176th Fighter Squadron The 176th Fighter Squadron ( 176 FS ) is a unit of the Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing located at Truax Field Air National Guard Base , Madison , Wisconsin . The 176th is equipped with the F - 16 Fighting Falcon . History . World War II . Activated in July 1942 , the 306th Fighter Squadron was an advanced pilot training squadron , assigned to III Fighter Command at Dale Mabry Army Airfield , Florida . The 306th was an Operational Replacement Unit ( OTU ) which trained newly graduated pilots in combat fighter tactics with graduates being assigned to operational squadrons for combat in overseas theaters . Initially equipped with the P - 39 Aircobra , later using P - 47 Thunderbolt s and P - 51 Mustang s when they became available . Disbanded in May 1944 as part of a reorganization of Army Air Force training unit designations . Wisconsin Air National Guard . The wartime 306th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted and re - designated as the 176th Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the Wisconsin Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Truax Field , Madison , Wisconsin and was extended federal recognition on 6 October 1948 by the National Guard Bureau . The 176th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history , honors , and colors of the 306th . The squadron was equipped with F - 51D Mustang s and was assigned to the new 128th Fighter Group , WI ANG at General Mitchell Field , Milwaukee . Air Defense . The 176th was gained by Air Defense Command ( ADC ) with an air defense mission of the Great Lakes , Chicago and Wisconsin . Upgraded to F - 80A Shooting Star jet aircraft in 1949 . Was re - designated as the 176th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron in November 1950 and 10 of the unit ' s 25 Mustangs were shipped to Korea in support of the Korean War effort . Federalized during the Korean War in February 1951 , but remained at Truax Field where it flew air defense training missions . During the active duty tour , the 176th FIS converted its aircraft to the F - 89 Scorpion . They became the first Air National Guard unit to fly the modern jet fighter . Returned to Wisconsin state control in February 1952 and converted back to the F - 51 Mustang . In October 1953 , The 176th FIS converted from F - 51 ' s to the F - 86 Sabre , and the squadron performed summer training with the F - 86 was at the Alpena Training Center in Alpena , Michigan in 1954 . In October 1954 The 176 Fighter Squadron was reassigned the F - 89 Scorpion , which they had flown briefly in 1952 during the unit ' s Korean War activation . The aircraft , designed as an " All Weather " fighter interceptor , carried a pilot and radar operator . On 15 April 1956 , the 176th FIS was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 115th Fighter - Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau at Truax Field . The 176th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . The Group continued its air defense mission with summer training moved to Volk Field from 1956 to 1962 . Beginning in 1963 , training moved to " year around " training . In January 1960 F - 89 crews were put on active duty status and the unit was assigned an around - the - clock runway alert commitment of two armed aircraft . Along with this commitment came the F - 89J with an armament platform that included the AIR - 2 Genie . The AIR - 2A was the first US air to air rocket with a nuclear warhead . In early 1966 the squadron turned in their F - 89 ' s for the F - 102 Delta Dagger . In May 1966 the 176th FIS replaced their F - 89 ' s with the Convair F - 102 Delta Dagger . In the spring of 1967 after a period of re - training in the new supersonic interceptors , the 176th FIS resumed its air defense " runway alert " mission . One year later in June 1969 , the unit airlifted to Gulfport , Mississippi for summer training , ending six years of " year around " training at home base . In September 1972 , the 176th FIS won the prestigious " William Tell Competition " in the F - 102 category . The event , held at Tyndall Air Force Base , included top Air National Guard , Canadian Air Force and active US Air Force units worldwide . The competition included 12 teams of 48 aircraft , each team scored on aerial marksmanship , weapons control , weapons loading and maintenance . Forward Air Control . In November 1974 , the squadrons parent 115th Fighter - Interceptor Group was transferred from Air Defense Command to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . In addition the 115th ' s status was elevated from a group to a Wing , its designation being changed to the 128th Tactical Air Support Wing in a re - alignment by the Wisconsin National Guard Bureau . The squadron was re - designated as the 176th Tactical Air Support Squadron ( TASS ) , and in December 1974 the unit ' s F - 102 ' s were replaced by the Cessna O - 2A Skymaster Forward Air Control ( FAC ) aircraft . The O - 2 was the military version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster , a high wing , twin boom aircraft with a unique centerline pusher / tractor twin engine configuration . The O - 2A version , used by the 176th TASS , was used in forward air control , ( FAC ) , missions , often in conjunction with a ground FAC & ROMAD , ( radio operator , maintenance , and driver ) , team . In November 1979 , the O - 2s were replaced by the OA - 37B Dragonfly Forward Air Control aircraft . It was developed from the A - 37 light attack aircraft which was used extensively in the Vietnam War as a counter - insurgency aircraft , with the surviving aircraft either being sold to the South Vietnamese Air Force or returned to the United States . The OA - 37s were received from ANG units in Maryland and New York . With most of the pilots and maintenance crews having prior jet aircraft experience with the F - 102 ' s , the unit was able to transition the OA - 37 to C - 1 status , ( full combat ready ) , in less than six months . Awards during the OA - 37 era included an overall rating of " Excellent " in the unit ' s Operational Readiness Inspection ( ORI ) , the Distinguished Flying Award and their first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award . Close Air Support . On 1 October 1981 , the 176th TASS was redesignated the 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron ( TFS ) . Along with the mission change came a new aircraft , the A - 10 Thunderbolt II , nickname " Warthog " , with the OA - 37s being sent to other ANG units . For survivability made the A - 10 an excellent weapons delivery system for ground targets . The A - 10 ' s most dominant feature is its seven barrel GAU - 8 / A 30mm cannon , capable of firing at up to 70 " tank busting " rounds per second . During the A - 10 era the unit received two " Outstanding Unit " Awards , three Air Force Flight Safety Awards , and in 1991 an " Outstanding " in its Unit Effectiveness Inspection ( UEI ) . Deployments with the A - 10 included Operation Coronet Cove to Panama , and " Checkered Flag " missions to NATO bases in West Germany and England . Current mission . With the end of the Cold War , the early 1990s marked several changes . On 16 March 1992 the 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron ( TFS ) was redesignated the 176th Fighter Squadron ( FS ) as its parent 128th Tactical Fighter Wing became the 128th Fighter Wing . The 128th FW implemented the Air Force Objective Organization , which established the 128th Operations Group to which the 176th FS was assigned . Also occurring at this time was a command change from the Air Force ' s Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) to the newly created Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . In 1993 the 176th FS began transitioning from the A - 10A to the F - 16C / D block 30 Fighting Falcon airframes with the enlarged inlet , with the A - 10s were transferred out to other ANG units . The first F - 16s arrived at Truax ANGB on 1 April 1993 . The current role of the 176th FS is air - interdiction and close air support ( CAS ) . This was the same task as when they flew the A - 10 . Although the transition to the F - 16 meant a huge change in the overall execution of this mission when comparing the A - 10 with an F - 16 . On 11 October 1995 , the squadron was reassigned to the new 115th Operations Group when its parent 128th Fighter Wing was re - designated back to the 115th by the Wisconsin National Guard Bureau . The 128th designation was causing confusion with the 128th Air Refueling Wing at General Mitchell ANGB , another Wisconsin Air National Guard unit . Operations participated in during this era include : Operation Coronet Chariot , Karup AS , Denmark 1994 , Operation Northern Watch , Incirlik AB , Turkey 1997 , Operation Southern Watch , Al Jaber AB , Kuwait 1997 - 98 , Operation Southern Watch , Prince Sultan AB , Saudi Arabia 1999 , Operation Coronet Nighthawk , Curacao , Netherlands Antilles 2001 , Operation Enduring Freedom , Al Udeid AB , Qatar 2004 - 05 , and Operation Noble Eagle , 11 Sept . 2001 to present . In October 2008 , the squadron celebrated its 60th Anniversary .