A century of aerial achievement: Explore the storied legacy of the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing, celebrating 100 years of distinguished federal recognition.
From humble beginnings with a donated aircraft and a modest office, the 131st has consistently exemplified aviation and innovation excellence. This journey traces a path through aviation history, including a pivotal connection to Captain Charles Lindbergh's groundbreaking trans-Atlantic flight.
Today, the Airmen of the 131st Bomb Wing carry forward this tradition of dedication and expertise. They are at the forefront of modern defense, operating the world's most advanced stealth bomber, the B-2 Spirit.
The commitment of these Airmen to defending both the state of Missouri and the nation remains unwavering, a testament to their enduring service and readiness whenever called upon.
#AirNationalGuard #131stBombWing #AviationHistory #StealthBomber
(U.S. Air National Guard video by Senior Airman Whitney Erhart, Master Sgt. Elise Rich, Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Mundwiller, Master Sgt. John Hillier, Maj. John Quin)
From humble beginnings with a donated aircraft and a modest office, the 131st has consistently exemplified aviation and innovation excellence. This journey traces a path through aviation history, including a pivotal connection to Captain Charles Lindbergh's groundbreaking trans-Atlantic flight.
Today, the Airmen of the 131st Bomb Wing carry forward this tradition of dedication and expertise. They are at the forefront of modern defense, operating the world's most advanced stealth bomber, the B-2 Spirit.
The commitment of these Airmen to defending both the state of Missouri and the nation remains unwavering, a testament to their enduring service and readiness whenever called upon.
#AirNationalGuard #131stBombWing #AviationHistory #StealthBomber
(U.S. Air National Guard video by Senior Airman Whitney Erhart, Master Sgt. Elise Rich, Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Mundwiller, Master Sgt. John Hillier, Maj. John Quin)
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NewsTranscript
00:09The roots of the Missouri Air National Guard in our wing trace back to a rich aviation
00:14history. It may come as a surprise to many that our origins can be traced back to Texas
00:18as the 110th Aero Squadron, which was organized at Kelly Field on August 14, 1917 with a mission
00:25of aircraft maintenance and repair. This was a mere 14 years after the Wright Brothers'
00:30historic first powered flight in 1903, marking the rapid progress of aviation during that
00:35time.
00:39The 110th Aero Squadron would eventually be re-designated as the 110th Observation Squadron and relocated
00:45to St. Louis. This move was made possible by a Major Bill Robertson and his brothers,
00:50Lieutenants Frank and Dan Robertson, who were the owners of the Robertson Aircraft Company.
00:55On June 23, 1923, the 110th Observation Squadron was federally recognized, marking the beginning
01:02of our proud history in Missouri. The 110th Observation Squadron was allotted to the National Guard 35th
01:08Division and originally equipped with one World War I Surplus Curtis JN4 Jenny aircraft, which was
01:15purchased through officer donations. Our fleet soon expanded to include a variety of aircraft as we
01:22took on observation and reconnaissance duties, transitioning through aircraft such as the D-4,
01:27TW-3, OH-2C, PT-1 Trustee, OH-11, OH-2H, OH-17, and OH-38B from 1925 to 1933,
01:42marking the evolution of our
01:43capabilities and expertise in the field of aviation. With each new aircraft and mission, the 110th
01:49Observation Squadron continued to uphold its commitment to excellence and professionalism,
01:54establishing a strong foundation for the Missouri Air National Guard and our wing, which carried us
01:58forward. The chief pilot on the St. Louis to Chicago airmail run for the Robertson brothers was a young
02:07aviator named Charles A. Slim Lindbergh. Lindbergh joined the 110th Observation Squadron in 1924 and was
02:14a captain when he made his historic solo transatlantic flight to Paris in the spirit of St. Louis in 1927,
02:21earning worldwide acclaim.
02:22This is Lowell Thomas in New York. He made it. Charles A. Lindbergh, Lucky Lindy as they call him,
02:30landed at Le Bourget Airport Paris at 524 this afternoon.
02:40During those early years, the men, equipment, and the unit's headquarters were located in various places
02:45around St. Louis, including a gas station on Manchester and a small meeting room above a
02:50grocery store on Grand Avenue. However, in 1931, we moved to a new hangar at Lambert Field,
02:56marking a significant milestone in our unit's history. In the 1930s, summer field training allowed
03:02officers to fly a variety of aircraft and enlisted members honed their skills on the K-17 aerial
03:08reconnaissance and mapping camera. As aviation technology progressed, our unit received new aircraft
03:13in the late 1930s, including the OH-38E and OH-47, which further enhanced our capabilities and operational readiness.
03:24December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly and
03:40deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
03:48When World War II broke out, the One-Tenth was federally mobilized and underwent a name change to
03:53become the One-Tenth Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. During the early 1940s, we welcomed several new
03:59aircraft to our fleet, including the OH-52 AL, OH-46, Stenson OH-49 Artillery Spotting Utility Aircraft,
04:08observation monoplane L-4 Piper, and our first bomber, the A-20 Havoc. We served in Australia,
04:16New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan. We transitioned to fighter planes in 1944, first flying the P-39 Air
04:23Cobra, P-40 Warhawk, and P-51 Mustang. Our members are credited with destroying 123 Japanese aircraft and at
04:31least 13 ships, earning us a Presidential Unit Citation in 1944. In 1946, we started using a
04:39converted P-51, now designated the F-6 Mustang, for tactical reconnaissance missions. After the war,
04:46the 57th Fighter Wing and the One-Tenth Fighter Squadron were federally recognized. Major Charles
04:51Du Bois, a World War II flying ace and former member of the famed Flying Tigers, became the commander of
04:58the
04:581-10th Fighter Squadron. In 1947, we became the 71st Fighter Squadron. As we entered the 1950s,
05:05we added several new aircraft to our fleet, including the medium bomber B-25 Mitchell,
05:10trainer aircraft T-6 Texan, light bomber B-26 Invader, military transport C-47 Skytrain, and the C-45
05:20expediter. In 1951, we were mobilized for the Korean conflict for 21 months. During this time,
05:27we briefly became Texans once again as we moved to Birdstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas.
05:32There, we became the 131st Fighter Escort Wing of Strategic Air Command. But our time as Texans in an
05:39escort wing was short-lived, and later that year, we moved to George Air Force Base in California and
05:44became the 131st Fighter Bomber Wing. As our wing began to take an increased role in flying bombers,
05:49our mission would quickly change to a fighter role. For the next 40 years, we would be focused on
05:54fighters, although bombers would ultimately be our future. We sent a significant number of personnel
06:00on overseas assignments, with tactical units rotating in support of NATO operations in Iceland,
06:05and many individuals seeing action in the Korean arena. In November 1952, demobilization was completed,
06:11and we returned home to Lambert Field. After the Korean War call-up, we received a new mission as the
06:17131st Light Bombardment Wing. The wing entered the jet age in the late 1950s with the acquisition of the
06:24T-33 T-Bird, F-80 Morningstar, and F-84 Thunderstreak. The solemn bar we each of us gave to
06:32West Berlin
06:33in time of peace will not be broken in time of danger. As a Cold War deterrent, we were mobilized
06:40in 1961 to
06:41augment NATO forces during the Berlin crisis and were assigned to Toul Roser's Air Force Base in France.
06:47We returned home in 1962 and the F-100 Super Sabre became our primary aircraft, remaining an integral
06:54part of our unit for more than 17 years. In 1977, we were honored when Charles Lindbergh's widow,
07:01Anne Moreau Lindbergh, gave permission to designate the 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron as Lindbergh's own.
07:06In 1978, our unit began converting to the homegrown McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom and upgraded to the
07:14F-4E model in 1985. Additionally, the C-12 King Air, a twin turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft,
07:22joined the 131st Fleet. In September 1991, the 131st Fighter Wing converted from the F-4 to the McDonnell
07:29Douglas F-15 AB Eagle. The conversion was completed within 18 months, returning the wing to full
07:36speed. In 1993, the twin-engine turboprop C-26A Metroliner arrived as a new addition to our fleet.
07:50In the United States, we believe that a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.
07:55The cockpit's not answering. Somebody stabbed in business class. I don't know. I think we'll get in high
08:00gear. Oh my gosh. People jumping out the windows. They're trying to see the tanks. They tell us to
08:08get out, but there's nowhere to go. In the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the role of the
08:14Air
08:14National Guard changed. The entire National Guard saw an increase in operational tempo with reserve
08:20forces being tapped to support America's war on terrorism. The 131st immediately provided critical
08:25support to Operation Enduring Freedom and eventually Operation Iraqi Freedom, too. Our highly skilled
08:31personnel were deployed to work in various capacities, including intelligence analysis,
08:36maintenance, and logistics. Through their unwavering dedication and commitment, we were able to disrupt
08:41terrorist networks and degrade their capabilities in the region, further demonstrating our unwavering
08:46commitment to defending our nation.
08:50In the fall of 2004, our wing began the transition from the F-15 AB to the F-15 CD
08:56model aircraft,
08:57making us the first combat-coded F-15 unit in the Air National Guard to have the C models.
09:02In 2005, the Department of Defense base realignment and closure recommendations became law,
09:07resulting in the realignment of our wing and the relocation of our fighters to other locations.
09:12In March 2006, the Department of Defense announced that our wing would become an
09:16A&G Classic Associate at Whiteman Air Force Base. While the Air Force has primary ownership of the
09:22aircraft, Missouri's guardsmen will maintain and fly the B-2 Spirit self-bombers alongside their
09:27active-duty counterparts. In August 2008, the first two fighters left our wing, mission-ready to assume
09:34their new duties in Montana. That October, the wing celebrated our first official unit training
09:39assembly at Whiteman Air Force Base with the ribbon-cutting of the wing's new headquarters,
09:42marking the start of the end of an era at Lambert. In 2009, the move was completed and the wing
09:48turned
09:48over all F-15 Eagles to other Air National Guard units while continuing its transition to a B-2 Spirit
09:54self-bomber wing at Whiteman Air Force Base. The year also saw an increase of operations at Jefferson
10:00Barrett's Air National Guard Base in South St. Louis. 2010 saw the first of many accolades to come for the
10:06wing at Whiteman Air Force Base when the total force team of the 131st Bomb Wing and the U.S.
10:11Air Force's
10:11509th Bomb Wing won the coveted Fairchild Trophy for the best Bomb Wing in the Air Force. The combined
10:18wings continue to be among the best of the best, meeting and exceeding expectations during inspections
10:23and competitions. In 2011, the 131st Bomb Wing B-2 aircraft participated in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn
10:30in Libya, marking a significant milestone for the unit. That same year in April, a devastating
10:42category EF-4 tornado swept through the St. Louis area, causing over 10 million in damage to the
10:48Lambert Guard Base. Thankfully, no one on the base was injured, but many buildings were damaged,
10:54so that they were able to do it. In 2013, the 131st Bomb Wing successfully passed our initial nuclear
11:03surety inspection and achieved full operational capability on August 2, 2013. To this day, the 131st
11:11is the only Air National Guard Wing certified for nuclear operations. In the same year, the B-2 Spirit of
11:17Missouri was designated as the flagship of our wing. In 2015, the wing participated in major operational
11:24exercises, including Red Flag, Neptune Falcon, and constant vigilance in the spring. Additionally,
11:29the 157th Air Operations Group deployed in support of Exercise Pacific Sentry, and the 239th Combat
11:36Communications Squadron provided support to the Guard C-Bernie Enhanced Response Force Package
11:40exercise evaluation. In September 2017, 140 service members joined forces in the southeastern Missouri
11:48region as part of the Operation Healthy Delta Innovative Readiness Training exercise.
11:52Led by our 131st Medical Group, members from the Air National Guard, Active Duty Air Force,
11:58and the Navy set up two field-conditioned medical facilities to provide no-cost medical, dental,
12:04and ophthalmology support services on a first-come, first-served basis to residents of the local
12:10communities. At the conclusion of the exercise, a total of 2,251 patients were seen, and nearly 16,000
12:18procedures were performed. Members of the 131st and 509th Bomb Wings gathered in August 2018 to celebrate
12:25the unveiling of a new paint scheme on a geared door of the B-2 Spirit of Nebraska and the
12:30bomber's new
12:31designation as Lindbergh's own. In 2020 to 2022, members of the 131st Bomb Wing were heavily tasked.
12:39Hundreds of guardsmen supported COVID-19 relief efforts, with over 450 personnel mobilizing and
12:44deploying across Missouri to assist 605,000 fellow Missourians by supporting food pantries and call
12:51centers. Additionally, 131st Airmen helped facilitate the vaccination of more than 465,000 people. During
12:59this timeframe, the 131st also participated in four bomber task force missions with over 100 airmen
13:05deployed to support United States Southern Command and Central Command. In addition to these missions,
13:1030 members of the 131st were engaged in Operations Allies Welcome and Allies Refuge, safely helping to
13:16relocate more than 79,000 Afghan refugees. As we celebrate our 100th anniversary on June 23, 2023,
13:24we look back at our proud history inherited from the courageous airmen who served in World War I,
13:29World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operations Enduring Freedom, and other conflicts up to present day.
13:37Our heritage is one of both military and civilian service. From responding to natural disasters and
13:43humanitarian crises here at home, to deploying overseas to defend our nation's interests. It is
13:49this legacy that inspires us as we chart our course into the next hundred years. Whether serving our local
13:55communities or the global community, the men and women of the 131st Bomb Wing remain committed to upholding
14:01the highest standards of excellence, integrity, and service, we take great pride in our past, and we look
14:07forward to the future full of challenges and opportunities, secure in the knowledge that the legacy of
14:13Lindbergh's own lives on.