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148th Fighter Wing 148th Fighter Wing

A Proud Tradition
The 148th Fighter Wing has accepted no less than the highest standard of performance in fulfilling every requirement of the Air National Guard, the State of Minnesota, and the local community.
tab148th Fighter Wing History 
On September 17, 1948, a small group of 50 men were mustered in on the flight line of the Duluth municipal airport to become the nucleus of the newly formed Air National Guard unit - the 179th Fighter Squadron. This new unit came under the control of the 133rd Fighter Wing (FW) located in the Twin Cities until July 1, 1960 when the 148th Fighter Group was formed. In the beginning, there were no permanent buildings or full-time employees in the unit. Temporary Works Progress Administration (WPA) shacks and a couple of corners in the Duluth Armory had to serve the needs of the unit for several years. Read full history.
tab148th Fighter Wing Aircraft 
F-51D "Mustang" 1948-1954
F-94B "Starfire" 1954-1959
F-89J "Scorpion" 1959-1966
F-102 "Deuce" 1966-1971
F-101 "Voodoo" 1971-1976
RF-4C "Phantom" 1976-1983
F-4D "Phantom" 1983-1990
F-16A "Fighting Falcon" 1990-2002
F-16C "Fighting Falcon" 2002-current
tab60th Anniversary 


On September 17, 1948 a group of thirteen officers and thirty-seven airmen gathered at the Duluth Municipal airport to hear the reading of Special Order Number 144, ordering the  activation of the 179th Fighter Squadron.


Retiree Group Photo (13Sep2008)
tab148th Fighter Wing Shield 

The emblem is symbolic of the wing and its mission. Polaris at the Zenith in the Ursa Minor constellation refers to Minnesota, "The North Star State", where the unit was activated in 1948. The winged arrowhead represents the airborne might capability of the wing. The Phoenix bird bearing the bomb with a nuclear symbol and the lightning flashes with the cloud in pile, a heraldic device denoting the wedge, depicts the units mission "Deter the Aggressor but Prevail in War". The emblem bears the Air Force colors, golden yellow and ultramarine blue.
tabAir National Guard: A Short Story 
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.

Read More....
tab148FW Bulldogs Deployed 
Deployed Bulldogs

Approximately 300 148th Fighter Wing personnel plus aircraft deployed overseas to Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in August, 2012.

This is the Wing's first "aviation package" deployment to Afghanistan and the first time they deployed with the new Block 50 F-16 aircraft.  Most personnel will deploy for approximately 2 months. 

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