142nd Wing

142nd Wing
An Oregon Air National Guard F-15C Eagle takes off from the Portland Air National Guard Base 2 October 2010.
Active1943–1945; 1946–present
Country United States
BranchAir National Guard
TypeWing
RoleFighter/Air Defense/Special Tactics
Part ofOregon Air National Guard
Garrison/HQPortland Air National Guard Base, Portland, Oregon
Nickname(s)Redhawks
Motto(s)Semper Vigilans
(Latin: "Always ready")
Websitewww.142wg.ang.af.mil
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Todd A. Hofford[1]
Insignia
142nd Wing emblem
142nd Fighter Wing emblem
142nd Fighter Wing emblem

The 142nd Wing is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard and the United States Air Force, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon.

As a state militia unit, the 142nd Wing is under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Air National Guard unless it is federalized by order of the President of the United States. If activated for federal service, the wing would fall under control of Air Combat Command.

The 123rd Fighter Squadron assigned to the wing's 142nd Operations Group, descends from the 123rd Observation Squadron, formed on 30 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. The 123rd FS acts as a part of First Air Force and the Western Air Defense Sector, providing air sovereignty and homeland defense of the Western United States for NORAD on a 24/7 basis.[2]

The 125th Special Tactics Squadron (STS), which conducts a wide array of special forces operations both domestically, and internationally, is also part of the wing. According to the 125th STS mission statement, the squadron is "poised for full spectrum rapid response to all crises and contingencies at home or abroad".[3] The 125th STS is one of only two Special Tactics Units in the Air National Guard.[3] The inclusion of the 125th STS under the Wing led to the organization re-designating itself as the 142nd Wing in order to better articulate the varied capabilities of the organization.[4]

  1. ^ "Colonel Todd A. Hofford". 142nd Wing. December 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  2. ^ 1st Air Force
  3. ^ a b "125th Special Tactics Squadron". 142nd Wing. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference redesignation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).