USAF Patch ANG 118 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron d A 10 a

USAF Patch ANG 118 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron A 10 Thunderbolt II Warthog 1979 Connecticut Air National Guard Bradley Field Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 98mm three and seven eighth inches diameter.

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Following active service in Europe during WWII 324 Fighter Group was redesignated 103 Fighter Group allotted to Connecticut Air National Guard and reactivated at Bradley Field Windsor Locks Connecticut on 29 July 1946 with federal recognition on 7 August 1946. 103 Fighter Group was assigned 118 Fighter Squadron and equipped with P 47D Thunderbolt fighters tasked with the air defense of the State of Connecticut. 103 Fighter Wing was formed in Autumn 1950 when the Air National Guard converted to the wing base organization system with 103 Fighter Group controlling flying units with 103 Air Base Group 103 Maintenance And Supply Group and 103 Medical Group responsible for support. The Groups 118 Fighter Squadron was upgraded to F 47N fighters.

With the intensification of the Cold War and the commencement of the Korean War the ANG was used to undertake Continental US interception cover with 103 Fighter Group and the rest of the Wing were federalized redesignated 103 Fighter Interceptor Group and placed on active duty on 2 March 1951. The Group with the Wing was assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force of the Air Defense Command ADC and relocated to Suffolk County AFB NY on 1 June 1951. ADC experienced difficulty with the wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons and reorganized its Wings on a regional basis and dispersed support units to the locations of the fighter squadrons. 103 FIW and its Groups were inactivated on 6 February 1952 with its Squadrons assigned to the 4709 Air Defense Wing at McGuire AFB NJ. While federalized 118 FIS transferred many of its pilots and ground support personnel to Regular Air Force units.

The Group Returned to Connecticut state control redesignated 103 Fighter Bomber Group on 1 November 1952 as part of 103 Fighter Interceptor Wing assigned to Tactical Air Command TAC with 118 Fighter Bomber Squadron activating on 1 December 1952 equipped with very long range F 51H Mustang fighters tasked with ground attack and close air support with air defence as its secondary mission. 103 FIW was redesignated 103 Fighter Bomber Wing on 1 January 1953 with 103 FBG receiving a number of F 84D Thunderjet fighter bombers in January 1953 for maintenance instruction prior to 118 FBS transitioning to  Thunderjets in the summer of 1953.

118 FBS converted to F 94B Starfire fighters in the spring of 1955 with its F 84Ds transferred to 128 Fighter Interceptor Squadron Georgia ANG and 103 FBG was redesignated 103 Fighter Group Air Defense on 1 July 1955 with the Wing renamed 103 Air Defense Wing. 103 FG ADs flying Squadron reequipped with F 86H Sabre tactical fighter aircraft in 1957 and 103 ADW was inactivated on 1 July 1957 with the Group reassigned directly reassigned to Connecticut ANG. 103 FBG was reassigned to 102 Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 November 1957 and redesignated 103 Tactical Fighter Group with its flying unit renamed 118 TFS on 30 November 1957.

103 TFGs 118 TFS reequipped with F 100A Super Sabre fighters in the summer of 1960 and became ADC gained and redesignated 118 Fighter Interceptor Squadron with 103 TFG redesignated 103 Fighter Group Air Defense reassigned to 101 Air Defense Wing and gained by Boston Air Defense Sector on 1 September 1960. The Squadron converted to F 102 Delta Daggers in January 1966 standing 24 hour air defense Quick Reaction Alert QRA and was gained by 35 Air Division ADC on 1 April 1966 before being gained by 21 Air Division ADC on 1 January 1970.

103 FG AD was gained by Tactical Air Command reassigned to 102 Tactical Fighter Wing redesignated 103 Tactical Fighter Group on 12 June 1971 and reequipped with F 100D Super Sabre fighters tasked with ground attack and close air support CAS. The Group and Squadron were reassigned to 127 Tactical Fighter Wing in June 1972 and began NATO commitment deploying TDY to bases in West Germany and Europe to reinforce USAFE.

103 TFGs 118 TFS reequipped with A 10 Thunderbolt II ground attack fighters and was reassigned to 174 Tactical Fighter Wing in 1979 and continued close air support and its TDY deployments to Europe in support of NATO. 103 TFG was programmed to receive F 16A close air support configuration fighters in 1990 but was delayed due to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm during which CAS F 16s were tested during combat with poor results following which the proposed conversion of the Group was cancelled and retained its A 10s.

103 TFG was redesignated 103 Fighter Group with 118 TFS renamed 118 Fighter Squadron gained by Air Combat Command when TAC was inactivated and was reassigned to 128 Fighter Wing on 15 March 1992. 103 FG was reassigned back to Connecticut Air National Guard in 1994.

In accordance with USAFs One Base One Wing directive 103 FG was upgraded to Wing status and redesignated 103 Fighter Wing on 11 October 1995 with 118 Fighter Squadron reassigned to the new 103 Operations Group. With the introduction of the USAFs Air Expeditionary Force AEF concept which mixed Active Duty ANG and Reserve elements into a combined force for deployment overseas the Wing deployed 118 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron EFS to Aviano AB Italy in August 1996 to provide the primary close air support mission of international forces in Bosnia. 118 EFS TDY CAS deployments continued in support of Operations Deny Flight and Precise Endeavour over the Balkans and Operation Iraqi Freedom over Iraq.

In accordance with the 2005 BRAC Recommendations to realign Bradley AGS 103 FW transferred 118 FSs A 10s to 104 Fighter Wing at Barnes AGS MA and was gained by Air Mobility Command retasked for airlift with 103 FW redesignated 103 Airlift Wing and 118 FS becoming 118 Airlift Squadron on 1 April 2008 equipped with C 21A Learjet transport aircraft to support JOSAC VIP airlift and counter drug operations in the US Central America South America and the Caribbean.

Although programmed to receive C 27 Spartan cargo aircraft subsequently cancelled the Wing reequipped with eight C 130H Hercules aircraft in September 2013.

This patch dates from 1979.