing at up to 70 "tank busting" rounds per second.

During the A-10 era, the unit received two Outstanding Unit Awards, three Air Force Flight Safety Awards, and in 1991 an "Outstanding" in its Unit Effectiveness Inspection. Deployments with the A-10 included Operation Coronet Cove to Panama, and "Checkered Flag" missions to NATO bases in West Germany and England.

USAF F-16C block 30 #87-0278 from the 176th FS sits on the runway in Madison on 28 June 2008 during the Rhythm and Booms Fireworks display. Note the 60th Anniversary paint scheme on the tail

With the end of the Cold War, the early 1990s marked several changes. On 16 March 1992, the wing became the '128th Fighter Wing and shortly thereafter changed its mobilization command change from Tactical Air Command to the newly created Air Combat Command.

In 1993, the wing began transitioning from the A-10A to the F-16C/D block 30 Fighting Falcon airframes with the enlarged inlet, the A-10s were transferred to other ANG units. The first F-16s arrived at Truax ANGB on 1 April 1993. The current role of the 176th FS is air-interdiction and close air support (CAS). This was the same task as when they flew the A-10, although the transition to the F-16 meant a huge change in the overall execution of this mission when comparing the A-10 with the F-16.

On 11 October 1995, the 128th Fighter Wing was renamed the 115th Fighter Wing and converted to the Objective Wing organization with its operational squadron assigned to the 115th Operations Group. The 128th designation duplicated that of the 128th Air Refueling Wing at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, another Wisconsin Air National Guard unit, which upgraded from group status.

Operations participated in by the 115th Fighter Wing include: Operation Coronet Chariot, Karup AS, Denmark 1994, Operation Northern Watch, Incirlik AB, Turkey 1997, Operation Southern Watch, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait 1997–98, Operation Southern Watch, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia 1999, Operation Coronet Nighthawk, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom, Al Udeid AB, Qatar 2004–05, Balad AB, Iraq, 2006, 08, & 09, Africa, 2013 and Operation Noble Eagle, from 11 September 2001 to the present.

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, the DoD recommended to close Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. As a result, three of the 27th Fighter Wing's F-16s were to be distributed to the 115th Fighter Wing amongst other aircraft moves.

The 176th Fighter Squadron celebrated its 60th anniversary in October 2008.

Today the wing is capable of air-to-air, close air support and precision guided bombing missions. The wing operates the latest generation of munitions such as the JDAM series bombs and the AIM-9X air-to-air missile.

In December 2017, the Air Force announced that the 115th was one of two Air National Guard wings selected for equipping with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The conversion to the fifth-generation jet fighter is scheduled for 2023.[3]

In April 2023, Four F-35 fighter jets touched down at Truax Field. Eventually, a total of 20 of those aircraft will arrive at the air field in the next year, where they'll replace F-16 jets, said Wisconsin Air National Guard spokesperson Keith Peter.[4]

• Wisconsin Air National Guard, 1 November 1950
• Tenth Air Force, 1 February 1951
• Eastern Air Defense Force, 10 February 1951[2]
• Central Air Defense Force, 20 May 1951 – 6 February 1952[2]
• Wisconsin Air National Guard, 1 November 1952 – 10 March 1958
• Wisconsin Air National Guard, 1 April 1961 – present

Gaining commands[5]

Air Defense Command, 1 November 1952 – 19 March 1958

Air Defense Command, 1 April 1961

Tactical Air Command, 9 November 1974

Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 - present

Groups

• 103d Tactical Fighter Group, 16 March 1992 – 11 October 1995
• 105th Tactical Air Support Group, 1 July 1979 – 1 May 1984
• 110th Tactical Air Support Group (later 110th Fighter Group), c. 1 June 1975 - 1983, c. 16 October 1991 – 11 October 1995
• 111th Tactical Air Support Group (later 111th Fighter Group), c. 1 June 1975 - 1983, 31 March 1992 – 11 October 1995
• 115th Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 115th Tactical Air Support Group, 115th Operations Group), 15 April 1956 – 10 May 1958, 1 June 1972 – 1 January 1979, 1 October 1994 - present
• 119th Fighter Group, 1 April 1961 - c. 1 June 1965
• 125th Fighter-Interceptor Group, c. 1 June 1972 - c. 1 October 1974
• 128th Fighter Group (later 128th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 128th Fighter Group), 1 November 1950 – 6 February 1952,[2] 1 November 1952 – 10 March 1958
• 148th Fighter Group, 1 April 1961 - c. 1 January 1969
• 163d Tactical Air Support Group, 8 March 1975 - c. 1 October 1982
• 169th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 June 1972 – 5 April 1975
• 182d Tactical Air Support Group (later 182d Fighter Group), 1975 - 1 April 1995

Operational Squadron

• 176th Tactical Air Support Squadron (later 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 176th Fighter Squadron), 1 January 1979 – 1 October 1994

• Billy Mitchell Field, 1 November 1950
• Truax Field, Wisconsin, 16 February 1951 – 6 February 1952
• Billy Mitchell Field, 1 November 1952 – 10 March 1958
• Billy Mitchell Field, 1 April 1961
• Truax Field (later Truax Field Air National Guard Base, 1 June 1972 – present