118th Wing The 118th Wing ( 118 WG ) is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard , stationed at Berry Field Air National Guard Base , Nashville , Tennessee . If activated to federal service , it is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . The 105th Tactical Airlift Squadron , assigned to the Wings 118th Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the World War I 105th Aero Squadron , established on 27 August 1917 . It was reformed on 4 December 1921 , as the 105th 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 . Under a restructuring plan , the Air Force announced earlier this year the unit ' s C - 130 transport planes would be replaced with MQ - 9 Remote Piloted Aircraft , also known as the Reaper drone . The plan also calls for the 118th Wing to get a cyber - security unit and expand their intelligence squadron . Details are still being finalized for the 118th Wing ' s new mission . While the unit is not using their C - 130s any longer , they will still have a role in assisting in response to state and federal emergencies , such as hurricanes , tornados or flooding . The new technology and skills the Guardsmen learn will aid in assessing damage , analyzing risks and gathering real - time information during natural disasters . The unit employs about 1 , 200 personnel . About a third are full - time National Guard members and the remainder are traditional , part - time Guard positions . History . World War II . Established on 8 December 1942 at Westover Field , Massachusetts as the 356th Fighter Group , equipped with P - 47 Thunderbolts . Deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England . Engaged in combat operations until May 1945 . Returned to the United States during September – November 1945 , and was inactivated on 10 November 1945 . Tennessee Air National Guard . Was re - established in 1946 as the Tennessee Air National Guard 118th Fighter Group , receiving federal recognition and being activated on 2 October 1947 . Formed at Berry Field , Nashville . The new Group was initially assigned to the 54th Fighter Wing , Fourteenth Air Force . It consisted of the 105th Fighter Squadron and the 155th Fighter Squadron at Memphis Municipal Airport . Both squadrons flew the F - 47 Thunderbolt . In October 1947 , the 154th Fighter Squadron at Little Rock , Arkansas ( Arkansas ANG ) , was assigned to the Group . The 154th flew F - 51 Mustang s . On 1 September 1950 , the group was elevated to a Wing level and was activated as the 118th Composite Wing . It was assigned to Fourteenth Air Force , Continental Air Command , with Wing Headquarters at Berry Field . The 118th Fighter Group was redesignated the 118th Composite Group and along with the 105th Fighter Squadron was absorbed by the 118th Composite Wing . On 1 February 1951 , the 118th Composite Wing , 118th Composite Group and 105th Fighter Squadron were redesignated the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , Group and Squadron respectively . The 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing ( TRW ) and Group were activated for federal service 1 February 1951 . On 13 April 1951 , the 118th TRW was reassigned to Tactical Air Command , ( TAC ) , Langley AFB , Virginia , and operated from the municipal airport at Memphis , TN . On 3 August 1951 , the 118th TRW was released from assignment to TAC and reassigned and transferred to Headquarters Ninth Air Force , Shaw AFB , SC . The 105th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron stayed at Berry Field . It was redesignated as the 105th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and was activated in place 1 March 1951 . While on active duty , it operated two geographically separated units ; Detachment 1 flying P - 47 Thunderbolt aircraft , from McGhee - Tyson Airport at Knoxville , TN , provided air defense for the Atomic Energy Commission at Oak Ridge , and Detachment 2 was the 4674th Ground Observer Squadron , Smyrna , TN . 1 January 1953 , the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing returned to Berry Field with the following assigned units : 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Group , 105th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron , 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Memphis , and the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Little Rock , AR . The units were equipped with the RF - 51 Mustang from 1953 - 1954 , the Lockheed RF - 80C Shooting Star from 1954 - 1956 , and the Republic RF - 84F Thunderflash from 1956 to early 1961 . In April 1961 the Wing converted to an airlift mission flying the C - 97G Stratofreighter . On 12 May 1961 , the 118th Air Transport Wing ( Heavy ) was reassigned to Eastern Transport Air Force ( EASTAF ) , Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) . In January 1966 , MATS was renamed Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) . As a result , the 118th Air Transport Wing , Group and Squadron were redesignated the 118th Military Airlift Wing , Group and Squadron . The 118th MAW converted to the C - 124C Globemaster II transport and received the first of eight of these aircraft 6 April 1967 . Operating from Nashville during the Vietnam War , the 118th MAW supported global airlift requirements of U . S . military forces . The Wing became Executive Agent for ANG Airlift Support in conjunction with the Vietnam effort in 1965 . This function now resides at the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Andrews AFB , MD . A well - trained group of officers and airmen at Berry Field operating 24 hours a day , seven days a week , coordinated the airlift of equipment and personnel by 18 Military Airlift Groups in 15 states . Beginning in December 1965 , the 105th MAS flew more than 100 missions to South Vietnam in a period of approximately a year and a half . In March 1971 , the Wing converted to the C - 130A Hercules aircraft and became the 118th Tactical Airlift Wing . The Wing was assigned to Ninth Air Force , Tactical Air Command . Ultimately five ANG Tactical Airlift Groups were assigned to the Wing by 9 June 1973 : the 145th TAG , Charlotte , NC , the 166th TAG , New Castle , DE , the 167th TAG Martinsburg , WV , the 170th TAG , McGuire AFB , NJ , and the 118th TAG at Nashville . 1 December 1974 , the 118th Tactical Airlift Wing was transferred from 9th Air Force , Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) , to 21st Air Force , Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) . On 9 February 1975 , the 118th Tactical Airlift Group was inactivated , passing its World War II lineage and history to the 118th Tactical Airlift Wing . In June 1978 the Wing was recognized for its achievements and was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award . In 1979 , the Wing was enlarged from eight to sixteen C - 130A Aircraft . Since acquiring the C - 130 airframe , the unit has supported a worldwide tactical airlift mission . Participation in exercises such as Brave Shield , Brim Frost and Red Flag were accomplished with some of the oldest aircraft in the inventory ( 1954 - 1957 A models ) . Rotations to Panama in support of Volant Oak beginning in 1977 became routine . Post - Cold War . The Wing mobilized 462 personnel during 21 deployments for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in southwest Asia and flew a record 7239 flying hours . In 1992 , Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) was reorganized as the Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) . As a part of this reorganization , the 118th Tactical Airlift Wing became the 118th Airlift Wing . With sixteen C - 130H aircraft and 1406 personnel at Nashville , the 118th Airlift Wing was one of the largest flying units in the Air National Guard at that time . Following 11 September 2001 , the operational tempo increased . Over one - third of the Wing was activated for one year or more to supporting the National Homeland Security Plan ( Operation Noble Eagle ) , which included deploying aircraft and personnel to bases inside the United States for several months , then assigned a home station alert mission . Shortly after the Wing completed the Noble Eagle mission , the Wing was selected to deploy to Southwest Asia in support CENTCOM Operations . Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom . In 2003 , the 118th deployed ten C - 130 ’ s and over 320 personnel to the Middle East in direct support of combat operations at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom . While living in austere conditions in tents , enduring the desert heat and sand storms , the men and women of the 118th supported combat operations into and out of Baghdad and surrounding areas of Iraq . The 118th was the lead wing in establishing a bare base in support of the largest contingent of C - 130 ’ s ever based in a combat environment , over 46 C - 130 ’ s located at a single base . The unit supported CENTCOM at various locations in Iraq , Kuwait , Oman and Saudi Arabia . The unit returned home at different times in late 2003 as U . S . forces were drawn down and rotated to meet the changing requirements . In late 2003 , the Wing again deployed to Uzbekistan supporting Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . BRAC 2005 and the C - 130 International Training Center . As part of BRAC 2005 , the Department of Defense was recommended to realign Berry Field Air National Guard Base . This recommendation would distribute the C - 130H aircraft of the 118th Airlift Wing to the 182d Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard at Greater Peoria Airport Air National Guard Station , IL ( four aircraft ) , and the 123d Airlift Wing of the Kentucky Air National Guard at Louisville IAP Air National Guard Station , KY ( four aircraft ) . Flying related ECS ( aerial port and fire fighters ) would move to Memphis IAP Air National Guard Station and the aeromedical squadron from Nashville would move to NAS JRB Fort Worth , TX . Other ECS would remain in place at Nashville . Nashville had a low military value ranking and was near other ANG bases keeping or gaining aircraft . In October 2007 , it was announced that as an amendment to the BRAC 2005 decision , the 118 AW would continue to retain a flying mission , transitioning from an Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) - gained unit to that of a training organization operationally gained by the Air Education and Training Command ( AETC ) . As the C - 130 International Training Center , the 118 AW assumed a new role in support of DoD Foreign Military Sales ( FMS ) , training up to 150 international military C - 130E and C - 130H flight crew and maintenance students annually . Although its C - 130H2 aircraft were transferred to other Air National Guard airlift wings , the 118 AW did gain six WC - 130H aircraft that had been retired from weather reconnaissance duties with the Air Force Reserve Command ' s 403d Wing at Keesler AFB , Mississippi . The first class of international C - 130 students trained by the 118 AW graduated in October 2008 .