120th Fighter Wing The 120th Fighter Wing ( 120 FW ) is a unit of the Montana Air National Guard , stationed at Great Falls Air National Guard Base , Montana . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . Mission . The 120th Fighter Wing , as part of the Montana Air National Guard , serves a dual mission : Units . The 120th Fighter Wing consists of the following units : History . On 1 July 1955 , the Montana Air National Guard 186th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 120th Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 186th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 120th Headquarters , 120th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 120th Combat Support Squadron , and the 120th USAF Dispensary . The group was gained by the 29th Air Division , Air Defense Command with a mission for the air defense of the northern tier of the United States . In 1958 , the 120th implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program , in which interceptors of the 186th FIS were committed to a five - minute runway alert , a task that would last for 38 years . The arrival of the F - 102 Delta Dagger in 1966 ushered in the supersonic age . In 1968 Air Defense Command was re - designated as Aerospace Defense Command ( ADCOM ) . In 1972 , the unit was redesignated the 120th Fighter - Interceptor Group and assigned the F - 106 Delta Dart , the first Air National Guard unit to receive this aircraft . With the F - 106 , the squadron competed in and won its first William Tell , a live - fire missile competition held at Tyndall AFB , Florida . Performed air defense duties along the northern tier of the United States until 1978 when ADCOM was merged into Tactical Air Command . Continued air defense mission for ADTAC component of TAC with the F - 106s , transferring to First Air Force when ADTAC was replaced in 1985 . The 186th FS converted from the F - 106A to the F - 16A / B Fighting Falcon in mid - 1987 . The conversion happened earlier than was scheduled and the 186th FIS was to be the last squadron to lose its F - 106s . The first aircraft were older block 5 and 10 models with some block 15 airframes 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 . This situation was maintained up until 2001 when the squadron started receiving more modern F - 16C block 30 aircraft with a large intake . This conversion replaced the air defense mission with one of general purpose / air - to - ground as part of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force . With the conversion , unit members felt it was time to consider a change in the aircraft tail markings . The most notable change included the 186th Fighter Squadron ' s nickname of " Vigilantes " . The nickname by the pilots of the 186th is intended to honor the first men in the Montana Territory who organized for the safety and welfare of the people . The squadron once again found itself on alert status after the terrorism attacks in New York City and Washington , D . C . Base personnel implemented the necessary procedures to establish a secure environment while maintaining a 24 - hour alert status for aircraft . Throughout 2002 , hundreds of unit personnel were activated and deployed to multiple locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the world . As a result of the 2005 BRAC decisions the unit converted to the F - 15C / D during 2008 and revert to an all - air defense unit . In early December 2007 the first F - 16 left Great Falls being transferred to the 158th Fighter Wing , Vermont ANG . By the summer of 2008 , eighteen F - 15C Eagles had been transferred from the 131st Fighter Wing at St . Louis due to its conversion to the 131st Bomb Wing , flying the B - 2 stealth bomber . Beginning in the summer of 2013 , the Wing began the process of transferring it ' s F - 15C aircraft to the 144th FW of the California Air National Guard . The final three F - 15 aircraft departed on October 24 , 2013 . The 120th will be receiving C - 130 aircraft early in 2014 .