113th Wing The 113th Wing ( 113 WG ) is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard , stationed at Joint Base Andrews , Camp Springs , Maryland . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . The 121st Fighter Squadron assigned to the Wings 113th Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron , established on 10 July 1940 . It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II Overview . The District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing is truly unique among all Air National Guard Units . Known as the ' Capital Guardians ' , the Wing provides air sovereignty forces to defend the Nation ' s Capital , and also provides fighter , airlift and support forces capable of local , national and global employment . The 113th ' s primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense . The 113th also provides a ready response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area 24 / 7 . Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis . Units . The 113th Wing consists of the following major units : History . World War II . The 352d Fighter Group was assigned to the Eight Air Force . Flying P - 51 Mustangs and P - 47 Thunderbolts out of Bodney , England , the unit , known as the " Blue - Nosed Bastards of Bodney " for the blue paint on the noses of their aircraft , was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for their heroism . To preserve the history , lineage and honors of this organization , after WW II the unit was reestablished in the DC Air National Guard as the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing . In December 1944 German forces launched the Ardennes Offensive in their last major attempt to stop advancing allied forces . Taking advantage of the bad weather which has grounded allied aircraft , German armor , artillery , and infantry force American units to retreat . The penetration , which quickly becomes known as the Battle of the Bulge , found the 101st Airborne Division surrounded at the Belgian town of Bastogne . Faced with a surrender ultimatum , the Division Commander , General McAuliffe , replies , " Nuts ! " When the weather finally cleared , the 352nd Fighter Group roared into the sky in their shiny , new P - 51 Mustangs . The unit has already seen extensive combat , earning high praise during the battle for St . Lo , and Operation Market Garden . They and other U . S . Army Air Corps units attacked in the face of fierce anti - aircraft fire and decimated German ground forces while dog - fights raged in the air . The 352nd was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for their heroism during the battle . George Preddy of Greensboro , NC , was a pilot in the 352nd . During the battle he dove in pursuit of a Messerschmitt ( ME - 109 ) which was also coming under attack by American units on the ground . The American gunners failed to lead the German , and their shells hit Preddy ' s P - 51 . Both aircraft crash at almost the same spot and both pilots are killed . The United States lost one of its three top Aces of World War II . Preddy served in both the Pacific and European theaters of operations , and was eventually credited with a total of 26 . 83 kills in aerial combat . District of Columbia Air National Guard . The wartime 352d Fighter Group was re - designated as the 113th Fighter Group , and was allotted to the District of Columbia Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Andrews Army Airfield , Maryland , and was extended federal recognition on 2 November 1946 by the National Guard Bureau . The 1113th Fighter Group was bestowed the lineage , history , honors , and colors of the 352d Fighter Group . It was assigned to the Pennsylvania ANG 53d Wing . Its mission was the air defense of the District of Columbia , along with southern Maryland and northern Virginia . Upon its recognition , the 121st Fighter Squadron was assigned to the 113th Fighter Group . It was equipped with the F - 47D Thunderbolt . On 31 October 1950 the 53d Wing was inactivated and the 113th Fighter Wing was allotted to the DC ANG and activated . The 113th Fighter Group was assigned to the 113th Fighter Wing 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 on 1 February 1951 . The 113th Fighter Group was assigned to Air Defense Command ( ADC ) and was re - designated as a Fighter - Interceptor Group . The 113th FIG was composed of the D . C . ANG 121st and Delaware ANG 142d Fighter - Interceptor Squadrons , both equipped with F - 84Cs , along with the Pennsylvania ANG F - 51D Mustang equipped 148th Fighter Squadron at Spaatz Field , Reading . On 20 March ADC re - designated the 113th Fighter Wing as the 113th Fighter - Interceptor Wing . The wing was moved from Andrews AFB to join with the 142nd FIS at New Castle AFB , Delaware . Its mission was the air defense of Delaware Bay and the Delmarva Peninsula . In April 1951 , with the 116th Fighter Squadron at Geiger AFB , Washington slated to switch to F - 86As , the 113th FIG sent fifteen pilots to Geiger to obtain their F - 84Cs for use by the 148th FIS . These aircraft were considered to be " so poor " that they were all flown to the 113th Maintenance Squadron , then at Dover AFB , Delaware for total refurbishment before they would be accepted by the 148th FIS . In September 1951 the 113th FIW converted to F - 94B Starfire s with partial all - weather capabilities . During the six months the newly constituted 113th FIW was operational with the F - 84C , each squadron had lost one example in an operational accident . Its federalization period ending , the 113th FIW was released from active duty and returned to District of Columbia control , 1 November 1952 . Cold War . With its return to District of Columbia control , the 121st Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was re - equipped with propeller - driven F - 51H Mustang s and resumed its air defense mission of Washington , D . C . It was not until 1954 , with the phaseout of the Mustang and the requirement by Air Defense Command that its interceptor squadrons be equipped with jet - powered aircraft that the squadron was upgraded to postwar - era F - 86A Sabre s that had been refurbished and reconditioned before being received . In August 1954 , the 121st began standing daytime air defense alert at Andrews , placing two aircraft at the end of the runway with pilots in the cockpit from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset . This ADC alert lasted each and every day until the end of October 1958 Despite the reconditioning , the F - 86A Sabres were weary and required a considerable amount of maintenance to keep in the air . In 1955 , the 113th sent them to storage at Davis - Monthan AFB and received F - 86E Sabre s from active - duty ADC units that were receiving F - 89 Scorpion interceptors . In 1957 , the F - 86H was already being phased out of active service with the USAF , being replaced by the F - 100 Super Sabre , and the 121st received F - 86H Sabre s in late 1957 . In late 1958 , the gaining command for the 113th was changed from Air Defense Command to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) and the mission of the wing was changed to tactical air support , although the air defense of Washington remained as a secondary mission . The Sabres were phased out in 1960 with the receipt of relatively new F - 100C Super Sabre s from active duty units receiving the F - 100D model . The Super Sabre was a major improvement over the F - 86H and it gave the wing a major increase in capability as well as it entering the supersonic age . In January 1968 , a new crisis , the seizure of the American ship USS Pueblo by North Korean forces , and again the 113th was called to active duty . The wing was activated to federal service , and its personnel were assigned to Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina as a filler unit while the base ' s permanent unit , the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing was deployed to Kunsan Air Base , South Korea . At Myrtle Beach AFB , the federalized NJ ANG 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron joined the 121st TFS on active duty . However , not all wing personnel were sent to Myrtle Beach , as personnel were spread throughout the United States , Taiwan , Korea , and South Vietnam . The 113 TFW returned to Anderws AFB in June 1969 , and transitioned into the F - 105D Thunderchief ( AKA " Thud " ) in 1971 , receiving Vietnam War veteran aircraft that were being withdrawn from combat . The 113th was one of four Air National Guard units to receive the F - 105 , which was a very large and complex aircraft . The 113th was fortunate to have many Vietnam Veteran airmen in its ranks by 1970 , many of whom had F - 105 experience . The Thud was the first USAF supersonic tactical fighter - bomber that was developed from scratch . All others before it were adaptations of aircraft that had originally been developed as pure fighters . In December 1974 , the 113th Tactical Fighter Group was inactivated , with the 121st TFS being assigned directly to the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing . In 1981 at the end of its service life , the F - 105s were retired , with the 113th TFW receiving F - 4D Phantom II s , again receiving Vietnam War veteran aircraft from active - duty units receiving F - 15A and F - 16A next - generation fighter aircraft . With the F - 4 , the 113th returned to the air defense mission , becoming part of Air Defense , Tactical Air Command ( ADTAC ) , a named unit at the Numbered Air Force echelon of TAC . ADTAC had taken over the mission of Aerospace Defense Command in 1979 when the command was inactivated ; the D . C . Air National Guard using the Phantoms for Washington , D . C . air defense . The 113th operated the Phantoms throughout the 1980s , retiring the Phantoms at the end of their service life in 1989 . In turn , the 121st FS started receiving F - 16A Fighting Falcon s in September 1989 . These were block 5 and 10 models coming from various regular USAF units converting to more modern F - 16C / D models . The Wing retained its air defense and attack mission , however the early block 5 and 10 models really designed to do . In the air defense role these models lacked any BVR capability , limiting them only to close range combat with their gun and Sidewinder missiles . In the attack role these aircraft were able to deploy bombs , but with their smaller stabs the center of gravity of these aircraft was far from ideal making it quite a challenge for the pilots to fly these missions . The 113th Tactical Fighter Wing was not mobilized during the 1991 Gulf Crisis , remaining in the United States with its air defense mission . D . C . Air National Guard volunteers , however were deployed to CENTAF during the crisis and subsequent combat operations as part of Operation Desert Storm . Air Combat Command . After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and Operation Desert Storm , Air Force planners reorganized the major command structure and the organization of its units to reflect the new reality of the 1990s and also a smaller force after the end of the Cold War . Tactical Air Command was replaced by Air Combat Command ( ACC ) as the gaining command for the 113th effective 1 June 1992 . On 15 March 1992 , the 113th adopted the new Air Force Objective Organization , which re - designated the wing as the 113th Fighter Wing . The 113th Tactical Fighter Group was reactivated as the 113th Operations Group , and the 121st Fighter Squadron was transferred to the 113th OG . Other support groups under the Objective Wing organization are the 179th Maintenance Group , 179th Mission Support Group and the 179th Medical Group . On 20 June 1992 , Detachment 1 HQ , District of Columbia Air National Guard was re - designated as the 201st Airlift Squadron , District of Columbia Air National Guard . The 201st Airlift Squadron provides short notice worldwide transportation for the Executive Branch , Congressional Members , Department of Defense officials and high - ranking U . S . and foreign dignitaries in support of the 89th Airlift Wing . The continuing efforts to upgrade and expand the squadron ’ s worldwide capabilities led to the acquisition of two C - 38As in 1998 and two C - 40Bs ( Boeing 737 ) in 2002 In 1994 the 121st traded its early F - 16A aircraft for Block 30 F - 16C / D Fighting Falcon which upgraded its capabilities considerably . In May 1996 , the 121st Fighter Squadron deployed personnel and aircraft to Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait to support Operation Southern Watch ( OSW ) . The 121st FS was the first Air National Guard unit to fly OSW . Operation Southern Watch was an operation which was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no - fly zone below the 32nd parallel north in Iraq . This mission was initiated mainly to cover for attacks of Iraqi forces on the Iraqi Shi ’ ite Muslims . In July 1996 , the squadron returned to Andrews AFB . 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 February 1997 the 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron ( 121st EFS ) was first formed from 113th personnel and aircraft and deployed to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch ( ONW ) . Operation Northern Watch was a US European Command Combined Task Force ( CTF ) who was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no - fly zone above the 36th parallel north in Iraq . This mission was a successor to Operation Provide Comfort which also entailed support for the Iraqi Kurds . The 121st EFS returned to Andrews in April 1997 . The 121st EFS was again formed in January 1998 when the Wing was tasked with a second Operation Northern Watch deployment to Incirlik Air Base . This time the deployment was only for a month with less than 100 personnel being deployed . Modern era . On 11 September 2001 , the wing was given authorization for its pilots to shoot down threatening aircraft over Washington DC . After the events of September 11 , 2001 the squadron took on an Air Sovereignty Alert Detachment role , stationing a number of aircraft at air force bases around the country to fly alert missions as part of Operation Noble Eagle ( ONE ) . During one of those missions , on 11 May 2005 the squadron scrambled to intercept an aircraft that wandered into the no - fly zone around the White House . Customs officials had also scrambled a Sikorsky UH - 60 Black Hawk helicopter and a UC - 35B Cessna Citation jet at 11 : 47 a . m . to intercept the plane . The Customs aircraft gave way when the F - 16s arrived flew on the wing tips of the little plane . They dipped their wings - a pilot ' s signal to ‘ follow me ’ - and tried to raise the pilot on the radio . But the Cessna didn ' t change course and it was flying too slow for the F - 16s . The frustrated pilots had to take turns dropping flares , breaking away and returning to drop more flares . One senior Bush administration counter - terrorism official said it was ‘ a real finger - biting period ’ because they came very close to ordering a shot against a general aircraft . Finally , when the Cessna came within three miles of the White House - just a few minutes flying time - it altered course . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , the DoD recommended that Cannon Air Force Base , NM be closed . As a result , it would distribute the 27th Fighter Wing ’ s F - 16s to the 113th Wing , Andrews Air Force Base , MD ( nine aircraft ) and several other installations . The committee claimed that this move would sustain the active / Air National Guard / Air Force Reserve force mix by replacing aircraft that retire in the 2025 Force Structure Plan . However , the base was temporarily removed from closure 26 August 2005 , pending review of new mission assignment . On 6 May 2008 , the squadron flew its 2000th scramble since the events of September 11 , 2001 . Most scrambles do not lead to such stories as noted above . The 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has been formed and deployed numerous times as part of the Global War on Terrorism . Supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) , the 121st EFS deployed to Balad Air Base , Iraq , in 2003 , 2007 and 2010 . A deployment to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) was made between October 2011 and January 2012 .