History of the 118th Wing

On this page you will find information about the history of the 118th Wing and the story of the "Old Hickory Squadron". Here you can also read about the heritage and history of the Air National Guard.

"The Old Hickory Squadron"

Today the unit is known as the 118th Wing, formerly the 118th Airlift Wing. The Wing has missions in Intelligence and Cyber.

Roots of the 105th Airlift Squadron (105AS) and the 118th Airlift Wing (118AW) reach to World War I when the 105th Aero Squadron of the American Expeditionary Force was formed at Kelly Field, Texas in 1917. After the war, in 1919, veterans of the 105th Aero Squadron residing in the Nashville area gathered for the purpose of organizing an air element of the Tennessee National Guard. Read more.

ANG: A Short Story

The Air National Guard as we know it today -- a separate reserve component of the United States Air Force -- was a product of the politics of postwar planning and interservice rivalry during World War II. The men who planned and maneuvered for an independent postwar Air Force during World War II didn't place much faith in the reserves, especially the state-dominated National Guard.

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