104th Fighter Wing

104th Fighter Wing
104th Fighter Wing F-15C-38-MC Eagle 84-0016
Active	1956–present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Massachusetts
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Fighter/Air Defense
Size	20 F-15C Eagles
Part of	Massachusetts Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (Barnes ANGB), Westfield, Massachusetts
Nickname(s)	Barnestormers
Tail Code	"MA" Red tail stripe
Insignia
104th Fighter Wing emblem

The 104th Fighter Wing (104 FW) is a unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, stationed at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (Barnes Air National Guard Base), Westfield, Massachusetts. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

As commonwealth militia units, the units in the 104th Fighter Wing are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts National Guard unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States.

The 104th Fighter Wing supports Air Force wartime contingency requirements and performs a variety of peacetime missions required by the Air Force to include an active Air Sovereignty Alert presence and compatible mobilization readiness.

Specifically, the Wing is tasked to provide operationally ready combat units, combat support units and qualified personnel for active duty. Its goal is to organize, train and equip assigned personnel to provide an operationally ready squadron to the Air Combat Command that flies and fights successfully.

The 104th Fighter Wing consists of the following major units:

On 1 May 1956 the Massachusetts Air National Guard 102d Fighter-Interceptor Wing was expanded and re-designated as the 102d Air Defense Wing. As a result, the 131st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Barnes Municipal Airport was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 104th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 131st FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 104th Headquarters, 104th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 104th Combat Support Squadron, and the 104th USAF Dispensary.

The mission of the 104th Fighter Group was the air defense of Massachusetts. The 104th, along with the new 102d Fighter Group (Air Defense) at Logan Airport, Boston began attending annual training at Otis Air Force Base.