156th Airlift Wing

156th Airlift Wing
Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules 64-0510 from the 198th Airlift Squadron, 156th Airlift Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard
Active	1958 – present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Airlift
Part of	Puerto Rico Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Nickname(s)	Bucaneros
Tail Code	"PR"
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Edward L. Vaughan
Insignia
156th Airlift Wing emblem

The 156th Airlift Wing (156 AW) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 156th Airlift Wing consists of the following major units:

On 15 October 1962, the Puerto Rico Air National Guard was expanded to a Group status, and the 156th Tactical Fighter Group was recognized and activated by the National Guard Bureau. The 156th was transferred to Tactical Air Command, with the 198th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron being reassigned from Air Defense Command, becoming at Tactical Fighter Squadron assigned to the 156th TFG. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 156th Headquarters, 156th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 156th Combat Support Squadron, and the 156th USAF Dispensary. With the transfer to TAC, the 198th TFS received F-86H Sabre tactical fighters.

In 1967, F-104C Starfighers (and an F-104D two-seat trainer) were assigned to the 156th, upgrading the group to Mach-2 supersonic tactical fighter-bombers, replacing the elderly F-86H Sabre fighter-bombers. The F-104C was equipped to carry bombs or rocket pods on under-wing and fuselage points. The upward-firing Lockheed C-2 rocket-boosted ejector seat was standard. The internal 20-mm rotary cannon of the F-104A was retained, as well as the ability to carry an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile on each wingtip to fill an air defense interceptor mission.

In 1975, the F-104s were retired, the 198th being the last USAF unit to fly the Starfighters. They were replaced by A-7D Corsair II ground support aircraft. Although designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft, it also had limited air-to-air combat capability.