Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      156th AW, Puerto Rico ANG, transitions to new contingency response and combat communications missionsPublished April 11, 2019
                    
                    By Capt. Matthew Lucht
                    
                    
                    Air National Guard Public Affairs
            **WASHINGTON (AFNS) --**The Air Force announced the transition of the 156th Airlift Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, to the 156th Wing in conjunction with its newly assigned contingency response and combat communications missions, effective April 10.
Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, National Guard Bureau chief, made the official announcement in a phone call to the governor of Puerto Rico, April 11.
The new missions – contingency response and combat communications - align with the needs of the National Defense Strategy. The overall size of the wing is projected to grow by 18 Airmen, including four additional full-time positions.
“The new contingency response and combat communications missions are strategically aligned and capitalize on the unique capabilities, experiences and professionalism of Puerto Rico’s Airmen,” said Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, Air National Guard director. “The missions also provide Puerto Rico’s territorial leadership tremendous resources for territorial emergency response.”
Contingency response forces are highly specialized units that rapidly deploy to quickly establish air mobility operations.
Combat communications forces provide voice and data capability to supported units conducting overseas and local response operations.
In addition to the new units, the existing security forces and civil engineering units will increase in size. Adding to these existing capabilities further enhances the Puerto Rico ANG’s ability to support global operations and assist territorial emergency response agencies.
“The 156th (Wing) will be the first ANG wing with this particular combination of missions, and it joins a well-established contingency response and combat communications enterprise that already exists within the Air National Guard,” said Rice. “The Air Force and the Air National Guard are capitalizing on the expertise of (Puerto Rico ANG) Airmen and Puerto Rico’s strategic location to support federal and territorial mission requests. I am confident the Airmen of Puerto Rico have the skills and the motivation required to continue their tradition of success in these new missions.”
The unit will enter a 36-month conversion period during which the Air National Guard will provide support as the Puerto Rico ANG builds and reaches full operational capabilities.Air Force 



Air National Guard 



AF 



global operations 



156th Airlift Wing 



Puerto Rico ANG 



156th Wing 



National Defense Strategy 



NDS 



156th AW 



contingency response and combat communications missions 



new mission 



contingency response forces 



new alignment 



Lt Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil