page_title: 156th Wing
section_title: Tactical Fighter mission
hierarchical_section_title: 156th Wing / History / Tactical Fighter mission
caption_attribution_description: Two LTV A-7D Corsair II aircraft (s/n 70-0957, 74-1749) assigned to the 198th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 156th Tactical Fighter Group, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, during exercise "Solid Shield 78" on 1 May 1978. The aircraft are armed with Mark 82 227 kg practice bombs.
context_page_description: The 156th Wing is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
context_section_description: On 15 October 1962, the Puerto Rico Air National Guard was expanded to a Group status, and the 156th Tactical Fighter Group was recognized and activated by the National Guard Bureau.  The 156th was transferred to Tactical Air Command, with the 198th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron being reassigned from Air Defense Command, becoming at Tactical Fighter Squadron assigned to the 156th TFG.  Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 156th Headquarters, 156th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 156th Combat Support Squadron, and the 156th USAF Dispensary.    With the transfer to TAC, the 198th TFS received F-86H Sabre tactical fighters.
  In 1967, F-104C Starfighers (and an F-104D two-seat trainer) were assigned to the 156th, upgrading the group to Mach-2 supersonic tactical fighter-bombers, replacing the elderly F-86H Sabre fighter-bombers.  The F-104C was equipped to carry bombs or rocket pods on under-wing and fuselage points. The upward-firing Lockheed C-2 rocket-boosted ejector seat was standard. The internal 20-mm rotary cannon of the F-104A was retained, as well as the ability to carry an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile on each wingtip to fill an air defense interceptor mission.
  In 1975, the F-104s were retired, the 198th being the last USAF unit to fly the Starfighters.   They were replaced by A-7D Corsair II ground support aircraft.   Although designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft, it also had limited air-to-air combat capability.
  On 12 January 1981, the Boricua Popular Army, also known as the Macheteros, a group of home grown Puerto Rican terrorists advocating separation from the United States and establishment of Puerto Rico as an independent nation, infiltrated Muñiz Air National Guard Base.  Armed with pipe bombs, they destroyed or damaged eleven PRANG aircraft: ten A-7D Corsair IIs and a single F-104 Starfighter being retained for eventual static display as a memorial.  The terrorist attack was the largest on any U.S. Air Force installation since the Vietnam War, although the ongoing hostage situation in Iran at the time overshadowed this incident in the news media.  The eleven Air National Guard jets at Muñiz Air National Guard Base were alleged by socialist organizations to be destined for use against popular insurgents in El Salvador. These allegations were never proven and may have been self-serving propaganda.
  At the time, the base had 25 pilots and 900 military personnel assigned, a combination of both part-time Traditional Guardsmen and full-time Air Reserve Technicians (ART) and Active Guard and Reserve (AGR).  The material loss was calculated at $45 million in 1981 dollars.
  As a result of the incident, security increased from 11 to 22 personnel with 100% federal funding. The active duty Air Force and the Air National Guard invested $5.5 million in Electronic Security Equipment (ESE), a Master Surveillance Control Facility (MSCF), and added fencing to secure the flight line and operations area. In addition, Muñiz Air National Guard Base was provided a security police manpower package of 18 AGR security police personnel and 46 civilian contract guards.  In short, the installation's flight line and air base security was brought up to a standard comparable to active duty air force bases in the continental United States.
  On 1 August 1987, the 156th Tactical Fighter Group reorganized into a Four-Deputy structure according to the new Air National Guard policy.
  In 1992, the A-7Ds were retired and were replaced by Block 15 F-16A/B Fighting Falcons modified for the Continental Air Defense mission.  The F-16ADF was a standard Block 15 model converted to air defense fighters for the Air National Guard and would take over the fighter interception mission, providing the primary defense of North America against bombers and cruise missiles.
  The unit took part, from 24–28 June 1991, in Granada South exercise, Panama.  From 11–18 August 1991, it deployed to Iquique, Chile for Condor II Exercise and then from 18–24 August 1991, to Asuncion with the Paraguayan Air Force for training. From 7–20 September 1991, i
caption: A-7D Corsair II aircraft (s/n 70–0957, 74-1749) assigned to the 198th Tactical Fighter Squadron during exercise "Solid Shield 78" on 1 May 1978.
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