177th Fighter Wing The 177th Fighter Wing ( 177 FW ) is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard , stationed at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base , New Jersey . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . The 119th Fighter Squadron assigned to the Wings 177th Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the World War I 5th Aviation School Squadron ( later 119th Aero Squadron ) , established on 5 June 1917 . It was reformed on 30 January 1930 , as the 119th 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 . Mission . " Federal Mission : " provide combat - ready citizen airmen , aircraft and equipment for worldwide deployment in support of United States Air Force objectives . " State Mission : " support the citizens of New Jersey by protecting life and property , preserving the peace , order , and public safety when called upon by the Governor . Units . The 177th Fighter Wing comprises the following units : History . Tactical Air Command . On 15 October 1962 , the New Jersey Air National Guard 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 177th Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 119th TFS became the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 117th Headquarters , 117th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 177th Combat Support Squadron , and the 177th USAF Dispensary . In January 1968 , a new crisis , the seizure of the American ship USS Pueblo by North Korean forces , and the 119th was called to active duty . In May 1968 , the 119th TFS was assigned to the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing , District of Columbia Air National Guard and stationed at Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina when the active - duty 354th TFW was deployed to South Korea . Group personnel were spread throughout the United States , Taiwan , South Korea , and South Vietnam . The 177th TFW was placed in non - operational status . The 177th TFG was reformed at Atlantic City airport in June 1969 , and returned to New Jersey State control . The 119th TFS transitioned into the F - 105 " Thunderchief " in 1970 . Air Defense mission . In 1972 , the National Guard Bureau announced that the 177 TFG would be assigned to the Aerospace Defense Command ( ADCOM ) and be responsible for protecting the United States from airborne attacks , and so was re - designted as the 177th Fighter - Interceptor Group and 119th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . In 1973 , the unit transitioned to the F - 106 " Delta Dart " all - weather interceptor and assumed alert status the following year . In 1979 Aerospace Defense Command was inactivated and the group was reassigned to Air Defense Tactical Air Command ( ADTAC ) , and then again changed to a numbered Air Force , First Air Force in 1985 . October 1984 , the 177th FIG participated in the air defense community ' s Worldwide Weapons Meet , known as " William Tell " , at Tyndall AFB , Florida . The unit captured the Special Achievement Award for Professionalism and Team Spirit , Overall Best Looking Aircraft , Best F - 106 Team , Major Richard I . Bong Fighter Interceptor Award , Top Gun Award , F - 106 Category Best Looking Aircraft Award , the Pratt and Whitney Award , the Sperry Corporation Award , and the General Dynamics Corporation Award . In July 1988 the 177th started receiving their first F - 16A / B , " Fighting Falcon " s . These were of the block 15 type , replacing the aging F - 106 in the air defense role . Since this was the primary role of the unit , it was decided to upgrade these airframes with the Air Defense Fighter ( ADF ) option . To that date the unit also flew some F - 106s aside the F - 16 . The 119th FS was the last USAF unit to withdraw the F - 106 from operational duty . In 1994 the squadron started trading in their ADF version of the Falcon for the more advanced block 25 version . During Operation Desert Shield / Storm , 73 members of the 177 FIG were called to active duty , and others served as volunteers . Fire fighters and Food Services personnel from the 177th Civil Engineering Squadron , elements of the 177th USAF Clinic , members of the Transportation section of the 177th Resource Management Squadron , and Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel from the Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provided backfill at various bases whose members had been deployed to Saudi Arabia . Those activated from the 177th Security Police Flight served at home station . And the 177th Chaplain ' s Assistant completed a five - month tour of active duty in Saudi Arabia . All members were returned to normal Guard status at home base by July 1991 . From 18 – 26 January and 14 – 21 March 1998 , the wing provided Operational Readiness Inspection support for 125th FW , based in Jacksonville , Florida . This included six aircraft and 35 support personnel deployed to the Combat Readiness Training Center ( CRTC ) at Savannah , Georgia . The deployment lasted from 18 through 26 January . 177th personnel also provided support for the 108th ARW ’ s Operational Readiness Exercise from 14 through 21 March , also held at the CRTC . The 177th participated in a live missile firing exercise - COMBAT ARCHER - at Tyndall AFB , Florida . 12 pilots and 60 maintenance personnel deployed to support this exercise from 1 through 14 February . From 1 May through 13 June 1998 , the wing deployed five F - 16C Fighting Falcon aircraft and 46 personnel to Howard AFB , Panama , in support of OPERATION CORONET NIGHTHAWK . 130 personnel rotated on a two - week basis during the six - week deployment . Operating as part of a joint interagency task force , the wing ’ s role was to detect and identify suspected drug smuggling aircraft . Once identified , the suspected aircraft are turned over to law enforcement agencies for apprehension . The 177th FW deployed from November to December 2000 to Saudi Arabia , as part of Aerospace Expeditionary Force 9 in support of Operation Southern Watch . The 177th has previously deployed personnel in support of both Operations Northern and Southern Watch . As a result of the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001 the Wing found itself in a key position . Located between New York and Washington DC , the 119th FS was immediately tasked with providing combat air patrols over cities in its region . In fact three aircraft were scrambled to intercept the aircraft that impacted the pentagon , but were too late . They were then vectored to intercept flight 93 which eventually crashed in Pennsylvania . Although these three pilots did not know it at the time they would have been given authorization to down the airliners once intercepted . Following the attacks on that fateful day , the 119th FS began flying missions for Operation Noble Eagle . On 12 July 2002 the squadron flew its 1000 mission for Operation Nobel Eagle . From that year they also started to contribute in other overseas contingency operations . In September 2007 the first USAF F - 16Cs to be retired to AMARG were from the 119th FS who sent two to the desert boneyard . In replacement for the ageing block 25s were the not much newer block 30s . During this transition the mission of the squadron remained . This being a double task as an air defense squadron in the northern section of the US and as a multirole squadron to carry out contingency operations abroad . The 177th Medical Group earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2009 .