183d Fighter Wing
HISTORY OF THE SPRINGFIELD AIR GUARD
1948 TO PRESENT
From the F-51 propeller aircraft to the F-16...from the original 60 men to the current level of more than 1,050 personnel...from the early operations in a committee room at the State Armory to the present 183d Base occupying almost 100 acres at Capital Airport...the 183d has come a long way during the past forty years!
We began as the 170th Fighter squadron and now we are the 183d Fighter Wing...thus, We are proud to say "Always a Fighter Unit!"
The F-51 Mustang was the first aircraft assigned to us by the United States Air Force in late 1943 following the granting of federal recognition to an Air National Guard unit in Springfield.
The F-51, which has been billed as the worlds fastest propeller aircraft, was with us in May of 1950 when we moved into a new hangar at Capital Airport, and was still with us in March of 1951 when we were ordered to active duty for 21 months due to the Korean Conflict.
Our next aircraft was the F-86 Sabre Jet. The F-86 was assigned to us on 18 November 1953 and was our aircraft for about fifteen months.
On the 2nd of February 1955, the first F-84F "Thunderstreak" arrived at Capital Airport to be flown by the 170th. The F-84F had the longest stay with us. It was with us on 1 Oct 1961 when the170th was called to active federal service due to the Communists' activity in West Berlin. The F-84F was our aircraft when the 170th Fighter Squadron became the 183d Tactical Fighter Group in October of 1962, and stayed with us through the first 9 years of existence for the 183d TFG
In 1971 the Air Force announced it was assigning some of its F-4 Phantom fleet to the Air National Guard, and the 183d was the first Guard unit to receive the F-4.
On 31 January 1972, the first F-4 Phantom jet arrived at our base. In April of that year, four more Phantoms were flown here by our own pilots. And in April 1979, after some seven years of F-4 experience the 183d Group and all assigned units were named recipients of the prestigious Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
Conversion from the "C" model to the F-4D aircraft began on 1 January 1981. Some two years later, the F4D's commenced a conversion program to the smokeless engine, thus eliminating the smoke trail, making it safer in combat situations in addition to the environmental benefits. The Phantoms of the183d were the first in the nation scheduled for the smokeless engine.
On 7 June 1989 the first two F16's landed at Capital Airport and were received by the 183d. This was the beginning of the conversion from the F4D's to the F16's. May 5 1990 marked the official acceptance of the F16's to the 183d, therefore making the 183d a total F16 fighting unit.