173rd Fighter Wing

173d Fighter Wing
173d Fighter Wing
	173d Fighter Wing emblem
Active	1996-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Fighter Interception
Part of	Oregon Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Commanders
Current Commander	Colonel James Miller
Command Chief Master Sergeant	Command Chief Master Sergeant Patrick Walsh

The 173d Fighter Wing (173 FW) is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard, stationed at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command.

Overview

Kingsley Field AGB is home to the 173rd Fighter Wing, which is located in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The 173rd Fighter Wing is responsible for training the best air-to-air combat pilots in the world. Also, as part of the Air National Guard, the wing serves the state of Oregon and our nation in times of peace and war.

Units

173d Operations Group

114th Fighter Squadron

173d Maintenance Group
173d Mission Support Group
173d Medical Group

History

On 1 April 1996, the 173d Fighter Wing was formed at Kingsley AGB as a host organization and parent unit for the 114th Fighter Squadron when the unit was authorized to expand, with the 114th being transferred from the 142d Fighter Wing at Portland to the new Wing at Kingsley ANGB. Along with the 114th FS, the 173d consists of the 173d Operations Group; 173d Maintenance Group, 173d Mission Support Group and 173d Medical Group.

Initially flying F-16A Fighting Falcon aircraft as a Formal Training Unit (FTU), the F-16As were retired in the late 1990s as their service life was ending. The squadron began receiving F-15A/B Eagles in 1998. Was upgraded to the F-15C/C Eagle in 2004, continuing its mission as an ANG interceptor training unit.

Lineage

Organized and activated as 173d Fighter Wing, 1 April 1996

Assignments

Oregon Air National Guard

Gained by: Air Education and Training Command

Components

173d Operations Group, 1 April 1996-Present

114th Fighter Squadron, 1 April 1996-Present

Assigned to 173 OG entire period

Stations

Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon, 1 April 1996-Present

Aircraft

F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, 1996-1998
F-15A/B Eagle, 1998-2004
F-15C/D Eagle, 2004-Present

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

173d Fighter Wing lineage and history
Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
173d Fighter Wing website

External links