House Joint Resolution No. 17

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________



A Joint Resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the state of Montana commemorating the honor and lineage of the 120th Fighter Wing, Montana Air National Guard.



WHEREAS, the Montana Air National Guard lineage begins with the 404th Fighter Squadron, of the 371st Fighter Group, established July 15, 1943, which supported the World War II European Theater, winning six combat streamers; and

WHEREAS, the 404th Fighter Squadron was inactivated upon its return to the United States, in September 1945, and redesignated the 186th Fighter Squadron, Montana Air National Guard on September 18, 1946; and

WHEREAS, the 186th was mobilized and flew the P-51 Mustang aircraft for the Korean Crisis; and

WHEREAS, the 186th was reorganized as part of the 120th Fighter Group, Montana Air National Guard, on April 16, 1956; and

WHEREAS, the Montana Air National Guard has consistently been among the first Air National Guard units to receive new aircraft beginning with the P-51 Mustang in the 1940s, the F-86 Sabrejet in November of 1953, the F89-C Scorpion in August 1955, the F89-H rocket and missile aircraft in 1959, the F89-J with its nuclear-tipped Genie Air-To-Air missile in September 1966, the F-102A Delta Dagger, the F-106A Delta Dart in 1972, and on July 1, 1987, the F-16 Fighting Falcon became the official aircraft of the unit; and

WHEREAS, the Montana Air National Guard has earned numerous prestigious awards including the William Tell Weapons Competition, against both active Air Force and Air Guard units, the Hughes Trophy, the Winston P. Wilson award, and the Spatz award; and

WHEREAS, the unit's mission expanded, in 1984, when assigned the operation of an alert detachment stationed at Davis-Mothan AFB, Tucson, Arizona, from protecting 650 miles of our northern border to include an additional 450 miles of our southern border; and

WHEREAS, the Montana Air National Guard has continued to serve as a part of the United States Air Force and as a military force supporting the State of Montana and the communities of Montana.



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

That 1997 be recognized as a year of commemoration for the Montana Air National Guard.

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