115th Fighter Wing The 115th Fighter Wing ( 115 FW ) is a unit of the Wisconsin Air National Guard , which is stationed at Truax Field Air National Guard Base , Madison , Wisconsin . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . Mission . The 115th Fighter Wing provides multi - role fighter support including air - to - air , close air support and precision guided bombing . The wing currently operates the latest generation of munitions such as the JDAM series bombs and the AIM - 9X air - to - air missile . As an Air National Guard unit , it is normally under the command of the Governor , but has a federal role as well . Currently the wing has personnel and / or aircraft assigned to Operation Noble Eagle , Operation Jump Start and regularly serves with the Air Expeditionary Force in Iraq and Afghanistan . Units . The 115th Fighter Wing consists of the following units : History . On 15 April 1956 , the Wisconsin Air National Guard 176th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 115th Fighter - Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 176th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 115th Headquarters , 115th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 115th Combat Support Squadron , and the 115th USAF Dispensary . The 115th FIG was assigned to the Air Defense Command , assuming the mission , personnel and equipment of the 176th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . Air defense . The group trained for its air defense mission with summer activities moved to Volk Field from 1956 to 1962 . Beginning in 1963 , it 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 . With this undertaking came the F - 89J with an armament platform that included the AIR - 2 Genie . The AIR - 2A was the first US air - to - air missile with a nuclear warhead . The 176th FIS exchanged their F - 89s for the F - 102 Delta Dagger in early 1966 . In May 1966 , the 176th FIS replaced their F - 89s with the Convair F - 102 Delta Dagger . After a period of re - training in the new supersonic interceptors , the 176th FIS resumed its air defense " runway alert " mission in the spring of 1967 . One year later in June 1969 , the unit airlifted to Gulfport , Mississippi for summer training , ending six years of " year around " alerts at their home base . In September 1972 , the 176th FIS won the " 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 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 . With the realignment to TAC , in December 1974 , the unit ' s F - 102s 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 and 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 plane which was used extensively in the Vietnam War as a counter - insurgency aircraft , with the surviving planes 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 - 102s , 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 group was re - designated the 128th Tactical Fighter Wing ( TFS ) . Along with the mission change came a new aircraft , the A - 10 Thunderbolt II , nicknamed the " Warthog " . The OA - 37s were sent to other ANG units ; 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 30 mm 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 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 wing began transitioning from the A - 10A to the F - 16C / D block 30 Fighting Falcon airframes with the enlarged inlet , the A - 10s were transferred 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 the F - 16 . On 11 October 1995 , the 128th Fighter Wing was renamed 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 by the 115th Fighter Wing 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 , from 11 September 2001 to the present . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , the DoD recommended to close Cannon Air Force Base , New Mexico . As a result , it would distribute the 27th Fighter Wing ' s F - 16s to the 115th Fighter Wing , ( three aircraft ) and several other installations . The 176th Fighter Squadron celebrated its 60th anniversary in October 2008 .