page_title: 182d Airlift Wing
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: 182d Airlift Wing / History
caption_attribution_description: An air to air left side view of an OA-37B Dragonfly aircraft from the 169th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard, during Exercise GRANADERO I (14 May 1984)
context_page_description: The 182d Airlift Wing is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard, stationed at Peoria Air National Guard Base, Peoria, Illinois. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
context_section_description: What is now the 169th Airlift Squadron originated during World War II as the 304th Fighter Squadron, which was activated on July 23, 1942. The 304th was assigned to the 337th Fighter Group at the Pinellas County Airport, Florida, and served as an operational training unit equipped with the P-39 Airacobra and the P-40 Warhawk. The 304th was disbanded May 1, 1944, and reconstituted May 24, 1946, re-designated the 169th Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Illinois National Guard.
  The 169th Fighter Squadron held its first drill in December 1946 under the command of Lt. Col. Ralph Pickering, and it received federal recognition on June 21, 1947. The unit consisted of 40 officers and 215 Airmen by the end of its first year. The original base consisted of a shale runway and a single hangar for eight F-51 Mustang fighters, four AT- 6 Texan trainers and a B-26 Marauder tow target plane. The first annual training was held at Chicago Municipal Airport, now known as Chicago Midway International Airport, with flying done at Douglas Field, now known as O'Hare International Airport. In 1952, the 169th Fighter Squadron was re-designated the 169th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and then the 169th Fighter Bomber Squadron.
  A large construction project had expanded the base facilities by 1953, and in 1954 the 169th obtained the copyright for the Indian Chief, the cartoon character from Walt Disney’s feature film “Peter Pan”, to display as their emblem. The squadron received its first F-84F Thunderstreak in 1958.
  The unit flew the first ever Air National Guard air- to-air refueling mission in 1961. On 15 October 1962, the Illinois Air National Guard authorized the 169th Tactical Fighter Squadron to expand to a group level, and the 182d Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau on 15 October 1962. The 169th TFS became the group's flying squadron, equipped with F-84F Thunderstreaks. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 182d Headquarters, 182d Material Squadron (Maintenance), 182d Combat Support Squadron, and the 182d USAF Dispensary.
  During the 1960s the squadron continued to operate its F-84F Thunderstreaks, and the unit was not activated during the Vietnam War. In May 1969, the F-84Fs were retired and 182d TFG was re-designated as the 182d Tactical Air Support Group (TASG); flying Forward Air Control (FAC) missions.   The 169th was equipped with light observation U-3A/B Blue Canoe and in January 1970, the O-2A Skymaster aircraft.  The group's mission being to perform visual reconnaissance, as the FAC flew light aircraft slowly over the rough terrain at low altitude to maintain constant aerial surveillance over a combat area. By patrolling the same area constantly, the FACs grew very familiar with the terrain, and they learned to detect any changes that could indicate enemy forces hiding below.  Members of the 182d TASG provided relief assistance during state active duty for the Canton tornado disaster in July 1975.   In 1976, the 182d TASG was awarded its first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
  In 1979, the squadron received OA-37B Dragonfly jet FAC aircraft from the New York and Maine Air National Guard,  continuing the FAC mission.   The 182d TASG received an "Excellent" rating on its first Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) under the 12th Air Force, and the group was awarded its second Air Force Outstanding Unit award in 1985.   In January 1991, 138 group personnel were called to active duty during the 1991 Gulf War and deployed to United States Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF).
caption: OA-37B Dragonfly aircraft from the 169th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1984
exif: {}