Arkansas Air National Guard
154th Training Squadron C-130 Hercules flies over the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas. The 154th TS is the oldest unit in the Arkansas Air National Guard, having over 80 years of service to the state and nation
Active	24 October 1925 - present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Arkansas
Branch	Air National Guard
Role	"To meet state and federal mission responsibilities."
Part of	Arkansas Military Department United States National Guard Bureau
Garrison/HQ	Arkansas Air National Guard, 3810 S N St, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72903
Commanders
Civilian leadership	President Barack Obama (Commander-in-Chief) Michael B. Donley (Secretary of the Air Force) Governor Mike Beebe (Governor of the State of Arkansas)
State military leadership	Major General William D. Wofford (Adjutant General of Arkansas) Brigadier General Travis D. “Dwight” Balch (Commander Arkansas Air National Guard)
Insignia
Emblem of the Air National Guard
Aircraft flown
Fighter	A-10A Thunderbolt II
Transport	C-130E Hercules

The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG) is the air force militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National Guard.

As state militia units, the units in the Arkansas Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Military Department of Arkansas unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Arkansas Air National Guard is headquartered at Fort Smith, and its commander is currently^[update] Brigadier General Travis D. "Dwight" Balch.^[1]

Under the "Total Force" concept, Arkansas Air National Guard units are considered to be reserve components of the United States Air Force (USAF). Arkansas ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Arkansas Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.

Along with their federal reserve obligations, as state militia units the elements of the Arkansas ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.

The Arkansas Air National Guard consists of the following major units:

• 189th Airlift Wing

Established 1 October 1962; operates: C-130H Hercules

Stationed at: Little Rock Air Force Base, Little Rock; Gained by: Air Mobility Command

• 188th Fighter Wing

Established 22 August 1962; operates: A-10 Thunderbolt II

Stationed at: Fort Smith Air National Guard Station, Fort Smith; Gained by: Air Combat Command

Support Unit Functions and Capabilities:

• 123d Intelligence Squadron

Analyzes and exploits imagery products for the Defense Department and other governmental agencies

• 154th Weather Flight

Provides weather forecasts and hurricane warnings to state and Arkansas National Guard units.

The Arkansas Air National Guard origins date to 28 August 1917 with the establishment of the 154th Aero Squadron as part of the World War I American Expeditionary Force. The 154th served in France on the Western Front, then after the 1918 Armistice with Germany was demobilized in 1919.

The Militia Act of 1903 established the present National Guard system, units raised by the states but paid for by the Federal Government, liable for immediate state service. If federalized by Presidential order, they fall under the regular military chain of command. On 1 June 1920, the Militia Bureau issued Circular No.1 on organization of National Guard air units.^[2]

The unit was reorganized with the establishment of a permanent air service in 1920 as the 154th Observation Squadron on 24 October 1925, and is oldest unit of the Arkansas Air National Guard. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. The 154th Observation Squadron was activated for one year of training on 16 September 1940. The unit completed its one-year training and returned to state control, but was recalled to active duty on 7 December 1941 as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The modern Arkansas ANG received federal recognition on 27 May 1946 as the 154th Fighter Squadron at Adams Field, Little Rock. It was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and its mission was the air defense of the state. The 184th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was federally recognized on 15 October 1953 at Fort Smith Regional Airport, being equipped with RB-26C Invaders, used for night photo-reconnaissance.

On 22 August 1962, the 184th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 188th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 184th TRS becoming the group's flying squadron. On 1 October, the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was allotted by the National Guard Bureau, extended federal recognition and activated.

Today, the 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock AFB is home to the most experienced C-130 instructor cadre in the world. Since 1998, the primary mission of the 189 AW has been to teach the C-130 Instructor School curriculum for pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and loadmasters. Students include aircrew members from all branches of the DoD, Coast Guard, and many foreign countries. The 188th Fighter Wing's A-10 Thunderbolts at Fort Smith provide close air support to troops on the ground.

After the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, elements of every Air National Guard unit in Arkansas has been activated in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers and air security personnel were engaged in Operation Noble Eagle air defense overflights of major United States cities. Also, Arkansas ANG units have been deployed overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq as well as other locations as directed.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arkansas Air National Guard.

• Arkansas Air National Guard, 188th Fighter Wing
• Arkansas Air National Guard, 189th Airlift Wing

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Wings and Groups Wings Composite 108th 113th 118th 119th 127th 140th 154th 175th 176th 178th 188th Air Control 116th Airlift 103d 105th 107th 109th 120th 123d 130th 133d 136th 139th 143d 145th 146th 152d 153d 156th 164th 165th 166th 167th 172d 179th 182d 189th Air Refueling 101st 117th 121st 126th 128th 134th 137th 141st 151st 155th 157th 161st 168th 171st 185th 186th 190th Attack 110th 174th Bomb 131st Fighter 52d* 53d* 54th* 55th* 60th* 61st* 62d* 63d* 66th* 67th* 71st* 86th* 104th 106th* 111th 114th 115th 122d 124th 125th 132d 138th 142d 144th 148th 149th 150th 159th 162d 169th 173d 177th 180th 183d 187th 192d Intelligence 102d 181st 184th Reconnaissance 147th 163d Regional Support 194th Rescue 106th 129th Special Operations 150th 193d Groups Composite 170th Airlift 135th* Air Operations 102d 152d 157th Air Refueling 112th* 127th 160th* Combat Communications 162d 163d 201st 226th 252d 254th 281st* Cyberspace Engineering Installation 251st 253d Operations 140th Reconnaissance 214th
Squadrons Flying Air Command and Control 128th Airlift 109th 115th 118th 130th 135th* 137th 139th 142d 143d 144th 155th 156th 158th 164th 165th 167th 169th 180th 181st 183d 186th 187th 189th* 192d 198th* 200th 201st 204th 249th Air Refueling 106th 108th 116th 117th 126th 132d 133d 141st 145th* 146th 147th 151st 153d 166th 168th 171st 173d 174th 191st 197th 203d Attack 103d 105th 111th 124th 136th 138th 160th 162d 172d 178th 184th 196th 214th Bomb 110th Fighter 100th 104th 107th 112th 114th 119th 120th 121st 122d 123d 125th 131st 134th 148th 149th 152d 157th 159th 163d 170th* 175th 176th 179th 182d 190th 194th 195th 199th Rescue 101st 102d 103d 129th 130th 131st 188th 210th 211th 212th Special Operations 150th 185th 193d Training 154th Non-Flying Air Control 103d 109th 116th 117th 123d 128th 133d 134th 141st 176th 255th Air Operations 112th Air Support 113th ASOS 172d Air Traffic Control 243rd 245th 270th Civil Engineering 285th Civil Engineering Squadron Combat Communications 143d 147th 149th 206th 221st 222d 223d 225th 228th 231st 232d 234th 236th 239th 240th 242d 244th 256th 261st 262d 263d 264th 265th 267th 269th 271st 272d 280th 282d 283d 291st 292d 293d Command and Control 119th 127th 153d 222d Engineering Installation 130th 202d 205th 210th 211th 212th 213th 214th 215th 217th 218th 219th 220th 241st 243d 270th 272d Force Support 187th Information Warfare Aggressor 177th Intelligence 101st 117th 123d 152d 161st 194th 234th Joint Communications Support 224th 290th Logistics Readiness 187th RED HORSE 202d 203d 819th Security Forces 187th Space Control 114th Space Operations 111th 148th Space Warning 137th 213th Special Operations Communications 193d 280th Special Tactics 125th Asterisk (*) denotes an inactive unit

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