page_title: 102d Rescue Squadron
section_title: Korean War activation
hierarchical_section_title: 102d Rescue Squadron / History / New York Air National Guard / Korean War activation
caption_attribution_description: English: Typical Flight Line scene of l06th Bomb Wing(M) B-29's at March Air Force Base, California
context_page_description: The 102d Rescue Squadron is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 106th Rescue Wing stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. The 102d is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II transport aircraft.
  The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 102d Aero Squadron, established on 23 August 1917. Its origins begin however, on 30 April 1908 as the 1st Aero Company, a pre-World War I independent unit of the New York National Guard. After the war, the unit was reformed on 7 November 1921 as the 102d 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.
  The 102d Rescue Squadron is the oldest unit of the Air National Guard, with over a century of service to the state of New York and the United States.
context_section_description: With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty on 1 February 1951.  The 102d's B-26 light attack bombers were sent to Fifth Air Force in Japan for use in the Korean War, and the 106th Bomb Group was federalized and assigned to Strategic Air Command.  On 28 March 1951, the Group was deployed less equipment to March Air Force Base, California.  The 102d was re-equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and given the mission to train reservist crewmen to back-fill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the air guardsmen were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. The personnel and equipment at March were re-designated as the 320th Bombardment Wing in December 1952 and the 106th BG was returned to New York state control.
caption: 106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses at March AFB, 1951
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