History

• 24 May, constituted as the 368th Fighter Group (FG), falling under the 71st Fighter Wing (FW).  Consisted of the 395th, 396th and 397th Fighter Squadrons (FS).
• 1 June, activated and trained with P-47′ “Thunderbolt’s”.  Stationed at Westover Field, MA.
• 3 June, Col Gilbert Meyers assumes command of the 368th FG
• 23 August, moved to Farmingdale, NY

• 10-13 January, 368th FG arrives in Greenham Common Berkshire, England and belonged to the 9th Army Air Force (AAF)
• 14 March, began combat operations with the 9th AAF when the group flew a fighter sweep over the coast of France.
• 15 March, moved to Chilbolton Hampshire, England
• May, received first batch of P-51 “Mustang’s”.
• 20 June, moved to Cardonville, France to support landings at Normandy.
• 25 July, participated in the air operations that prepared the way for the allied break through St Lo, France.
• 23 August, moved to Chatres, France.
• 3 September, awarded Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) for support operations in the vacinity of Mons, Belgium.
• 11 September, moved to Laon, France and awarded Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) in Germany.
• 2 October, moved to Chievers, Belgium.
• 1 November, Col Frank S. Perego assumes command of the 368th FG.
• December, continued to support ground forces, participated in the assault against the Siegfried Line and took part in the Battle of the Bulge.
• 27 December, moved to Juvincourt, France.

• 5 January, moved to Metz, France
• 15 April, moved to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
• 13 May, moved to Buchschwabach, Germany and is assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe serving the army of occupation.
• 13 August, moved to Straubing, Germany
• 18 October, Maj Dennis Crisp assumes command of the 368th FG
• 2 November, Lt Col John L Locke assumes command of the 368th FG
• 10 November, re-designated as the 165th FS

• 22 April, Col Robert P Montgomery assumes command?
• 20 August, 368th FG inactivated at Straubing, Germany.
• 21 August, 368th FG re-designated as the 136th FG.  The 395th FS was re-designated as the 181st FS.  Both were allotted to the Texas Air National Guard (TANG).

• 1 September, the 10th Flight Test Squadron is assigned to the 136th Fighter Bomber Wing (FBW)
• 10 October, ordered into active service and assigned to Tactical Air Command.  Moved to Hensley Field, TX. 136th FIG is re-designated as 136th Fighter Bomber Group under the 136th Fighter Bomber Wing (FBW) flying F-51’s which would be replaced by F-84E “Thunderjets”
• 24 October, moved to Langly AFB, VA and is trained in T-33’s as preliminary training to ready for F-84E’s.
• October, Col Albert C. Prendergast assumes command of the 136th FBW
• 26 October, Lt Col William N. Hensley assumes command of the 136th FBG

• 9 or 10 May, Lt Col Gerald E Montgomery assumes command of the 136th FBG
• 15 May, the group, now flying F-84’s is moved to Itazuke AFB, APO-929, Japan to fight in Korea.
• 24 May, the 111th (Houston), 154th (Little Rock), 182nd (Brooks AFB) Fighter Squadrons of the 136 FBG flew their first combat missions in the Far East, Korea
• 11 June, Col Dean Davenport assumes command of the 136th FBG
• 26 June, while escorting B-29’s near “Mig Alley”, 1LT Arthur E. Olinger and Capt Harry Underwood (182nd FS) are credited for the first Mig-15 kill by the Air Guard.
• 1 July-August 12, the 524th Fighter Escort Squadron was attached.
• 20 or 24 September, Col William T. Halton assumes command of the 136th FBG
• 5 November, Col Prendergast is KIA over Korea and Col Alfred G. Lambert, Jr. assumes command of the 136th FBW.
• 10 November, Col James B. Buck assumes command of the 136th FBW.
• 16 November, 136th FBW moved to Taegu AFB, K-2, APO-970, Korea.
• 27 December, a C-47 crashes into the 136th Maintenance Squadron Hangar

• 21 March, Lt Col Daniel F. Sharp assumes command of the 136th FBG.
• 1 June, 136th FBW begins combat operations at K-2, Taegu No. 1 Air Base.
• 23 June, the 136th FBG and another unit successfully attacked the Sui-ho power plant on the Yalu River.  This last major arrial assault for the 136th rendered the fourth largest power plant in the world unservicable.
• 10 July, the 136th FBW personnel and equipment are absorbed by the newly activated 58th FBW.  The 136th FBW, designation only, was returned to the Texas Air National Guard and re-designated as the 136th Fighter Interceptor Group.  Col Harry Crutcher Jr. assumes command. Wings accomplishments during the Korean War

• Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive.
• United nations Summer, Fall Offensive.
• Second Korean Winter
• Third Korean Winter

Accomplishments

• 15,515 Combat Sorties Flown
• Enemy Aircraft Destroyed: Confirmed, 7 Probable, 72 Damaged.
• Bombs Dropped: 23,749 @ 7,120 Tons.
• Rockets Fired: 4,564
• Napalm Dropped: 715 Tanks @ 228.80 Tons
• 50 Caliber Rounds Expended: 3,149,287

Wing Firsts

• 1st Air National Guard (ANG) Wing reorganized under Wing base Plan.
• 1st ANG Wing mobilized since WWII.
• 1st ANG Wing to receive F-84F’s
• 1st ANG Wing in history to go into combat.
• 1st Fighter Bomber Wing in the Tactical Air Command to enter  copmbat in the Korean conflict.
• 1st 1st Air National Guard (ANG) Wing to down a MIG-15.

• 1 January, re-designated as 136th Fighter Bomber Group.
• 26 February, Col Cary R. Bullock assumes command of the 136th Air Defense Wing.
• June?, training exercises at Travis Field, GA.
• 1 July, reorganized into a Fighter Bomber Wing with the addition of two communications units and an Air Force Band.
• 22 December, Motto: “NULLI SECONDUS-Second to None” approved.
• Date?, Col Douglas N. Presley assumes command of the 136 FBG

• 1 July, re-designated as Air Defence Wing and reorganized under Air Defense Command.  Wing is flying F-51, F-80 and F-86 aircraft.

• 1 March, 136th ADW expands to include the 159th Fighter Group, New Orleans.
•  Date?, re-designation to 136th Air Refueling Group/Wing, transition to KC-97’s begins

• June, Col Nowell O. Didear assumes command of the 136th Air refueling Wing.
• July, moved to Hensley Field for the second time.

• February, reorganized under Tactical Air Command and converted to KC-97L “Stratotanker’s”.

• 1 May, The 136th Air Refueling Wing launched its first sortie from Rhien Main AB, Germany in support of Operation Creek Party (OCP). 

• February, Col James C. Smith assumes command of the 136th ARW.

• 28 April, Lt Col Robert McDonald flies the last KC-97L “Old 361” out of Rhien Main, Germany ending Operation Creek Party (OCP). It was not without problems though.  Click here to see what happened.
• October, Col Bobby W. Hodges assumes command of the 136th ARW.

• 23 June, KC-97L, AF Serial Number “53-0282”, is the last to be phased out of the Air Force inventory by the 136th ARW. Click here to read what has happened to it.
• Date?, unit converts to C-130B “Hercules” aircraft and is re-designated as the 136th Tactical Airlift Wing.

• March, unit begins ongoing participation in Operation Volant Oak.

• Date?, named “The Air National Guard Unit of the Year” by the Air Force Association.
• Date?, 136th TAW participated in “Team Spirit”, a joint South Korean-U.S. Forces exercise.
• Date?, participated in Sentry Cowboy II.
• Date?, participated in Operation Coldfire in support of Reforger 83.

• October, Col Charels R. Driggers assumes command of the 136th Tactical Airlift Wing.

• 2-16 March, participated in Sentry Cowboy III.
• 8-22 June, participated in Sentry Chaparral, in support of the U.S. Army’s 49th Armored Division at Fort Hood, TX

• 13 May-1 June, participated in Volant Partner in Zaragosa, Spain
• August, received first C-130H “Hercules” aircraft. It is named “Spirit of Texas” in honor of the Texas Sesquicentennial.

• February, participated in Army Exercise Golden Eagle by supplying one aircraft configured with rubberized fuel bladders to transport fuel.

• December, Col David R. Rist assumes command of the 136th Tactical Airlift Wing

• 21-24 December, participated in Operation Just Cause. 

• 26 August, members of the 136 Mobile Aerial Port Squadron (MAPS) called to active duty and sent to Dover AFB, Delaware, in support of Operation Desert Shield .
• 7 September, first members of the 136 TAW deploys to Al Ain, joining the 435th TAW (Deployed) in support Operation Desert Shield.
• 4 October, 136th TAW volunteers activated in place, with 250 more Wing personnel deploying to the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

• January, Col Raymand W. Williams assumes command of the 136th Tactical Airlift Wing
• 1 June, Military Airlift Command (MAC) re-designated as Air Mobility Command (AMC).  136th Tactical Airlift Wing re-designated as 136 Airlift Wing.
• July, Col William M. Guy assumes command of the 136th Airlift Wing.

• July, participated in Operation Support Hope by sending one C-130H to East Africa.
• November, participated in Operation Mongoose II.

• December, LTC Rowland Wilson assumes command of 136th AW

• 26 November, groundbreaking at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station, Fort Worth occurs for construction of new facilities for the wing to relocate to begins.

• March, LTC David K. Shuffer assumes command of the 136th AW

• June, LTC William H. Walker, III assumes command of the 136th AW

• 2 March, 136th AW partially mobilized to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.