147th Fighter Interceptor Group

147th Reconnaissance Wing
MQ-1B Predator - 147th Reconnaissance Wing 07-224 "City of Houston"
Active	1957–present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Texas
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	ISR/Attack
Part of	Texas Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas
Tail Code	Red tail stripe "TX"
Insignia
147th Reconnaissance Wing emblem

The 147th Reconnaissance Wing (147 RW) is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard, stationed at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

The 111th Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the Wings 167th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the World War I 111th Aero Squadron, established on 14 August 1917. It was reformed on 29 June 1923, as the 111th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 147th Reconnaissance Wing provides a 24/7 capability with MQ-1B Predator Unmanned Aerial Systems. In conducting combat support sorties, the 147 RW provides theater and national-level leadership with critical real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and air-to-ground munitions and strike capability. A collocated Air Support Operations Squadron provides terminal control for weapons employment in a close air support scenario integrating combat air and ground operations.

The 147th Reconnaissance Wing consists of the following units:

In 1957, the Texas Air National Guard 111th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, stationed at Ellington Air Force Base, near Houston was authorized to expand to a group level under the 136th Air Defense Wing. On 1 July 1957, the National Guard Bureau extended federal recognition to the 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group. The 111th FIS was reassigned from the 136th Fighter-Interceptor Group to the 147th FIG, becoming the new group's flying squadron. Support squadrons of the 147th FIG were the 144th Headquarters, 144th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 144th Combat Support Squadron, and the 144th USAF Dispensary.

Initially equipped with the F-86D Sabre Inerceptor, in June 1959 the squadron traded their F-86Ds for the upgraded F-86L Sabre Interceptor with uprated afterburning engines and new electronics. In August 1960 the unit became one of the first to transition to the F-102A Delta Dagger Mach-2 all-weather interceptor and began a 24-hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast.