page_title: 140th Wing
section_title: Tactical Air Command/Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: 140th Wing / History / Tactical Air Command/Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D-10-CV Corsair II (s/n 71-0311) from the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 140th Tactical Fighter Group, Colorado Air National Guard, awaits refueling on the flight line at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 9 January 1986. 1972: Aircraft delivered to 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC (c/n D-222) Deployed to Korat RTAFB, Thailand, Oct 1972; Transferred to 388th Tactical Fighter Wing/3d TFS, Mar 1973 Transferred to 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, CO Air National Guard, 1975 to AMARC as AE0094 Dec 6, 1991 Disposition: October 1997 / To Fritz Enterprises, Taylor, MI. (Actually to HVF West yard, Tucson). Scrapped.
context_page_description: The 140th Wing is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard, stationed at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
  The 140th Wing flies F-16C/D/ Falcons and C-21 Learjet. It also carries out 137th Space Warning Squadron and Civil Engineering missions. It has over 1200 personnel.
  The 120th Fighter Squadron assigned to the Wings 140th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the World War I 120th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. It was reformed on 27 June 1923, as the 120th Observation Squadron, one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.
context_section_description: The 140th was transferred back to Tactical Air Command in January 1961, being equipped with the F-100 Super Sabre supersonic tactical fighter-bomber.  During the 1961 Berlin Crisis and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Wing was placed on Alert by Tactical Air Command, however the aircraft and personnel of the wing stayed in place at Buckley Air Force Base, and were not deployed.  The 140th deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, for 15 days in 1967, to take part in a NATO exercise called "Deep Furrow".
  On 26 January 1968, the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing was federalized and taken under the jurisdiction of Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command.  The Wing's 120th TFS was reassigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, its aircraft/personnel/equipment being reassigned to Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam.   As was the practice during the Vietnam Era, most of the wing's personnel were also sent to various Tactical Air Command units, either in the United States or deployed to units in Pacific Air Forces or USAFE.   The Wing, stripped of its assets, was placed in a Non-Operational status by HQ TAC.
  With the end of its federalized service, the Wing, the 120th TFS and its personnel were released from active duty and returned to Colorado state control on 30 April 1969.  With its return to Buckley, the wing was returned to Operational Status.  The 120th TFS F-100Cs returned to Buckley, however with the withdraw of the F-100Ds from South Vietnam in 1971, the squadrons were upgraded with the newer model from the Vietnam Veteran aircraft returning.
  In 1974, the Wing began receiving A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft from active duty U.S. Air Force wings as part of their transition to the A-10 Thunderbolt II.  Then in 1975, new A-7Ds were received as the result of Congressional funding to the DOD FY 1975 and FY 1976 budgets for the procurement of additional A-7Ds, primarily to keep the LTV production line in Dallas open and the workers employed in the wake of post-Vietnam DOD procurement reductions. As a result of these unplanned acquisitions, the Air Force assigned these new 1975 and 1976 built aircraft in the mid-1970s. Then the wing relieved some new twin seat A-7Ks trainers in 1983.
  The 140th deployed in 1977 to Gilze-Rijen AB, Netherlands, to participate in exercise Coronet Ante, with A-7D Corsair. This was the first time a U.S. Air Force or National Guard unit had deployed to a Dutch-owned and operated base. In September and October 1979, the unit deployed to Merzilon AB, Turkey, as part of Exercise Coronet Rider. The unit deployed its entire squadron of 24 aircraft for 30 days. This was the first time any Air National Guard unit had deployed under "bare base" conditions in which only a runway and water supply were provided.
  Under the Coronet Cove program, the 140th deployed to the Republic of Panama 11 times to support the defense of the Canal Zone as provided under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The first such deployment took place in December 1978 and the last deployment ended in February 1989.
  The A-7Ds were flown to victory as the "World Champions" in the inaugural "Gunsmoke" competition held at Nellis Air Force Base in 1981.
caption: Colorado ANG A-7D, 1986
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