page_title: 125th Fighter Wing
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: 125th Fighter Wing / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Two U.S. Air Force Convair F-106 Delta Dart fighters from the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Florida Air National Guard, in flight in the 1970s/1980s. The aircraft nearer to the camera is F-106A-100-CO (s/n 58-0788, c/n 8-24-119) which was retired to the AMARC on 24 May 1990 as FN0196. It was converted to an QF-106 (AD268) on 23 June 1994. Written off after being hit by ground fire on 7 October 1997, it was purchased by a private individual in April 2000 and moved to El Paso, Texas (USA) for restoration. The F-106B-31-CO (s/n 57-2509, c/n 8-27-03) was retired to the AMARC as FN0110 on 22 January 1987. It was converted to an QF-106 (AD150) and shot down by a Patriot missile on 24 September 1992.
context_page_description: The 125th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Florida Air National Guard, stationed at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida. If activated to federal service with the United States Air Force, the 125 FW is gained by the Air Combat Command.
context_section_description: On 1 July 1956, the Florida Air National Guard's 159th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 159th FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 125th Headquarters, 125th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 125th Combat Support Squadron, and the 125th USAF Dispensary.
  With the establishment of the 125th FIG, the unit converted to the F-86D (Dog) Sabre with the primary mission of continental air defense of the southeastern United States. In 1958, the 125th became the first Air National Guard unit to earn the right to compete in the Air Defense Command's annual WILLIAM TELL Weapons Meet, and was the first team ever to fire a perfect score in that competition.
  In July 1960, the 125th converted from the F-86D to the all-weather, supersonic F-102A and F-102B Delta Dagger.  In 1971, following completion of the new Jacksonville International Airport, the 125 FIG relocated from the Jacksonville Imeson Airport to a newly constructed military installation, the current Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, at the new airport.  With the concurrent closure of Imeson Airport to all flight operations and its conversion to an industrial park, the 125 FIG vacated its former facilities and turned over same to the City of Jacksonville.
  In 1965, given increased Soviet Air Force aircraft operations in Cuba, the 125 FIG established Operating Location Alfa Alfa (OL-AA) and 125 FIG, Detachment 1, at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida to provide air defense ready alert fighter aircraft in the southern portion of Florida.  This same alert detachment continues operations today at the present day Homestead Air Reserve Base with 125th aircraft, pilots and support personnel periodically rotated from home station in Jacksonville.
  In January 1968, Air Defense Command was renamed Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) and continued to be the 125 FIG's gaining command.
  In July 1974, the 125 FIG converted to the F-106A and F-106B Delta Dart. Only one year after the F-106 conversion, the unit again earned the right to compete that year's annual Air Force air-to-air weapons competition, WILLIAM TELL '76, at Tyndall AFB, Florida.
  In March 1980, ADC was inactivated and the air defense mission transferred to Tactical Air Command (TAC).  TAC then became the gaining command for the 125 FIG.
  In April 1987, the 125th converted to the F-16A and F-16B Fighting Falcon, a multi-role fighter that was subsequently modified as the F-16ADF, specifically designed for the Air Defense role. The 125th was the first ANG unit to assume NORAD Air Defense Alert with the F-16ADF, the first operational F-16ADF unit to employ the AIM-7 Sparrow III missile and the first F-16ADF unit to sit alert with the AIM-7 missile.
  With the disestablishment of Tactical Air Command (TAC) in 1992, the 125 FIG's gaining command changed to the newly created Air Combat Command (ACC).  As part of this change, the unit's designation was changed to 125th Fighter Group (125 FG).  With creation of the USAF "objective wing" construct in the early 1990s, the bulk of all Air National Guard groups with operational flying missions were redesignated as wings.  As a result, the 125 FG was subsequently redesignated as the 125th Fighter Wing (125 FW), the designation it continues to hold today.
  In June 1995, the 125 FW converted to the F-15A and F-15B Eagle, a fighter which added air superiority capability to the Air Defense Mission. During the late 1990s, the 125 FW was also fully integrated into the USAF Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) construct and routinely deployed aircraft and personnel to the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing at Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, enforcing the No Fly Zone over southern Iraq.  Since 11 Sep 2001, the wing has also been extensively involved in Operation NOBLE EAGLE, performing its historic continental air defense mission, as well as continuing to deploy ai
caption: Convair F-106B, AF Ser. No. 57-2509 and F-106A, AF Ser. No. 58-0788. 2509 was sent to AMARC on 24 May 1990 as FN0196. Modified to a QF-106 target drone (AD268) on 23 June 1994. Written off 7 Oct 1997 after ground fire. Purchased by private individual Apr 2000 and moved to El Paso, TX for restoration. 788 was sent to AMARC on 22 Jan 1987 and also modified as a QF-106 target drone (AD150). Shot down by a Patriot missile on 24 Sept 1992.
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