Montgomery Air National Guard Base

Montgomery Air National Guard Base is the home base of the Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing.[2]

For civil airport information, see Montgomery Regional Airport.
Montgomery Air National Guard Base
Dannelly Field
Near Montgomery, Alabama in United States of America
An F-16 Fighting Falcon of the 187th Fighter Wing based at Montgomery Air National Guard Base
Montogmery
Montogmery
Coordinates32°18′02″N 086°23′38″W
TypeAir National Guard Base
Site information
OwnerCity of Montgomery
OperatorUS Air Force (USAF)
Controlled byAlabama Air National Guard
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.187fw.ang.af.mil
Site history
Built1943 (1943)
In use1943 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Colonel Ed Casey
Garrison187th Fighter Wing
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: MGM, ICAO: KMGM, FAA LID: MGM, WMO: 722260
Elevation67.3 metres (221 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
10/28 2,749.2 metres (9,020 ft) Asphalt
3/21 1,222.5 metres (4,011 ft) Asphalt
Airfield shared with Montgomery Regional Airport
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

History

The base has previously been known as Gunter Army Airfield Auxiliary #6 and is still sometimes known as Dannelly Field.

The roots of the 187th Fighter Wing date back to 1952 when the Alabama Air National Guard organized the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in Birmingham, Alabama equipped with the RF-51 Mustang. The squadron moved to Dannelly Field on January 1, 1953, and entered the jet age with the arrival of the RF-80 Shooting Star in 1955. Within a year the 160th transitioned to the RF-84 Thunderflash aircraft, which served as the squadron's primary aircraft for the next 15 years.[2]

The squadron was mobilized during the Berlin Crisis in 1961-1962 and deployed to Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France. In August 1962, the squadron returned to normal peacetime status and was reorganized. It was then officially designated the 187th Reconnaissance Group.[2]

In 1971, the Thunderflash was replaced by the RF-4C Phantom II, which was flown for 17 years. From 1971-1982, the group remained in the reconnaissance role. The 187th won many honors during this timeframe, including the best reconnaissance unit in the nation in the Photo Finish "81" competition.[2]

In 1982, the 187th changed missions from reconnaissance to the multi-purpose fighter role after acquiring the F-4D. The Group established itself as a premier tactical fighter unit by capturing overall top honors in the ANG Fangsmoke competition in 1987. In October 1988, the Group converted to the F-16 aircraft. In October 1995, the Group was designated a Wing under Air Force reorganization; becoming the 187th Fighter Wing.[2]

Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Montgomery Air National Guard Base include the following.[3][4]

Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Montgomery, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

United States Air Force

Air National Guard

Air Combat Command

Future

In April 2020, the Air Force announced that the F-35A Lighting II would be based at Montgomery ANGB, with the 187th Fighter Wing receiving its first aircraft in 2023.[5]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document: "The history of the 187th Fighter Wing". Retrieved 2016-02-27.

  1. "Airport Diagram – Montgomery Rgnl (Dannelly Field) (MGM)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  2. 187th Fighter Wing website
  3. "Units". 187th Fighter Wing. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  4. "495th Fighter Group". Ninth Air Force. US Air Force. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  5. "Air Force makes final basing decision for next two Air National Guard". US Air Force. US Air Force. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
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