193d Special Operations Wing

The 193d Special Operations Wing (193 SOW) is a special operation unit assigned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard which flies the EC-130J Commando Solo. As part of the United States Air National Guard, the command executes both state and Federal missions as directed.

The unit's role is to broadcast radio and television signals to target populations from an airborne transmitter, jamming existing television and radio signals where necessary. Messages are not developed within the wing itself, but are provided by staff of the United States Army's 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.^[1]

Mission

As part of the Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force, its primary wartime and contingency operations mission is psychological operations (PSYOP) as a gained unit of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

History

Activated on 1 October 1942 at RAF Duxford, England as the 347th Fighter Squadron. Initially assigned to VIII Fighter Command, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force and engaged in combat in the North African Campaign and later based in Italy as part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). Engaged in combat during Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, also flew combat missions from Sardinia and in the Rhone Valley of France, 1944.

Inactivated November 1945 and allocated to Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 1946, being re-designated 148th Fighter Squadron, and assigned to Reading Army Airfield as a geographically separated unit of the 112th Fighter Group at Pittsburgh Airport.

The squadron was activated at Reading AAF on 22 April 1947 with P (later F-47) Thunderbolts. On 10 February 1951 the squadron was federalized due to the Korean War and brought to active duty at Dover AFB, Delaware.

It was released from active duty on 1 November 1952 and was equipped with the F-51 Mustang for interceptor duty. In 1956, as propeller driven F-51 Mustang fighters faded into history, the unit was redesignated the 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron, flying the C-46 Commando and later the C-119 Flying Boxcar.

In 1964, the unit relocated to its current location at Olmsted Air Force Base (present day Harrisburg International Airport) to flying the C-121 Lockheed Constellation. Olmsted runways and facilities were better suited to the larger C-121s. In 1964, it was again redesignated, this time as the 168th Military Air Transport Group.

In 1967, it was transferred to Tactical Air Command (TAC) and redesignated the 193d Tactical Electronic Warfare Group. Four of its C-121s were converted to EC-121S Coronet Solos for its electronic warfare mission. The unit transitioned to the EC-130E Commando Solo in 1977 and was redesignated the 193d Special Operations Group, assigned to TAC.

In the mid-1980s, along with all other USAF special operations units, it was assigned to the 23d Air Force of the Military Airlift Command (MAC). Following the creation of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) in the 1990s, the unit was reassigned to AFSOC and redesignated the 193d Special Operations Wing. In 2001, the wing transitioned from the EC-130E to the EC-130J Commando Solo.

The wing has seen extensive overseas service, to include Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operations Support Democracy and Uphold Democracy and Operation Desert Storm, as well as more recent service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Lineage

• Established as 148th Fighter Squadron on 24 May 1946

Bestowed lineage and honors of 347th Fighter Squadron, inactivated 7 November 1945

Allocated to Pennsylvania Air National Guard

Organized and federally recognized 27 February 1947

Federalized on 10 February 1951, returned to Pennsylvania state control 1 November 1952

Inactivated 30 June 1956

Re-designated: 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron and activated 1 July 1956

Re-designated: 168th Military Air Transport Group, 16 February 1964

Re-designated: 193d Tactical Electronic Warfare Group, 1 June 1967

Re-designated: 193d Special Operations Group, 1 June 1977

Re-designated: 193d Special Operations Wing 1 June 1995

Assignments

• 112th Fighter Group, 1947–1951
• 113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1951–1952
• 4710th Defense Wing, 1952
• 112th Fighter Group, 1952–1956
• Military Air Transport Service, 1956–1966
• Tactical Air Command, 1967–1985
• 23d Air Force, 1985–1990
• Air Force Special Operations Command, 1990 – present

Components

• 193d Special Operations Squadron
• 112th Air Operations Squadron
• 201st Red Horse Flight
• 203rd Weather Flight
• 211th Engineering Installation Squadron
• 271st Combat Communications Squadron
• 148th Air Support Operations Squadron
• 553rd Air Force Band/Air National Guard Band of the Mid-Atlantic

The 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron (formerly the 114th Tactical Control Flight) at Johnstown-Cambria County Airport was assigned to the 193 SOW, but was realigned into the ANG's 171st Air Refueling Wing (171 ARW) at Pittsburgh International Airport/Air Reserve Station shortly after moving to Johnstown.

Stations

• Reading Army Airfield (later AFB) (Spaatz Field), Pennsylvania, 1946–1951, 1952–1964
• Dover AFB, Delaware, 1951–1952
• Olmstead Air Force Base, Pennsylvania, 1964–1969
• Olmsted Air National Guard Base, 1969 – present

Aircraft

• A-26 Invader, 1947–1949
• F-51 Mustang, 1949–1951, 1952–1956
• F-84C Thunderjet, 1951
• F-94C Starfire, 1951–1952
• C-46 Commando, 1956–1958
• C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1958–1964
• EC-121 Constellation (1964–1980)
• EC-130E Commando Solo (1980–2004)
• EC-130J Commando Solo (2004 – present)

^[2]

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award^[3]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Chronological History of the 193d Special Operations Wing

External links

• 193d Special Operations Wing site
• 193d Special Operations Wing at GlobalSecurity.org
• 193d Special Operations Wing Association