139th Security Forces Squadron

The 139th Airlift Wing is located at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri. It is the home of the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center and the 241st Air Traffic Control Squadron. The 139th AW is one of the two flying wings currently in the Missouri Air National Guard. The flying unit is the 180th Airlift Squadron which operationally flies the C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Units assigned:

139th Operations Group 

· 180th Airlift Squadron 

· 241st Air Traffic Control Squadron 

· 139th Operations Support Flight 

139th Mission Support Group 

· 139th Civil Engineer Squadron 

· 139th Communications Flight 

· 139th Mission Support Flight 

· 139th Aerial Port Flight 

· 139th Logistics Readiness Squadron 

· 139th Security Forces Squadron 

· 139th Services Flight 

139th Maintenance Group 

· 139th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 

· 139th Maintenance Squadron 

· 139th Maintenance Operations Flight 

139th Medical Group 

Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center (AATTC) 

The 139th Airlift Wing has its roots in the formation of the 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light) which was one of the first federally recognized Air National Guard units in the nation. The 180th BS (L) received federal recognition on 22 August 1946 by an inspection team from 2nd Air Force. The 180th BS was assigned the Douglas B-26B/C "Invader" light bomber. Lt Col John B. Logan, who was instrumental in forming the unit, was named as the first Squadron Commander and would be later named the Base Commander. He had accumulated more than 250 combat hours in 32 combat missions as a B-17 pilot and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and campaign ribbons representing the Northern France, Central Europe and Normandy theaters of operation. The 180th BS (L) flew the B-26 until 1958.

The 180th Airlift Squadron is located at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Saint Joseph, Missouri. It is part of the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, and operationally flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. It was among the first Air National Guard units that received federal recognition. 

History: 

The 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light) flying the B-26B/C Invader received federal recognition on 22 August 1946 from an inspection team from 2nd Air Force making it among the first federally recognized Air National Guard units in the nation. At the time the 180th BS (L) was formed, there was also a Utility Flight of the 180th and Detachment D of the 226th Air Service Group also set up at Rosecrans. 

Lt Col John B. Logan, a World War II pilot, along with local civic leaders Henry Bradley and William Barrow, are credited with getting approval from the National Guard Bureau to form the unit. Lt Col Logan was named as the first Squadron Commander of the 180th by Special Orders Number 36 on 24 July 1946. He had accumulated more than 250 combat hours in 32 combat missions as a B-17 pilot and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and campaign ribbons representing the Northern France, Central Europe and Normandy theaters of operation. 

The 180th has served the nation during times of peace, crisis and war including being activated in 1951 during the Korean War flying the B-26B/C, flying airlift mission to Viet Nam during the 1960s utilizing the C-97 Stratofreighter and supporting the United States Air Force Europe flying aerial refueling missions in the KC-97 during the 1960s and 1970's supporting Operation Creek Party. 

From the 1970s through the 1990s, the 180th supported Operation Volant Oak and Operation Coronet Oak at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. During a 180th deployment to Howard AFB in November, 1978, they were caught up in a "real world" situation when the world began to learn of the events unfolding in Jonestown, Guyana. The 180th, flying the C-130, was the first US military aircraft landing at Timehri International Airport, Guyana with US embassy officials that they had picked up in Venezuela as well as food and supplies meant for the survivors the Americans hoped to take out of Guyana. That, of course, was before it became apparent that most of the more than 900 Peoples Temple members were lying dead in Jonestown. In December, 1989, the 180th was once again deployed at Howard AFB when Operation Just Cause began. The 180th flew combat mission in support of the Operation. 

In late 1980 and through 1983, members of the 180th embarked on a special project to enhance survivability of C-130 aircrews while flying in a hostile environment. The need for this type of training became apparent after C-130 units from the Military Airlift Command (MAC) began to participate in Red Flag at Nellis AFB. It was obvious that the C-130's were not doing well against the ground and air threats posed in the Red Flag exercise. After approval from the National Guard Bureau and tacitly from Military Airlift Command (MAC), they began service test to validate the training program. After more than three service test, the program proved it worth and the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center was approved and instituted on 4 February 1984. 

In March 1987, the 180th began to receive brand new C-130H2 aircraft replacing the C-130A model aircraft they had flown for the past ten years. In October 1987, the 180th deployed two C-130H2 aircraft supporting a United States Army Special Forces (SF) and the Royal Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) in a joint personnel airdrop exercise called Badge Anvil 1987 at RAAF Learmonth, Australia. The exercise provided high altitude low opening and high altitude high opening parachute training. Since all of the airdrops occurred above 10,000 feet and as high as 24,500 feet, the 15th Physiological Training Flight, USAF, also supported the exercise and provided supplemental oxygen equipment, training and support for the training missions. Each flight was like going to the altitude chamber. 

In 1989, the 180th with four C-130H2 aircraft deployed to Kimhae International Airport, Republic of Korea in support of Operation Team Spirit 1989. During the exercise, the 180th flew challenging missions including tactical resupply, fuel bladder missions, assault landings on short runways including landing on highway landing strips, numerous airdrop missions including both visual, high altitude and radar drop scenarios. 

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. As part of the United States military response, Air Force, Army, Marine and Naval forces were deployed to the Persian Gulf. A call was sent out from the National Guard Bureau to Tactical Airlift units for "volunteers" to deploy to the Persian Gulf. Members of the 180th volunteered for duty as did other members from the 139th Tactical Airlift Group. On 17 August 1990, more than 100 personnel and two C-130's were activated and placed on alert for deployment to the Persian Gulf. After delays due to foreign basing rights, the aircraft departed Rosecrans Air National Guard Base on 4 September 1990 and remained in theater until 8 October 1990 when the 180th departed for home. The time at home would be short lived as the unit was activated under a Presidential Selective Reserve Call-up (PSRC) effective 28 December 1990 and deployed from Rosecrans on 2 January 1991 this time with all eight C-130's, aircrews, operations support and maintenance personnel. 

During the 1990s, the 180th provided airlift support to the United States Air Forces Europe during the airlift operations into Bosnia and Herzegovina. These operations were named Operation Provide Promise, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Joint Guard and Operation Joint Forge. Members of the 180th along with operations support and maintenance personnel would deploy to Rhein-Main Air Base and, after it closed, to Ramstein Air Base and assigned to "Delta Squadron". The Air National Guard would generally be responsible for a 90 or 120 day period and guard members would typically volunteer for duty for a minimum of a two to three week period although some would volunteer for longer periods. 

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, the 180th served in a support role flying missions transporting personnel and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 180th was partially activated in March 2003 prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom and first deployed to a classified location supporting the invasion of Iraq. The unit was transferred to several other bases in the Iraq theater and was later reassigned in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Afghanistan theater. The 180th remained in a state of partial activation for three years until it was released from mobilization in March 2006 and reverted back to state control. 

The 180th is now participating in the Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) schedule supporting the USAF. 

139th Recruiters

Master Sgt. Brian Malchosebrian.malchose@ang.af.mil

816-236-3475

Tech. Sgt. Fred Osbornfrederick.osborn@ang.af.mil

816-236-3189

Tech. Sgt. Matt Pricematthew.price@ang.af.mil

816-236-3410