150th Special Operations Wing explained

Unit Name:	150th Special Operations Wing
Dates:	1957–present
Country:	United States
Branch:	Air National Guard
Type:	Wing
Role:	Special Operations
Command Structure:	New Mexico Air National Guard
Garrison:	Kirtland Air Force Base
Battles:	Vietnam War
Commander1:	Colonel Robert "Mike" Rogers
Identification Symbol Label:	150th Special Operations Wing emblem

The 150th Special Operations Wing (150 SOW) is a unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The wing traces its history back to the expansion of the 150th Tactical Fighter Group into the 150th Fighter Wing in 1995. In 2013, the Wing combined with the 58th Special Operations Wing to become the 150th Special Operations Wing, tasked with providing training for Air Force Special Operations Command units.

History

The 150th Tactical Fighter Group was constituted in 1957.

The group began converting from the A-7D Corsair II to the F-16 Fighting Falcon at the beginning of the 1990s. On 16March 1992, the 150th Tactical Fighter Group was redesignated as the 150th Fighter Group. Its last A-7 was flown from Kirtland to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base for decommissioning on 28September.^[1]

In October 1995 the 150th Tactical Fighter Group was expanded into the 150th Fighter Wing. On 1December 2013 the 150th Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 150th Special Operations Wing and integrated with the 58th Special Operations Wing. The wing assumed the mission of special operations training.^[2]

Lineage

• Constituted as 150th Fighter Group (Air Defense) and allotted to New Mexico ANG, 1957

Received federal recognition and activated on 1 July 1957

Re-designated: 150th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 April 1964

In non-operational status, 26 January 19684 June 1969

Re-designated: 150th Fighter Group, 16 March 1992

Status changed from Group to Wing, 1 October 1995

Re-designated: 150th Fighter Wing, 1 October 1995

Re-designated: 150th Special Operations Wing, 1 December 2013^[3]

Components

Groups

• 150th Maintenance Group
• 150th Operations Group
• 150th Mission Support Group
• 150th Medical Group

Squadrons

• 188th Rescue Squadron
• 250th Intelligence Squadron, 2013 – present
• 210th RED HORSE Squadron, 2013 – present

Further reading

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado (includes dates of federal mobilization of 150th Group)
• Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.

External links

• 150th SOW Facebook Page
• 150th Special Operations Wing official website
• https://web.archive.org/web/20101001022006/http://www.peopleforpearce.com/content/last-two-f-16s-depart-new-mexico%E2%80%99s-150th-fighter-wing
• On 1 December 2013, the 150th Fighter Wing became the 150th Special Operations Wing. https://web.archive.org/web/20160421010630/http://www.kirtland.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123372943
• Kirtland AFB Fact Sheet
• GlobalSecurity.org
• USAFPatches.com
• Kirtland AFB Biographies-Colonel Joe A. Martinez II

Notes and References

1. Web site: Abstract, History 150 Fighter Group, 1 January 1989–31 December 1992. Air Force History Index. 29 September 2017.
2. Web site: History of the New Mexico Air National Guard – 1947–Present. 22 January 2016. 150th Special Operations Wing. en-US. 28 September 2017.
3. News: 150th Fighter Wing becomes 150th Special Operations Wing. 4 December 2013. 28 September 2017. New Mexico National Guard Public Affairs. en-US.