119th Wing The 119th Wing ( 119 WG ) is a composite unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard , stationed at Fargo Air National Guard Base , North Dakota . If activated to federal service , elements of the Wing are gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command . Overview . The mission of the 119th Wing both reconnaissance and airlift . The 178th Reconnaissance Squadron includes operations of the MQ - 1 Predator . The MQ - 1 Predator is a medium - altitude , long - endurance , remotely piloted aircraft . The 177th Airlift Squadron accomplishes several missions including Operational Support Airlift ( OSA ) , transportation of distinguished visitors , and a responsive aeromedical airlift system to move eligible patients . Units . The 119th Wing is composed of the following units : History . On 1 July 1955 , the North Dakota Air National Guard 178th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron 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 . In 2009 , the 177th Airlift Squadron deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . It was the first deployment into a combat zone for the North Dakota Air National Guard . The squadron transported more than 400 service members during their two - month - long rotation in theater . They accomplished this by flying more than 200 sorties during 90 missions , as part of the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group . In 2013 , the squadron is programmed to receive the twin - turboprop C - 27J Spartan medium transport aircraft .