HANCOCK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SYRACUSE, N.Y. (09/07/2012)(readMedia)-- More than 120 members of the New York Air National Guard will receive recognition for their service in a combat zone on Sunday, September 9 during the 174th Attack Wing Hometown Heroes Salute ceremony for all units here on the Air National Guard Base.

In a separate ceremony on Sunday, unit leaders will redesignate the 174th and officially change the name to the 174th Attack Wing and the 138th Fighter Squadron will officially be changed to the 138th Attack Squadron.

WHO: More than 120 New York Air National Guard Airmen of the 174th Attack Wing, along with family, military leaders and elected officials from the region.

WHAT: Presentation of the Air National Guard's Hometown Heroes recognitions for service in support of contingency operations at home and overseas since September 11, 2001.

WHERE: Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Main Hangar, 600 East Malloy Road, Syracuse

WHEN: 10 a.m., Sunday September 9, 2012 for the Hometown Heroes ceremony. The organizational name change will follow the ceremony at 12:30 p.m.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

Interviews with Airmen who served in Operation Noble Eagle in the U.S. or in support of operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom overseas. Visuals of presentations of Hometown Heroes recognitions from unit leadership.

Local media that would like to attend should contact Maj. Jeff Brown, (315) 663-8734 prior to 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 9. You will be advised of the designated entry gate at that time. Please plan to arrive by 9:45 a.m. for the Hometown Heroes ceremony or noon for the unit redesignation ceremony in order to gain access to the secure facility.

BACKGROUND:

Hometown Heroes Program

The Hometown Heroes program recognizes Airmen in this ceremony who deployed for more than 30 consecutive days in support of Operations Enduring Freedom or other contingency operations across the globe since 2011.

The Airmen will receive a framed letter from the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Craig R. McKinley, containing a Hometown Heroes salute challenge coin. Children of the deployed Airmen will also receive unique Hometown Heroes Salute dog tags.

The Air National Guard initiated the program in August 2008 to celebrate and honor our Airmen, families, communities and those special supporters who have significantly contributed to supporting our Airmen and the Air National Guard mission.

174th Attack Wing Redesignation

The new name for the historic unit reflects the change of mission from flying fighter aircraft to operating the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft, which the wing has done since December 2009.

The new designation was requested by unit leadership shortly after the unit ended its F-16 mission with the last F-16 departing Syracuse in March 2010.

"When we ended our proud 60-year history of flying fighter aircraft, it was decided to request a change in our designation to more closely align with our new mission," said Col. Greg Semmel, 174th Fighter Wing Commander when first announced in July. "We selected the 'Attack' designation because it mirrors the organization nomenclature already used by all three Air Force active duty MQ-9 squadrons."

Along with the change in name of the wing, the 138th Fighter Squadron, a sub-organization under the wing which operates the MQ-9 combat mission, is changing its name to the 138th Attack Squadron.

The Institute of Heraldry, which provides insignia to all branches of the military, is preparing a new unit emblem for the 174th reflecting the name change.

The 174th Fighter Wing was established in 1947 as the first Air National Guard flying unit in New York State. It currently flies the state-of-the-art MQ-9 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The newly designated 174th Attack Wing will continue its combat mission as well as its multiple training missions, including operating the Field Training Detachment (FTD) which trains all Air Force personnel on MQ-9 maintenance procedures, and the Formal Training Unit (FTU) which provides initial qualification training to MQ-9 aircrew.

Posted Friday September 07, 2012 at 02:00 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Monday September 10, 2012 at 11:09 am