March 2008 Feature Story:
“Ace in the Hole”: The 111th Fighter Squadron, Texas Air National Guard

Story by Kevin Jackson

Celebrating 90 years of air power in 2007, the 111th Fighter Squadron has a long and proud history of serving the State of Texas and the United States.

By pure coincidence both the current home for the unit, Ellington Field, and the 111th Aero Squadron were established in 1917, although the 111th started life at Kelly Field, San Antonio. The unit’s first tenure at Ellington began in 1923 and apart from a couple of moves to Houston’s Hobby Airport in the 1920s and 1950s, Ellington has been their home ever since.

Over 90 years later, as 2007 turns into 2008, the 111th Fighter Squadron/147th Fighter Wing is losing their manned fighter mission. The units Block-25 F-16Cs will be retired to the Arizona desert by summer 2008, to be replaced by a new aircraft and a new mission.

A Look Back
To commemorate the 90th anniversary and mark the phasing out of the Viper, one of the units F-16Cs, 84-1393, was painted to represent the history of the 111th Fighter Squadron. All the colors and markings have specific meanings, reflecting the unit’s nine-decade history:

Viper Era
For over 18 years the Squadron has flown the F-16A/C. The ‘A’ model Vipers were introduced in 1989 and used in a purely air defense role until the arrival of the F-16C in 1995. This led to the introduction in 1998 of a multi-role general-purpose mission, adding the air-to-ground capability to their knowledge of the air-to-air mission.

The years 2005 and 2007 saw the unit deploy to Balad Air Base, Iraq, for OIF support. Their final combat deployment with the F-16C in February 2007 saw 226 members of the 147th FW deployed for 45 days. With an average combat sortie lasting almost 4.42 hours, the unit accumulated a total of 1537.1 combat hours. They were tasked with 348 sorties but actually flew 358 sorties. This total included six no-notice Close Air Support (CAS) scrambles and four short-notice scrambles, which were not listed on the Air Tasking Order (ATO). They had a perfect maintenance delivery rate of 102%, a mission effectiveness rate of 100%, a weapons employment rate of 100% (8 of 8) and a desired weapons effective rate of 87.5% (7 of 8) due to one JDAM failing to guide.

Upon returning from Iraq the 147th FW, under the command of Colonel Lanny “Ogre” McNeely, began the process of relinquishing the Viper and planning for their new and very different mission.

BRAC Bites
Following the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations, the Department of Defense recommended realignment of Ellington Field Air Guard Station. The 147th Fighter Wing’s 15 F-16Cs would be retired. The Wing’s Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS) elements would remain in place. Ellington would retain the capability to support the Homeland Defense mission with its alert facility remaining, but manned from February 2008 by a detachment of F-16s and personnel from the Tulsa based 138th FW, Oklahoma ANG.

One aircraft not affected by the BRAC recommendations is the 147th’s sole C-26 Metroliner, initially introduced into the TX ANG in 1989 for Operational Support. The C-26 was converted to a UC-26 for use as a counter-drug, law enforcement and surveillance asset and more recently to the RC-26B designation in 2005. The aircraft remains in use to this day and is currently undergoing further upgrades.

The F-16Cs will be replaced by the MQ-1 A/B Predator UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and a subsequent change of unit designation to the 111th Reconnaissance Squadron/147th Reconnaissance Wing.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, in a news conference at Ellington Field in August 2005, approved the recommendation presented by a panel of senior aviation and support officers and the Adjutant General of Texas naming Ellington Field Air National Guard Base the home for the new Predator squadron. The panel looked at every military installation in Texas and then ranked each potential site according to several demanding criteria that included airspace and range access, weather, existing facilities, robust communications access, and recruiting population base.

Unmanned Future
Current plans call for unit strength of 12 MQ-1 aircraft. The remotely-piloted vehicles will be supported by two fixed ground control stations, a mobile ground control station, secure communication links, and three launch and recovery ground control stations. The unit will also operate a training simulator. Texas Air National Guard pilots and sensor operators will be able to control aircraft in every theater in the world, to include Iraq and Afghanistan, from their base in Texas.

The 147th FW envisions the MQ-1 mission evolving into a Center of Excellence to facilitate highly skilled operators for the USAF and ANG. The Wing stands ready to establish the ANG’s first Joint Operations Center (JOC) for the purpose of grooming a highly skilled fighting force of MQ-1 pilots, operators and Intelligence.

For the members of the 111th FS and the 147th FW, 2008 marks a new era, flying a new mission with a new weapons system. With 90 years experience behind them they are confident of creating history once again.