page_title: 138th Attack Squadron
section_title: MQ-9 Reaper and Attack Mission
hierarchical_section_title: 138th Attack Squadron / History / New York Air National Guard / MQ-9 Reaper and Attack Mission
caption_attribution_description: English: A MQ-9 Reaper from the 174th Fighter Wing, New York Air National Guard, taxis to the runway at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, Ft. Drum, New York on 18 October, 2011 in preparation for its first flight. The 174th FW recently received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin flying training missions in airspace around Ft. Drum. (US Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Ricky Best)
context_page_description: The 138th Attack Squadron is a unit of the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing located at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York. The 138th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft.
context_section_description: In 2008 it became apparent that the 138th FS was going jump into the future of combat aviation and that Hancock ANGB would begin a new chapter. The squadron was set to fly the MQ-9 Reaper. The unit's transition from flying legacy aircraft to Reapers was more than a tactical shift. It assured the future of the base at Hancock Field.  In October 2009, the 174th Fighter Wing cut the ribbon on its new MQ-9 Reaper maintenance school, where it trains technicians from across the country, from all military branches.
  On 6 March 2010, the last two F-16s (#85-1561 and #85-1570) departed Hancock Field marking the end of F-16 operations at the base. They made three low passes for the assembled crowd gathered to commemorate the past of aviation at the Syracuse ANG base in upstate New York.
  As a result of the mission change, eleven legacy pilots now fly the future of combat capabilities. Full-time personnel has increased, from 158 to 186. Part-time numbers have dropped, from 500 to 437.
caption: 138th Attack Squadron – General Atomics MQ-9B Reaper 09-4072.
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