USAF Patch ANG 179 v FIS Fighter Interceptor Squadron e F 4 Phantom 8

USAF Patch ANG 179 Fighter Interceptor Squadron Bulldogs Exercise Back Patch F 4 Phantom II Fighter 1980s Minnesota Air National Guard Duluth AFB fully embroidered merrowed edge 200mm seven and seven eighth inches diameter.

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Squadron History

179 Fighter Squadron Bulldogs was reactivated on 24 May 1946 at Duluth Municipal Airport equipped with F 51D Mustangs on the redesignation of 393 Fighter Squadron and was assigned to Minnesota Air National Guards 133 Fighter Group for air defense of the State of Minnesota and was extended federal recognition by the National Guard Bureau on 17 September 1948.

On 1 March 1951 179 Fighter Squadron was federalized and brought to active duty due to the Korean War and on 23 March 1951 was redesignated 179 Fighter Interceptor Squadron. The Squadron continued its assignment to 133 Fighter Interceptor Group and remained at Duluth Municipal Airport through the extent of its active duty. 179 FIS was reassigned to the Air Defense Command 31 Air Division in February 1952 and returned to the control of the State of Minnesota on 1 December 1952 reforming at Duluth on 1 January 1953 under 133 Fighter Interceptor Group Air Defense Command. The Squadron returned to its task of the air defense of Minnesota and was reequipped with F 94A Starfire all weather interceptors to add night and all weather mission capability. 179 FIS converted to F 89J Scorpions in 1957

On 1 July 1960 the Squadron was authorized to expand to group level and the National Guard Bureau established 148 Fighter Group Air Defense which assumed a 24 hour alert status at Duluth in support of the Air Defense Command with 179 FIS becoming the new groups flying squadron. The Squadron reequipped with F 102A Delta Dagger interceptors in 1967 which were replaced by F 101B Voodoo interceptors in April 1971.

In January 1976 the Squadron was retasked and redesignation 179 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron reequipped with RF 4C Phantom II Mach 2 unarmed reconnaissance aircraft with 148 Group becoming 148 Tactical Reconnaissance Group. The new mission entailed all weather high or low day or night selective reconnaissance and also required the Group to have the capability to deploy to a wide variety of operating locations away from Duluth.

The Squadron returned to Air Defense in October 1983 and was redesignated 179 Fighter Interceptor Squadron and reequipped with F 4D Phantom II tactical fighters with the Group reverting to 148 Fighter Interceptor Group.

179 FIS received F 16A B Fighting Falcon ADF variants on 10 March 1990 and on 17 March 1992 was renamed the 179 Fighter Squadron with the Group becoming 148 Fighter Group. On 1 October 1995 148 FG was redesignated 148 Fighter Wing and the Squadron deployed a permanent alert status detachment to Tyndall AFB Florida known as Detachment 1 148 Fighter Wing. The squadron dropped the air superiority role and retasked as a general purpose tactical fighter squadron. On 11 September 2001 179 FS was tasked with air defense at the Minneapolis St Paul International Airport providing Combat Air Patrols over the capital and New York City and deploying personnel and aircraft back to Det 1 148 FW alert facility at Tyndall AFB.

The Squadron upgraded to F 16C D block 25 at the end of 2003 and gave up its Detachment 1 Tyndall AFB tasking. The new F 16s and multi mission training led to 179 FS taking part in combat deployments. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 179 FS was one of the first F 16 unit to be based in Balad AB Iraq carrying out air to air and air to ground combat operations returning again to Balad AB in 2008. On 27 April 2010 the squadron became the first ANG unit to operate block 50 F 16C D Fighting Falcons when released from USAFE.

This patch dates from the 1980s.