page_title: 170th Fighter Squadron
section_title: Cold War
hierarchical_section_title: 170th Fighter Squadron / History / Illinois Air National Guard / Cold War
caption_attribution_description: English: 170th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Republic F-84F-25-RE Thunderstreak 51-1706 in natural aluminum finish, about 1959
context_page_description: The 170th Fighter Squadron is an inactive unit of the Air National Guard. It was last assigned to the 183rd Fighter Wing located of the Illinois Air National Guard at Capital Airport Air National Guard Station, Springfield, Illinois. The 170th last flew the Block 30 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. It was inactivated on 30 September 2008.
context_section_description: After returning to Springfield, the 170th was equipped with the North American F-86E Sabre.  However, only about a half-dozen Sabres were received before the squadron began receiving Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks.  The first F-84F arrived in February 1955.  The squadron's mission was changed to what was termed a "Special Delivery" squadron, and the 170th began training on the tactical delivery of nuclear weapons, being renamed the 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron in 1958.
  On 1 October 1961, as a result of the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 170th was again federalized and assigned to the 131st Tactical Fighter Group.  The 170th remained at Springfield, while elements of the 131st deployed to Toul-Rosières Air Base, France to form the 7131st Tactical Fighter Wing.  The 131st Tactical Fighter Wing, was composed of three federalized National Guard squadrons and their supporting squadrons.  However, only its 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed as a unit to France.  The 170th rotated personnel to Toul during their period of activation, however aircraft and personnel deployed to Toul were maintained at a level equivalent to a single squadron at any one time.
  While in France, the Guardsmen trained with elements of the United States Seventh Army and maintained a 24-hour alert status. The 7131st exchanged air and ground crews with the Royal Danish Air Force's 730th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Skydstrup Air Station, Denmark during May 1962. As the Berlin situation subsided, all activated ANG units were ordered to be returned to the United States and released from active duty, while the 7131st Wing was discontinued in France.
  The 170th reformed in Illinois in the fall of 1962, retaining its F-84F Thunderstreaks.  On 15 October 1962, the 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron was authorized to expand, and the 183rd Tactical Fighter Group was established. The 170th became the new group's flying squadron. Other units assigned into the group were the 183rd Material Squadron, 183rd Combat Support Squadron and the 183rd USAF Dispensary.
  The squadron continued to fly the F-84F aircraft throughout the 1960s. The squadron did not see service during the Vietnam War, although, between 1968 and 1971, many of its personnel were activated as individuals and some saw service in Southeast Asia.  All F-84Fs were grounded in November 1971, after a 170th pilot was killed when his plane lost a wing during exercises at the Hardwood Gunnery range in Findley, Wisconsin.  The accident was caused by the "milkbone" bolt in the wing, weakened by years of flying, failing in-flight. Inspections of other F-84Fs found the same issue affected many other aircraft.  The problem was deemed too widespread to justify the costly repair of the aircraft, and the Air Force decided to retire the Guard's fleet of F-84Fs and replace them with more modern aircraft.  All F-84s were retired to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.  The 170th flew the Thunderstreak for more than a decade and a half, longer than any other squadron in the active force or the Air National Guard.
  In 1972, the squadron was the first Air National Guard unit to receive the McDonnell F-4C Phantom II.  Most of its aircraft were planes returning combat from Southeast Asia.  Along with the F-4C, a flight of RF-4C Phantom II Reconnaissance aircraft were received. In 1981, the F-4Cs were exchanged for the F-4D.
caption: Unpainted 170th Fighter-Bomber Squadron F-84F[note 2]
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