181st Intelligence Wing
| 181st Intelligence Wing | |
|---|---|
 181st Intelligence Wing emblem | |
| Active | 1923–present) |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force/Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Intelligence analysis and information protection |
| Part of | Air National Guard/Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Hulman Field, Terre Haute, IN |
The United States Air Force's 181st Intelligence Wing is a unit located at Hulman Field, Terre Haute, Indiana. It is one of six Air National Guard wings that works with the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.
Mission
The 181st IW monitors near real time video feed from unmanned aerial vehicles hovering the skies over any military area of operation. It second mission is to advise the ground commanders on the best way to utilize assets for close air support.
History
The 181st Intelligence Wing, Indiana Air National Guard, dates back to 1921, after Wilbert F. Fagley was given authority to organize Headquarters Battery, 81st Field Artillery in Kokomo, Indiana.
The Unit was redesignated the 137th Observation Squadron before being changed to the 113th Observation Squadron. During 1926, the unit moved to Schoen Field and later to Stout Field, both in Indianapolis. Finally, in 1954 the Wing moved to its present location at Terre Haute International Airport.
The unit served in World War II, flying anti-submarine patrol along the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. The 181st was also activated for the Korean War and the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Additionally, portions of two units within the Wing were activated for Operation Desert Storm. The Wing has served the citizens of Indiana many times during floods and other natural disasters.
Known as the 'Racers,' the Wing participated from 31 August 1995 to 30 August 1997 in a humanitarian deployment to Romania. It also provided security for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Later it deployed to Al Jabar Air Base, Kuwait, on two separate occasions in support of Operation Southern Watch.
In 2001, the 181st Fighter Wing flew Combat Air Patrols over the Midwestern United States less than four hours after the September 11 attacks. The 181st Fighter Wing drastically increased its operations tempo since these terrorist attacks to guard America's skies and protect freedom. The 181st deployed members and equipment to 19 countries to simultaneously supported seven different military operations, including Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Deep Freeze, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure commission mandated the end of the flying era for the 181st Wing. On 8 September 2007, the 181st Fighter Wing flew their last training mission out of Terre Haute Field International Airport.
The wing squadrons were redesignated, now being an Distributive Ground Station (DGS) and an Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS). The DGS is an intelligence based mission, monitoring near real time video feed from unmanned aerial vehicles hovering the skies over any military area of operation. The service members process, exploit, and disseminate the video feed, providing intelligence to the ground commanders and fighting forces. The ASOS brings unity to joint forces fighting in the War on Terror. Their mission is to advise the ground commanders on the best way to utilize assets for close air support. On 3 May 2008 the 181st Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 181st Intelligence Wing.
Assignments
Major Command
Previous designations
Squadrons assigned
Bases stationed
Aircraft & missiles operated
Decorations
References
External links
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/181st_Intelligence_Wing
