103d Airlift Wing The 103d Airlift Wing ( 103 AW ) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard , stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base , Windsor Locks , Connecticut . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . During World War II , the Wing ' s predecessor unit , the 324th Fighter Group , served in combat with Twelfth and Ninth Air Force , primarily in the Mediterranean , African , and The Middle East Theatres . It was a highly decorated organization , and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for supporting French forces during the campaigns for Italy and France , 1944 – 1945 . The 118th Airlift Squadron assigned to the Wings 103rd Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the World War I 118th Aero Squadron , established on 31 August 1917 . It was reformed on 1 November 1923 , as the 118th Observation Squadron , and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . Overview . The " Flying Yankees " of the 103rd Airlift Wing are the third oldest Air National Guard unit in the United States , tracing their lineage back over 90 years of military aviation . They currently fly the C - 21A , a twin turbofan engine aircraft and its mission is providing cargo and passenger airlift . The aircraft is the military version of the Lear Jet 35A business jet . In addition to providing cargo and passenger airlift , 103rd Airlift Wing ' s C - 21 mission is transporting one litter or five ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations . Units . The 103d Airlift Wing consists of the following major units : History . World War II . The origins of the 103d Airlift Wing begin with the 324th Fighter Group , which was constituted on 24 June 1942 and activated on 6 July 1942 . Moved to the Middle East , October – December 1942 , for operations with Ninth Air Force . Trained for several weeks with P - 40 aircraft . While headquarters remained in Egypt , squadrons of the group began operating with other organizations against the enemy in Tunisia . Reunited in June 1943 , the 324th group engaged primarily in escort and patrol missions between Tunisia and Sicily until July 1943 . Received a DUC for action against the enemy from March 1943 to the invasion of Sicily . Trained during July – October 1943 for operations with Twelfth Air Force . Resumed combat on 30 October 1943 and directed most of its attacks against roads , bridges , motor transports , supply areas , rolling stock , gun positions , troop concentrations , and rail facilities in Italy until August 1944 . Patrolled the beach and protected convoys during the assault on Anzio in January 1944 . Aided the Allied offensive in Italy during May 1944 , receiving another DUC for action from 12 to 14 May when the group bombed an enemy position on Monastery Hill ( Cassino ) , attacked troops massing on the hill for counterattack , and hit a nearby stronghold to force the surrender of an enemy garrison . Continued to give close support to ground forces until the fall of Rome in June 1944 . Converted to P - 47 ' s in July and supported the assault on southern France in August by dive - bombing gun position , bridges , and radar facilities , and by patrolling the combat zone . Attacked such targets as motor transports , rolling stock , rail lines , troops , bridges , gun emplacements , and supply depots after the invasion , giving tactical support to Allied forces advancing through France . Aided the reduction of the Colmar bridgehead January – February 1945 , and supported Seventh Army ' s drive through the Siegfried defenses in March Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for supporting French forces during the campaigns for Italy and France , 1944 – 1945 . Moved to the US , October – November 1945 . Inactivated on November 1945 . Connecticut Air National Guard . The wartime 324th Fighter Group was re - designated as the 103d Fighter Group , and was allotted to the Connecticut Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Bradley Army Airfield , Windsor Locks , Connecticut , and was extended federal recognition on 7 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau . The 103d Fighter Group was bestowed the lineage , history , honors , and colors of the 324th Fighter Group . The mission of the 103d Fighter Group was the air defense of Connecticut . It was assigned the 118th Fighter Squadron , equipped with F - 47D Thunderbolt s . Other support units assigned to the 103d were the 103d Headquarters , 103d Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 103d Combat Support Squadron , and the 103d USAF Dispensary . Korean War activation . With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950 , and the regular military ' s complete lack of readiness , most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty . The Connecticut Air National Guard was federalized on 10 February 1951 with the 103d Fighter Group being re - designated as the 103d Fighter - Interceptor Group , and the 103d Fighter - Interceptor Wing being established by Air Defense Command on 2 March 1951 . The 118th also being re - designated as a Fighter - Interceptor squadron . The 103d was assigned to the Air Defense Command Eastern Air Defense Force and moved to Suffolk County AFB , New York on 1 June 1951 , flying air defense missions with their F - 47D Thunderbolts . On 1 February 1952 the 103d FIW and assigned groups were inactivated by ADC , the 118th FIS being assigned to the 4709th Air Defense Wing at McGuire AFB , New Jersey . It should also be noted that during its period of federalization , the 118th FIS transferred many of its pilots and ground support personnel to Fifth Air Force , where they served in combat in Korea . Cold War . The Connecticut Air National Guard was re - activated on 1 November 1952 with the end of the uhits federalization period . The 103d was re - activated as a Fighter - Bomber Wing being Tactical Air Command - gained . However , Air Defense Command remained as a secondary mission . Upon the 118th ' s return , the F - 47s were sent to Davis - Monthan AFB for storage and the squadron was re - equipped with Very Long Range F - 51H Mustang s by TAC with a close air support mission . In January 1953 , the 103d received several F - 84D Thunderjet s for maintenance instruction , and the squadron was fully equipped with the Thunderjet during the summer of 1953 . In the spring of 1955 , the F - 84Gs were transferred to the Georgia ANG 128th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , and the 118th converted to F - 94B Starfire s . The F - 94Bs , however , only remained with the 118th for about a year when they were replaced by F - 86H Sabre Tactical Fighters in 1957 . The Sabres were then replaced by F - 100A Super Sabre s during the summer of 1960 and the Wing becoming fully ADC - gained . The F - 100As gave way to F - 102 Delta Dagger s in January 1966 and standing a 24 - hour air defense alert . then in 1971 transferred back to Tactical Air Command , becoming an F - 100D Super Sabre Group . From 1971 - 1979 , the 103d flew the F - 100 Super Sabres and its mission was close air support and began a NATO comttment , deploying frequently in the 1970s to bases in West Germany to reinforce United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) . In 1979 , the unit was assigned new A - 10 Thunderbolt II s as part of the as part of the " Total Force " concept which equipped ANG units with front - line USAF aircraft . The USAFE commitment continued , deploying the " Warthog " to bases in West Germany and Italy . In 1990 the 103d was programmed to receive the specialized Block 10 F - 16A / B Fighting Falcon , also referred to as the F / A - 16 due to its close air support configuration . The 1990 Gulf Crisis , however , delayed this transition . During Operation Desert Storm , the F / A - 16 was battle tested and it was discovered that the Close Air Support F - 16 project proved to be a miserable failure . Subsequently , the conversion of the Wing was cancelled in 1993 , and the 118th TFS remained an A - 10 Thunderbolt II close air support squadron . Air Combat Command . In March 1992 , with the end of the Cold War , the 103d adopted the Air Force Objective Organization plan , and the unit was re - designated as the 103d Fighter Group . In June , Tactical Air Command was inactivated as part of the Air Force reorganization after the end of the Cold War . It was replaced by Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . In 1995 , in accordance with the Air Force " One Base - One Wing " directive , the 103d was changed in status back to a Wing , and the 118th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the new 103d Operations Group . In mid - 1996 , the Air Force , in response to budget cuts , and changing world situations , began experimenting with Air Expeditionary organizations . The Air Expeditionary Force ( AEF ) concept was developed that would mix Active - Duty , Reserve and Air National Guard elements into a combined force . Instead of entire permanent units deploying as " Provisional " as in the 1991 Gulf War , Expeditionary units are composed of " aviation packages " from several wings , including active - duty Air Force , the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard , would be married together to carry out the assigned deployment rotation . Subsequently in August 1996 , the 118th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron ( EFS ) deployed to Aviano Air Base , Italy to assume the primary close air support mission of international forces in Bosnia . Other deployments of the 118th EFS were made to augment combat operations during Operations Deny Flight and Precise Endeavor . Airlift mission . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD recommended to realign Bradley International Airport Air Guard Station by distributing the 103rd ' s A - 10s to the 104th Fighter Wing , Barnes Municipal Airport Air Guard Station , MA ( nine aircraft ) and retirement ( six aircraft ) . The wing ' s expeditionary combat support ( ECS ) elements would remain in place at Bradley and Bradley would retain capability to support a Homeland Defense mission . By combining the two units into one squadron the Air Force would retain the trained A - 10 pilots and maintenance technicians in the area and create an optimum - sized and more effective squadron . In April 2008 , the 103d became an Airlift Wing . Its new missions now include ; a bridge mission flying C - 21A Learjet s supporting JOSAC VIP airlift , counter drug operations in the U . S . , Central America , South America and the Caribbean , A Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility ( CIRF ) for TF - 34 engines used on A - 10 attack aircraft and an Air Operations Center ( AOC ) responsible for Command and Control operations during wartime . Sometime between FY 2012 and 2014 , the 103d was programmed to receive the new Joint Cargo Aircraft , the C - 27 Spartan . However , the Air Force has recently announced the end of the C - 27 Spartan program , eliminating the aircraft from Air National Guards units . It is now speculated that the 103d will transition to an C - 130 mission .