107th Air Defense Wing

107th Airlift Wing
136th Airlift Squadron - Lockheed C-130H Hercules from the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station flies over the Niagara Falls June 24, 2009,
Active	10 August 1942–Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	New York
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Airlift
Part of	New York Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Niagara Falls Joint Air Reserve Station, New York
Tail Code	"Niagara" Blue stripe
Insignia
107th Airlift Wing emblem

The 107th Airlift Wing (107 AW) is a unit of the New York Air National Guard, stationed at Niagara Falls Joint Air Reserve Station, New York. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The mission of the 107th Airlift Wing mission is to provide "Global Vigilance and Strike Capability in support of federal authorities while maintaining the highest level of readiness for state contingencies." New York Air National Guard personnel carries out the unit's mission by providing surveillance and strike support, maintenance, supply, transportation, contracting, communications, civil engineering, personnel, base services, security forces and medical functions.

Major units of the 107th Airlift Wing include:

The unit was formed at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, in August 1942 as the 339th Bombardment Group, a Third Air Force Operational Training Unit (OTU), equipped with A-24 Banshee dive bombers. Redesignated a fighter-bomber group in August 1943, the 339th moved to California in September 1943 as part of Desert Training Center in Mojave Desert.

After the A-24 was taken out of combat service, trained with P-39 Airacobras and became combat ready, being reassigned to VIII Fighter Command in England, April 1944. Redesignated the 339th Fighter Group, with the 503rd, 504th and 505th Fighter Squadrons, it was based at Fowlmere, England, re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs to escort heavy bombers during its first five weeks of operations. Afterwards the red-and-white nosed Mustangs flew many escort missions to cover medium and heavy bombers that struck strategic objectives, interdicted the enemy's communications, or supported operations on the ground.

The group frequently strafed airfields and other targets of opportunity while on escort missions. the 339th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations on 10 and 11 September 1944. On the first day, when it escorted bombers to a target in Germany and then attacked an aerodrome near Erding, the group destroyed or damaged many enemy planes despite the intense fire it encountered from anti-aircraft guns and small arms. The following day the bomber formation being escorted to Munich was attacked by enemy fighters, but members of the 339th destroyed a number of the interceptors and drove off the others and at the same time, other members of the 339th were attacking an airfield near Karlsruhe, where they encountered heavy fire but were able to destroy or damage many of the aircraft parked on the field.