125th Fighter Squadron The 125th Fighter Squadron ( 125 FS ) is a unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard 138th Fighter Wing located at Tulsa Air National Guard Base , Oklahoma . The 125th is equipped with the Block 42 F - 16C Fighting Falcon . The squadron is a descendant organization of the 125th Aero Squadron , established on 30 July 1940 . It was one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . History . The Oklahoma Air National Guard originated during the pre World War II formation of Army National Guard aviation units . In July 1940 the War Department allotted the 125th Observation Squadron to the Oklahoma National Guard . Organized in Tulsa , the squadron was equipped with 0 - 38 aircraft . It was federally recognized on January 31 , 1941 . World War II . Seven months after its federal recognition , the 125th Observation Squadron was federalized and ordered into active service on 15 September 1941 . The 125th was assigned to the 68th Observation Group at Fort Sill . In March 1942 the unit was transferred to the 77th Observation Group . It operated as the 125th Observation Squadron ( Light ) until July 1942 , when it was again designated the 125th Observation Squadron . During the remainder of 1942 it trained with various aircraft at Fort Sill and other installations . In April 1943 the 125th was renamed the 125th Liaison Squadron . Transferred to Texas , it joined the Second Air Force Support Command and was re - equipped with L - 5 Sentinel aircraft . In January 1944 the squadron became a part of the 76th Tactical Reconnaissance Group . The 125th arrived in England in June 1944 and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force . Deployed to the U . S . Ninth Army , units of the 125th arrived in France in August 1944 and served with the Twelfth and Sixth army groups . In November 1944 the 125th was assigned to the XIX Tactical Air Command ( Provisional ) and then to the IX Fighter Command . After V - E Day the 125th was transferred to the XII Tactical Air Command of the Army of Occupation . Oklahoma Air National Guard . The wartime 125th Liaison Squadron was re - designated as the 125th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the Oklahoma Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Tulsa Municipal Airport , Oklahoma , and was extended federal recognition on 15 February 1947 by the National Guard Bureau . The 1125th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the history , honors , and colors of the 125th Liaison Squadron and all predecessor units . The squadron was equipped with F - 51D Mustang Fighters and was assigned to the Missouri ANG 71st Fighter Wing , an umbrella unit of early ANG units in the midwest . The squadron was assigned the mission for air defense of the State of Oklahoma . On 18 December 1947 , the 125th FS was transferred to the newly recognized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter Group and joined the 185th Fighter Squadron at Norman . The Norman - based 137th Fighter Group provided command and logistical support . The 125th then performed training missions over Northern Oklahoma and the panhandle ; the 188th trained over Southern Oklahoma to the Texas border . In June 1950 , the 125th began re - equipping from F - 51D Mustangs to F - 84B Thunderjet s . The F - 84s were received from Republic after refurbishing , the aircraft seeing previous service with the 14th or 20th Fighter Groups . Korean War federalization . The 125th and its parent 137th Fighter Group were federalized and ordered to active service on 10 October 1950 due to the Korean War , becoming part of Ninth Air Force , Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . On 27 November 1950 , it was moved to Alexandria AFB , Louisiana , where it was joined with the Kansas ANG 127th Fighter Squadron and Georgia ANG 128th Fighter Squadron . The 137th Fighter - Bomber Wing was scheduled for deployment to the new Chaumont - Semoutiers AB , France , as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) . At Alexandria , the unit was scheduled for conversion training in the F - 84G Thunderjet . Deployment of the wing was delayed , however , by the need to transfer its pilots to Korea from training and delays in receiving engines for the F - 84Gs , as well as the ongoing construction at Chaumont AB . As no F - 84Gs were available , F - 84Ds were furnished by TAC and along with the F - 84Bs , the unit trained in the jet aircraft . Training and delays continued throughout 1951 . Due to these delays , many of the activated National Guard airmen were released from active duty and never deployed to France . F - 84G models were finally received in the spring of 1951 and the Guardsmen were able to train in long - range endurance missions . However , ongoing delays in France kept the 137th in Louisiana for over a year . With mostly regular Air Force personnel and all the delays behind them , the remaining Guardsmen departed Louisiana on 5 May 1952 for Europe ; however , the 128th inherited a base that was little more than acres of mud where wheat fields used to be . The only hardened facilities at Chaumont were a concrete runway and a handful of tarpaper shacks . The 127th wound up being stationed by USAFE at Neubiberg Air Base , West Germany until the facilities in France were suitable for military use . The aircraft arrived at Chaumont on 25 June , being the first USAF tactical air fighters to be based permanently in France , albeit working mostly in tents and temporary wooden buildings on their new base . The Guardsmen of the 125th ended their active - duty tour in France and returned to the United States in late June , leaving their F - 84G Thunderjets in Europe . Air Defense mission . The 125th returned from France and was reformed in Tulsa in July 1952 , being assigned to Tactical Air Command as a Fighter - Bomber squadron . It was re - equipped with F - 51D Mustang s , owing to the lack of jet aircraft available . The squadron continued to train in the Mustang until 1954 when obsolescent F - 80C Shooting Star jets were received . In 1957 the Oklahoma Air National Guard was given a fighter - interceptor mission in Air Defense Command ( ADC ) , and on 1 August , the 125th Fighter - Bomber Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level . The 138th Fighter - Interceptor Group was authorized and extended federal recognition by the National Guard Bureau . The 125th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron becoming the group ' s flying unit . Other support squadrons assigned into the group were the 138th Headquarters , 138th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 138th Combat Support Squadron , and the 138th USAF Dispensary . With the Fighter - Interceptor mission assignment , the 125th also assumed ADC runway alert program on full 24 - hour basis - with armed jet fighters ready to " scramble " at a moment ' s notice . This event brought the group into the daily combat operational program of the USAF , placing us on " the end of the runway " alongside regular USAF - Air Defense Fighter Squadrons . The obsolescent F - 80 day fighters were upgraded to the all - weather / day / night F - 86D Sabre Interceptor by the end of the year . In June 1959 the squadron traded their F - 86Ds for the upgraded F - 86L Sabre Interceptor with uprated afterburning engines and new electronics . Air Transport mission . In January 1960 , the 138th FIS was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) , trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4 - engined C - 97 Stratofreighter transports . With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need , the unit was re - designated the 138th Air Transport Wing ( Heavy ) with the 125th Air Transport Squadron . During the 1961 Berlin Crisis , both the Group and squadron were federalized on 1 October 1961 . From Tulsa , the 125th ATS augmented MATS airlift capability world - wide in support of the Air Force ’ s needs . It returned again to Oklahoma state control on 31 August 1962 . Throughout the 1960s , the 125th flew long - distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements , frequently sending aircraft to the Caribbean , Europe , Australia , Hawaii , Japan , the Philippines , and during the Vietnam War , to both South Vietnam , Okinawa and Thailand . The C - 97s were retired in 1968 and the unit was transferred to Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) , being re - equipped with C - 124C Globemaster II heavy transports . The Group continued to fly long - distance intercontinental airlift flights until the Globemasters were retired at the end of 1972 . Tactical Fighter mission . With the retirement of the Globemasters , the 138th was transferred to Tactical Air Command on 25 January 1973 , with the 125th Tactical Fighter Squadron being re - equipped with veteran F - 100D / F Super Sabre tactical fighter bombers that were returning from the Vietnam War . The Super Sabre was dedicated fighter - bomber , with no concession being made to a secondary air - superiority role and the squadron trained in using the fighter for ground support . Beginning in 1975 , the 125th began a NATO commitment , with squadron aircraft and personnel deploying to the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) for Autumn Forge / Cold Fire / Reforger exercises . In 1978 , the F - 100s were being retired , and they were replaced with A - 7D Corsair II subsonic tactical close air support aircraft from the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing , England AFB , Louisiana along with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing , Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina which were converting to the A - 10 Thunderbolt II . The aircraft had excellent accuracy with the aid of an automatic electronic navigation and weapons delivery system . Although designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft , it also had limited air - to - air combat capability . In 1980 , the 125th received the new twin - seat A - 7K trainer and also received the Low Altitude Night Attack modification to the A - 7D . Modern era . Early in the 1990s with the declared end of the Cold War and the continued decline in military budgets , the Air Force restructured to meet changes in strategic requirements , decreasing personnel , and a smaller infrastructure . The 138th adopted the new USAF " Objective Organization " in early 1992 , with the word " tactical " being eliminated from its designation and becoming the 138th Fighter Group . Tactical Air Command was inactivated on 1 June , being replaced by the new Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . The 125th Fighter Squadron flew A - 7D ' s until 1993 when it began to receive Block 42 F - 16C / D Fighting Falcon s , replacing the venerable A - 7D in the attack roles . Most of these aircraft came from the 51st Fighter Wing , Osan Air Base , South Korea and the 20th Fighter Wing , Shaw AFB , South Carolina , which units ’ were trading in Block 42 for more advanced F - 16s . The 125th , although an Air National Guard unit , which were mostly tasked with air defense of US mainland , was tasked with a conventional attack mission . This was already the case in the A - 7D and even in the F - 100 era . The squadron was one of the first Air National Guard units to be equipped with the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night , or LANTIRN system to be able to illuminate their own ground targets . At the time of conversion this unit was one of the most advanced within the Air National Guard . 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 . In October 1996 , the 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron ( 125 EFS ) was first formed from 138th FW personnel and aircraft and deployed to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , to join with other active - duty and national guard squadrons as part of Operation Northern Watch . This mission was part of a multi - unit Air National Guard " rainbow " deployment involving the Air National Guard block 42 F - 16 squadrons . Each squadron provided eight aircraft to a total of 24 aircraft deployed . The 125th EFS returned to Tulsa and was inactivated on 7 January 1997 . Further Northern Watch activations of the 125th EFS and subsequent deployments to Incirlik AB occurred in the spring of 1998 and fall of 2001 . The 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has also been deployed to Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch in 2001 , and several times to Balad Air Base , Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . In 2011 , the 125th EFS deployed to Iraq for the final time , when more than 200 members deployed there to provide air support to the final drawdown of U . S . and coalition forces , being able to respond quickly to any needs troops in combat may have as they left the country .