121st Fighter Squadron

121st Fighter Squadron
General Dynamics F-16D Block 30 Fighting Falcon (s/n 85-1509) from the 121st Fighter Squadron
Active	1940-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Fighter
Part of	District of Columbia Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland
Nickname(s)	Capital Guardians
Tail Code	"DC" Red tailstripe w/stars
Insignia
121st Fighter Squadron emblem

The 121st Fighter Squadron (121 FS) is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing located at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland. The 121st is equipped with the Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.

The squadron is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, established on 10 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

History

Lineage

• Designated 121st Observation Squadron and allotted to District of Columbia NG on 30 July 1940

Activated on 10 April 1941

Ordered to active service on 1 September 1941

Re-designated: 121st Observation Squadron (Light) on 13 January 1942

Re-designated: 121st Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 18 October 1942

• Re-designated 121st Liaison Squadron on 2 April 1943

Activated on 30 April 1943

Inactivated on 7 November 1945

• Re-designated: 121st Fighter Squadron, and allotted to District of Columbia ANG on 24 May 1946

Extended federal recognition on 26 October 1946

Re-designated: 121st Fighter Squadron (Jet) in December 1949

Re-designated: 121st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 February 1951

Re-designated: 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1958

Re-designated: 121st Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1993.

Assignments

• District of Columbia National Guard, 10 Apr 1941
• 65th Observation Group, 1 Sep 1941-18 October 1942
• 76th Reconnaissance Group, 30 Apr 1943
• I Air Support Command (later I Tactical Air Division), 11 Aug 1943
• Army Air Forces, MTO, Mar 1944

Attached to Fifth Army after 30 Sep 1944

Two flights assigned to: US Strategic Air Forces in Europe, 1 Nov 1944

Two flights assigned to: Ninth Air Force, 29 Nov 1944

Two flights assigned to: First Tactical Air Force [Prov], 22 Dec 1944-1 Mar 1945

Further attached to: Sixth Army Group, Sep 1944-1 Mar 1945

• Twelfth Air Force, 25 Feb 1945

Attached to: Fifth Army to c. July 1945

• Third Air Force, 25 Aug-7 Nov 1945
• 113th Fighter Group, 24 May 1946
• 113th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 Feb 1951
• 113th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 Nov 1958
• 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, 9 Dec 1974
• 113th Operations Group, 15 Mar 1992-Present

References

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

External links

• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/121fs.htm