Pekin Municipal Airport, Pekin

Illinois Master Listing

Perry County Fairgrounds, Pinckneyville

Peoria — General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
Illinois Aviation Museum Guide

Illinois Air National Guard - 182nd Airlift Wing ^[1]
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
Peoria Air Guard, 182nd Airlift Wing
2416 S. Falcon Blvd.
Peoria, Illinois 61607-5023
Phone: (800) 241-1331

The 182nd Airlift Wing (182 AW) is an Air National Guard unit, part of the United States Air Force. It is located at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in Illinois.

What is now the 169th Airlift Squadron (AS) and the 182d Airlift Wing originated during World War II as the 304th Fighter Squadron (FS), which was activated on July 23, 1942. The 304th FS was assigned to the 337th Fighter Group (FG) at the Pinellas County Airport, Florida, and served as an operational training unit equipped with the P-39 Airacobra and the P-40 Warhawk. The 304th FS was disbanded on May 1, 1944, and on May 24, 1946, it was reconstituted and redesignated as the 169th FS, allocated to the Air National Guard (ANG).

Led by Lt Col Ralph Pickering, the 169th FS held its first drill in December of 1946, and it received federal recognition on June 21, 1947. By the end of the first year, the unit consisted of 40 officers and 215 airmen. The original base consisted of a shale runway and a single hangar for eight F-51 Mustang fighters, four AT-6 Texan trainers, and a B-26 Invader tow target plane. The first annual training was held at Chicago Municipal Airport (now known as Midway Airport), with flying done at Douglas Field (now known as O'Hare International Airport). In 1952, the 169th FS was redesignated the 169th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) and then the 169th Fighter Bomber Squadron (FBS).

By 1953, a large construction project had expanded the base facilities, and in 1954 the 169th FBS obtained the copyright for The Chief, a Walt Disney cartoon character, to display as their emblem. In 1958, the squadron received its first F-84F Thunderstreak, and the unit flew the first ANG air-to-air refueling mission in 1961. The 169th FBS received its first federal activation in 1961 for the Berlin Crisis. A year later, the 182d Tactical Fighter Group (TFG) was formed and assumed control of the redesignated 169th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS).

In May of 1969, the 182 TFG was redesignated as the 182d Tactical Air Support Group (TASG). In January of 1970, the wing received its first O-2A variant of the O-2 Skymaster aircraft. Members of the 182 TASG provided relief assistance during state active duty for the Canton tornado disaster in July of 1975.

In 1976, the 182d TASG was awarded its first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and the group converted to the OA-37 Dragonfly in 1979. The 182 TASG received an "Excellent" rating on its first Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) under the 12th Air Force, and the group was awarded its second Air Force Outstanding Unit award in 1985. In 1987, construction began on the new base facilities, which were formally dedicated in December, 1990. In January of 1991, 138 personnel were called to active duty for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

In July of 1992, the 182d's operational claimancy shifted from the disestablished [Tactical Air Command]] (TAC) to the newly-established Air Combat Command (ACC). The unit concurrently converted to the F-16 Fighting Falcon and was redesignated the 182 Fighter Group (182 FG). In June of 1993, members served on state active duty in response to the Mississippi River flooding of southern Illinois. Due to government budget constraints and military Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiatives which reduced the number of fighter aircraft in the Air National Guard, the 182 FG converted to the C-130E version of the C-130 Hercules and was redesignated the 182d Airlift Wing (AW) effective October 1, 1995. When CONUS-based C-130s were transferred from ACC to Air Mobility Command (AMC), operationally claimancy for the 182 AW was also passed to AMC. In 1996, the wing began participation in ongoing flying missions for Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia. In 1997, the 182 AW celebrated its 50th anniversary and received an "Excellent" in its first Air Mobility Command (AMC) ORI.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, members of the wing were called up to support the Air Force at various locations around the world. During a September 2002 deployment to Oman, wing aircraft flew combat supply missions into Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. On March 29, 2003, SSgt Jacob Frazier of the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) was killed in action while serving with Army Special Forces in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the wing to die in combat.

In March of 2003, immediately following mobilization, six aircraft and over 350 personnel were deployed to Minhad, United Arab Emirates, for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These airmen returned in August after providing airlift support throughout the theater. Since that mobilization, smaller numbers of wing personnel and aircraft have continually supported Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. On December 28, 2003, a wing crew delivered earthquake relief supplies to Iran, becoming the first US aircraft to land there since 1981.

Beginning in January of 2005, the wing converted from the C-130E to the newer C-130H3 model. In October of 2006, the wing received a rating of "Excellent" after serving as the lead wing during an AMC ORI. On February 3, 2007, the wing was awarded its third Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period from August 1, 2003 to July 31, 2005. Some personnel remain deployed to combat zones while other members of the wing continue routine worldwide support to the Air Force. ^[1,2]

The following aircraft are on display.

• Cessna O-2A-CE “Super Skymaster” (AF 68-11160, c/n 337M-0385)
• Cessna A-37B “Dragonfly” (AF 69-6428, c/n 43273)
• General Dynamics F-16B Block 15N “Fighting Falcon” (AF 82-1042, c/n 62-108)
• General Motors F-84F-1-GK “Thunderstreak” (AF 51-9313)
• Lockheed C-130E “Hercules” (AF 63-7877, c/n 382-3948)

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References

1. Illinois Air National Guard - 182nd Airlift Wing, website
2. Wikipedia, 182nd Airlift Wing
3. Google Earth, Satellite Image
4. Skytamer Images, Aircraft Thumbnail Images © Skytamer.com