119th Fighter Squadron

The 119th Fighter Squadron (119 FS) is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing located at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. The 119th is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 5th Aviation School Squadron (later 119th Aero Squadron), established on 5 June 1917. It was reformed on 30 January 1930, as the 119th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

Origins
The 119th Fighter Squadron is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, its origins beginning in June 1917 as the World War I 5th Aviation School Squadron at Langley Field, Virginia. In September 1917 it was redesignated as the 119th Aero Squadron. Not deployed overseas, the unit was inactivated in May 1919.

The squadron was reactivated in 1930 when it was reorganized as the 119th Observation Squadron, New Jersey National Guard, at Metropolitan Airport, Newark, New Jersey as an air arm of the 44th Division Aviation and received federal recognition in January 1930.

In 1934, aircraft of the 119th Observation Squadron were dispatched to the scene of the "Morro Castle", a ship burning off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Many hours were spent flying over the ship and adjacent water assisting in the direction of rescue efforts and locating survivors.

The 119th Observation Squadron fell victim to the "draft" on 16 September 1940, when it was inducted into active service. The unit continued as the 119th until 12 April 1948, at which time it became the 490th Fighter Squadron. The 490th was disbanded in May 1944 while still at Thomasville, Georgia.

New Jersey Air National Guard
The wartime 490th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted on 21 June 1945. It was then re-designated as the 119th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the New Jersey Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Newark Airport, New Jersey and was extended federal recognition on 9 June 1947. The 119th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 490th. The squadron was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was allocated to the First Air Force, Continental Air Command by the National Guard Bureau.

The 119th moved to the former Atlantic City Naval Air Station, now known as the William J. Hughes Technical Center, on 5 August 1958. This change of station also brought about a change in aircraft to the F-84F. The 119th was called to active duty again in October 1961, for the Berlin Crisis. The unit remained at home station; however, the pilots were periodically rotated to Chaumont Air Base, France.

On 15 October 1962, the 119th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 177th Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 119th TFS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 177th Headquarters, 177th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 177th Combat Support Squadron, and the 177th USAF Dispensary. The 119th transitioned into F-86H aircraft. Two years later, the unit transitioned into F-100 "Super Sabres". In January 1968, a new crisis, the seizure of the American ship USS Pueblo by North Korean forces, and again the 119th was called to active duty. In May 1968, the squadron was activated to federal service, and its personnel were assigned to the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina. Personnel were spread throughout the United States, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam with the main unit stationed at the 113 TFW. The 119 TFS returned to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in June 1969, and transitioned into the F-105 'Thunderchief" in 1970.

In 1972, Headquarters Air Force announced that the 119th TFS would be assigned to the Aerospace Defense Command and be responsible for protecting the United States from airborne attacks, and so was reorganized as the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group and 119th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. In 1973, the unit transitioned into the F-106 "Delta Dart" and assumed alert status the following year. The Aerospace Defense Command then came under TAC as the Air Defense Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), and then again changed to a numbered Air Force, 1st Air Force. During 1988, the unit transitioned into the F-16A/B, "Fighting Falcon", and received an "excellent" rating during its first Operational Readiness Inspection with the F-16 in October 1989.

From 1 May through 13 June 1998, the squadron deployed five F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft and 46 personnel to Howard AFB, Panama, in support of OPERATION CORONET NIGHTHAWK. 130 personnel rotated on a two-week basis during the six-week deployment. Operating as part of a joint interagency task force, the wing’s role was to detect and identify suspected drug smuggling aircraft. Once identified, the suspected aircraft are turned over to law enforcement agencies for apprehension.

As the events of 11 September unfolded, the 119th Fighter Squadron, through years of preparation, training and commitment launched to our nation's emergency and desperate call for help. These Air Guard warriors brought with them the character and core values of generations of heroic citizen soldiers and airmen. Since October 2001, the unit has had an active involvement in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lineage

 * Organized as 5th Aviation School Squadron on 5 Jun 1917
 * Redesignated: 119th Aero Squadron on 2 Sep 1917
 * Redesignated: Detachment No, 11, Air Service, Aircraft Production on 31 July 1918
 * Demobilized on 29 May 1919


 * Constituted in the National Guard as the 119th Squadron (Observation), 1921
 * Allocated to the State of New Jersey, 1921
 * Re-designated: 119th Observation Squadron, 25 January 1923
 * Organized and Federally Recognized 30 January 1930


 * Consolidated with Detachment No, 11, Air Service, Aircraft Production, 17 October 1936
 * Reconstituted 17 October 1936
 * Ordered to active service on 16 Sep 1940
 * Re-designated: 119th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 Jan 1942
 * Re-designated: 119th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942
 * Inactivated on 18 Oct 1942


 * Activated on 1 Mar 1943.
 * Re-designated: 119th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 Apr 1943
 * Re-designated: 490th Fighter Squadron on 11 Aug 1943
 * Disbanded on 1 May 1944


 * Reconstituted on 21 Jun 1945.
 * Re-designated 119th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to New Jersey Air National Guard on 24 May 1946
 * Extended federal recognition and activated, 9 Feb 1947
 * Re-designated: 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 October 1961
 * Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 October 1961
 * Released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control, 1 August 1962
 * Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 April 1968
 * Released from active duty and returned to New Jersey state control, 27 May 1969
 * Re-designated: 119th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 31 October 1972
 * Re-designated: 119th Fighter Squadron, 8 August 1988

Assignments

 * Post Headquarters, Langley Field, 5 June 1917-29 May 1919
 * 44th Division, New Jersey NG, 1921-15 February 1929 (Not activated)
 * New Jersey National Guard
 * Attached to: 44th Division (Divisional aviation), 30 January 1930


 * 42d Observation Group, II Corps, 1 October 1933
 * Second Corps Area, 16 Sep 1940
 * United States First Army, 3 Oct 1940
 * II Army Corps, c. Mar 1941
 * United States First Army, c. Jun 1941
 * I Air Support Command
 * Attached to 59th Observation Group, 1 Sep 1941


 * 59th Observation Group, 29 Mar – 18 Oct 1942
 * 59th Observation (later Reconnaissance) Group, 1 Mar 1943 – 1 May 1944
 * 52d Fighter Wing, 9 February 1947
 * 108th Strategic Fighter Wing, 26 May 1949
 * 108th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 June 1955
 * 108th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 Jul 1955
 * 108th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1960
 * 7108th Tactical Wing, 1 October 1961
 * 177th Tactical Fighter Group, 15 October 1962
 * 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, 26 January 1968
 * 177th Tactical Fighter Group, 18 June 1969
 * 177th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 27 Jan 1973
 * 177th Fighter Group, 15 Mar 1992
 * 177th Operations Group, 11 October 1995-Present.

Stations

 * Langley Field, Virginia, 5 Jun 1917 – 29 May 1919
 * Newark airport, New Jersey, 30 Jun 1930
 * Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 27 Mar 1942
 * Barnstable Municipal Airport, Massachusetts, 26 Aug 1942
 * Grenier Field, New Hampshire, 10 Oct 1942
 * Birmingham Army Airfield, Alabama, 18 Oct 1942
 * Page Field, Florida, 1 Mar 1943
 * Thomasville Army Airfield, Georgia, 12 Apr 1943 – 1 May 1944


 * Newark Airport, New Jersey, 9 Feb 1947
 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 February 1956
 * National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 5 August 1958
 * Designated: Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey, 1991-Present
 * Operated from: Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina, 26 Jan 1968-18 Jun 1969

Aircraft Operated

 * F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (1994 – present)
 * F-16A ADF Fighting Falcon (1988–1994)
 * F-106A/B Delta Dart (1973–1988)
 * F-105B Thunderchief (1970–1973)
 * F-100C Super Sabre (1963–1970)
 * F-86H Sabre (1962–1963)
 * F-84F Thunderstreak (1958–1962)


 * F-86E Sabre (1955–1958)
 * P-51D Mustang (???-???)
 * P-51H Mustang (???-???)
 * P-47D Thunderbolt (1947-???)
 * P-39 Aircobra, 1943–1944
 * Numerous Observation aircraft, 1930–1942