178th Reconnaissance Squadron The 178th Reconnaissance Squadron ( 178 RS ) is a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard 119th Wing located at Fargo Air National Guard Base , North Dakota . The 178th is equipped with the MQ - 1A Predator . Overview . The 178th Reconnaissance Squadron includes operations of the MQ - 1 Predator , a medium - altitude , long - endurance , remotely piloted aircraft . The MQ - 1 ' s primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical , perishable targets . When the MQ - 1 is not actively pursuing its primary mission , it acts as the Joint Forces Air Component Commander - owned theater asset for reconnaissance , surveillance and target acquisition in support of the Joint Forces commander . History . World War II . Organized as 392d Fighter Squadron and trained in California during 1943 on P - 51 Mustangs . Moved to England in April 1944 , being assigned to IX Fighter Command , but were assigned P - 38 Lightnings upon arrival . Entered combat in May 1944 , flying fighter sweeps , bomber escorts and dive bombing missions over Occupied France . Supported the invasion of Normandy during June 1944 by maintaining low aerial cover over the invasion troops . Moved to France in late July , engaging enemy aircraft over France and supporting ground forces as they advanced , attacking the German Seventh Army which , to prevent being surrounded , was withdrawing eastward through the gap between Falaise and Argentan . Five convoys and 100 Tiger Tanks were destroyed on one day . Continued combat operations until the German capitulation in May 1945 . On July 1 it was announced the squadron was to go to the Pacific Theater of Operations , and returned to the United States to be re - equipped with long range P - 47N Thunderbolts . Japanese Capitulation in August led to the unit becoming excess to requirements , and was demobilized at Seymour Johnson field , North Carolina . Was inactivated as a paper unit in November 1945 North Dakota Air National Guard . The wartime 392d Fighter Squadron was re - activated and re - designated as the 178th Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the North Dakota Air National Guard on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Hector Field , Fargo and was extended federal recognition on 1 February 1947 by the National Guard Bureau . The 178th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the history , honors , and colors of the 392d Fighter Squadron . The squadron was equipped with F - 51D Mustang s and was allocated to the Second Air Force , Air Defense Command with a mission of air defense of the State of North Dakota . Korean War activation . On 1 March 1951 the 178th was federalized and brought to active - duty due to the Korean War . It was initially assigned to Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) and transferred to Bergstrom AFB , Texas and assigned to the Federalized Missouri ANG 131st Fighter - Bomber Group . The 131st FBG was composed of the 178th FS , the 192d Fighter Squadron ( Nevada ANG ) , the 110th Composite Squadron ( Missouri ANG ) , and the 170th Fighter Squadron ( Illinois ANG ) . At Berstrom , its mission was a filler replacement for the 27th Fighter - Escort Group which was deployed to Japan as part of SAC ' s commitment to the Korean War . The unit was a Bergstrom until November when it was transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) and moved to George AFB , California . At George , the unit was scheduled to be re - equipped with F - 84D Thunderjet s and was programmed for deployment to Japan , however the F - 84s were instead sent to France and the 131st Fighter - Bomber Wing remained in California and flew its F - 51 Mustangs for the remainder of its federal service . The 178th Fighter - Bomber Squadron was released from active duty and returned to North Dakota state control on 15 October 1952 . Air Defense . Returning to Fargo , the unit was re - formed by 1 January 1953 and again was returned to the control of Air Defense Command ( ADC ) . On 1 November 1953 , the squadron was re - designated as the 178th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . In September 1953 the runway alert program began with two F - 51D Mustangs on alert 14 hours a day . The runway alert continued for over 50 years until the end of the F - 16 era in the summer of 2007 . On 1 November 1954 , the 192d began the transition from the piston - engine , propeller driven F - 51D to its first jet aircraft , the F - 94A Starfire interceptor . On 1 July 1955 , the 178th was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 119th Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 178th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 119th Headquarters , 119th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 119th Combat Support Squadron , and the 119th USAF Dispensary . The " Happy Hooligan " pilots were upgraded by ADC to the F - 89 Scorpion in 1958 , being one of the last units to fly the aircraft in 1966 when it received the supersonic F - 102A Delta Dagger interceptor in 1966 . It was again upgraded in 1969 to the F - 101B Voodoo interceptor . In 1979 , Aerospace Defense Command ( ADCOM ) was merged into Tactical Air Command ( ADTAC ) and the unit continued its air defense mission for ADTAC component of TAC with the F - 4D Phantom II , transferring to First Air Force when ADTAC was replaced in 1985 . The first overseas deployment of the North Dakota Air Guard occurred in 1983 , with six F - 4s and 120 support personnel deploying to NAS Keflavik , Iceland . Eight Soviet Tupolev Tu - 95 " Bear " bombers were intercepted by Hooligan pilots during the deployment . In 1986 , the 119th Fighter Group became the first core unit to assume the USAF Zulu alert mission at Ramstein Air Base , West Germany . Referred to as " Creek Klaxon " , the 119th and other Air Defense units rotated to Ramstein and stood continuous alert for one year , providing air sovereignty in Western Europe for NATO . During Operation Desert Storm in 1991 , 107 Happy Hooligans were mobilized and deployed in support of operations at numerous CONUS locations . The 178th FS converted from the F - 4 Phantom to the F - 16A / B Fighting Falcon in mid - 1990 . The first aircraft were older block 5 and 10 models with some block 15 aircraft also being delivered to the squadron . Main task for the unit was air defense , as with many ANG units who were equipped with the F - 16 . In 1991 the F - 16s were brought up to the Air Defense Fighter ( ADF ) variant . This meant a serious leap in performance and capability of this squadron in their defensive role . The Hooligans earned first place at the October 1994 William Tell competition , a worldwide weapons meet which tests pilots and ground crews from the U . S . Air Force ' s top units in realistic , air - to - air combat situations . This was the Hooligans third William Tell victory , winning in 1970 , 1972 , and 1994 , in addition to placing first among F - 4 William Tell units in 1986 . In 1994 the NDANG won the prestigious Hughes Trophy which recognizes the most outstanding air - to - air unit in the U . S . Air Force . The only Air National Guard unit to win the award twice , the Hooligans are also the only F - 16 unit to ever win the Hughes Trophy . A permanent alert detachment was established at Kingsley Field , Oregon , beginning 1 October 1989 . The detachment , staffed by 18 members , was relocated to March Air Force Base , California , in July 1994 when the Oregon ANG took over full operation of Kingsley . An announcement was made in March 1999 that the squadron would convert from an air defense mission to a general purpose mission with 15 F - 16A / B aircraft while activating an alert detachment at Langley AFB , Virginia . Current status . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD recommended to realign the mission of the North Dakota Air National Guard . The 119th Fighter Wing ' s F - 16As ( 15 aircraft ) would retire , with the aircraft reaching the end of their operational life . The reduction in F - 16 force structure and the need to align common versions of the F - 16 at the same bases argued for realigning the 119th Fighter Wing to allow its aircraft to retire without a flying mission backfill . In Jan 2007 , the 119th officially retired the F - 16 mission after 60 years of successful air defense interceptor missions . Replacing the F - 16s in 2007 , the squadron began to receive the C - 21A Learjet , being re - designated as an Airlift Squadron . The C - 21 has with room for eight VIP passengers and 42 ft³ ( 1 . 26 m³ ) of cargo . In addition to its normal role , the aircraft is capable of transporting litters during medical evacuations . Later in 2007 , it was announced that C - 21 operations would be transferred to the newly activated ND ANG 177th Airlift Squadron , and the 179th would convert to the MQ - 1 Predator , being re - designated as a Reconnaissance Squadron . In 2008 the first Predator was received .