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102nd Fighter Wing
Massachussetts Air National Guard "Omnis Vir Tigris" |
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The ramp at Otis ANGB shortly before six Eagles were launched on an air-air training mission over Cape Cod. The Northeastern weather can be unpredictable; half an hour after this photo was taken, the sun was shining.
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The 102nd Fighter Wing is based on Cape Cod, southeast of Boston, at Otis Air National Guard Base. Comprised of the 101st Fighter Squadron as part of the Massachussetts Air National Guard, the wing is one of only six ANG units to fly the Boeing F-15 Eagle.
Originally formed in 1921 as the 101st Observation Squadron, the 102FW has a history of Air Defense. It was called to active duty in 1950 and placed aircraft on 24-hour alert at the end of the runway at Boston's Logan International Airport during the Korean War. Aircraft have been on 24-hour, 365-days, alert since June 10, 1972. Over the years, 102FW jets have been sent to intercept everything from Soviet BEAR bombers, aircraft that had strayed off course, and aircraft carrying illegal cargo.
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77-0163 is the unit's only two-seat F-15B. It awaits its pilot prior to a training sortie on November 29, 2005.
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Besides maintaining aircraft on alert duties at home, the 102nd Fighter Wing has been busy deploying its Eagles around the world. The Wing has seen considerable action in a combat environment. Aircraft and personnel have been sent to Panama for "Coronet Nighthawk", and to Kevflavik AB, Iceland, for air defense duty. In 1999, the wing deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey, to patrol the northern "No-Fly" zone over Iraq during Operation Northern Watch, and to Saudi Arabia in 2000 to patrol the southern "No-Fly" zone during Operation Southern Watch.
On September 11, 2001, the wing was called to action during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Two jets (77-0102 and 77-0100) were scrambled to intercept the hijacked airlines. Tragically, the Eagles were a few minutes late to prevent the terrorists from accomplishing their mission, but remained on station to prevent any further damage. The wing began flying around-the-clock combat air patrols immediately thereafter, and continued doing so until February 2002. Overall during this time, 2,388 missions were flown, totaling more than 3,750 hours.
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| (left) F-15A 77-0105 on the ramp at Otis. It was scheduled to be part of a 6-ship training mission, but returned to the ramp with mechanical problems. | ||||||
| (right) 77-0113 taxis out for a mission. All of the 102FW Eagles are in immaculate condition, and are a point of justifiable pride with their crewchiefs. | ||||||
The 102nd Fighter Wing is currently in the midst of upgrading to the newer, more-advanced F-15C. With the continuing deliveries of the F-22 Raptor to active-duty F-15 units, there are more F-15C/Ds available to be passed down to the ANG. The 102nd's "new" F-15Cs came from Kadena AB, Japan. Unfortunately, the condition of these jets has left a lot to be desired, and were in far worse shape than the older F-15As that they were replacing. However, with the abilities of the Air National Guard, in general, and the 102nd Fighter Wing, in particular, these jets will be brought up to the standards that is expected. Several F-15Cs have finally been made airworthy, and already a few F-15As have been retired to AMARC, including 77-0102, which was scrambled on September 11, 2001.
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| (left) 77-0087 heads out for a morning training mision. | |||||||||
| (right) 77-0097 on the ramp at Otis, awaiting its next mission. | |||||||||
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| (left) Like most 102FW jets, 77-0099 spent time with the 32nd Fighter Squadron at Soesterberg AB, Netherlands. | |||||||||
| (right) 77-0110 blasts out into the winter murk. | |||||||||
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| (left) Eagle driver. The size of the F-15 can be seen when compared to its pilot. | |||||||||
| (right) A pair of Eagles returns to the ramp at the conclusion of an afternoon training mission over Cape Cod. Photo courtesy Ken Middleton. | |||||||||
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77-0100 (left) and 77-0102 (right) were the first two jets scrambled on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, and were just minutes away when the towers were struck. Both jets have since been retired to AMARC.
Both photos courtesy of Ken Middleton |
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For more information on the 102nd Fighter Wing, be sure to check out Ken Middleton's pages dedicated to the history and accomplishments of this wing. |
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I would like to extend my gratitude to the 102nd Fighter Wing, Massachussetts ANG, for their hospitality during my visit. Without their time and help, this page would not have been possible. Also a large thanks goes to Ken Middleton, long-time 102FW fan, for allowing use of his photos for this page. Thanks, guys!