150th Special Operations Wing

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150th Special Operations Wing
HH-60G Pave Hawk as operated by the group
Active	1960–present
Country	United States
Allegiance	New Mexico
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Special operations
Part of	New Mexico Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Kirtland Air Force Base
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Angela Black (interim commander)
Insignia
150th Special Operations Wing emblem

The 150th Special Operations Wing 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 affiliated 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 group was mobilized for the Vietnam War on 26 January 1968. Although its 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Tuy Hoa Air Base, the group remained in the United States until it was returned to state control on 4 June 1969

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

In October 1995 the 150th expanded into the 150th Fighter Wing. On 1 December 2013 the 150th Wing was redesignated the 150th Special Operations Wing and integrated with the 58th Special Operations Wing. The wing assumed the mission of special operations training.

Lineage

• Established as the 150th Fighter Group (Air Defense) and allotted to New Mexico ANG on 24 June 1960

Received federal recognition and activated c. 1 July 1960

Redesignated 150th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 April 1964

Redesignated 150th Fighter Group, 16 March 1992

Redesignated 150th Fighter Wing, 1 October 1995

Redesignated 150th Special Operations Wing, 1 December 2013

Components

References

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. ISBN 1-85780-197-0

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 150th Special Operations Wing (New Mexico Air National Guard).

• 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.
• Kirtland AFB Fact Sheet
• GlobalSecurity.org
• USAFPatches.com
• Kirtland AFB Biographies-Colonel Joe A. Martinez II