Niagara Falls based NY Air National Guard Wing marks new name Tuesday, March 21

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Workmen at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station put up the crest of the 107th Attack Wing on the base headquarters building on Wednesday, March 15. ( Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Campbell)

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (03/20/2017) (readMedia)-- Members of the New York Air National Guard's 107th Airlift Wing will mark the renaming of the unit to the 107th Attack Wing during a short ceremony on Tuesday, March 21 at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Members of the press are invited to attend.

WHO: Col. Robert Kilgore, the commander of the 107th Attack Wing, Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York, and Airmen assigned to the 107th Attack Wing.

WHAT: A "commanders call" during which Col. Kilgore will speak about the re-designation of the unit as an Attack Wing, marking the wing's transformation from flying the C-130 Hercules to operating the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft.

WHEN: 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2017

WHERE: Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, Lockport Road, Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Media Opportunity

Reporters will be able to interview Col. Robert Kilgore, the wing commander, Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York, and Airmen assigned to the 107th Attack Wing. Still and video imagery opportunities will include the new wing logo and a model of an MQ-9. The 107th Public Affairs section will have images of MQ-9 aircraft available.

Members of the press must contact Master Sergeant Brandy Fowler at (716) 236-2347 prior to 11 a.m. Tuesday March 21, 2017 for access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND:

The 107th Attack Wing

The 107th Airlift Wing was officially re-designated the 107th Attack Wing on March 15, 2017. The name change reflects the wing's mission of providing aircrew members and supporting staff trained to operate the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. The wing began transformation and training of crews and personnel in 2014.

The 107th is the second New York Air National Guard wing to assume the remotely piloted aircraft mission. The 174th Attack Wing assumed this mission in 2010.

The wing is based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and is also responsible for the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, and the 222nd Command and Control Squadron in Rome. Both of these units fall under the command of the 107th.

The 107th Attack Wing traces its history back to 1946 when the 107th Fighter Group, comprised as of 14 officers and 100 enlisted members was formed at the Niagara Falls Municipal Airport. The unit was federally recognized in 1948 and flew F-47D Thunderbolt propeller driven fighters as part of the air defense of the northeast.

Its designation and mission has changed many times.

In 1950 the unit was renamed the 107th Fighter Wing and in 1952 it was renamed the 107th Fighter-Interceptor Wing.

The unit reequipped with jet fighters in 1954 and became the 107th Air Defense Wing in 1956. In 1958 the wing became the 107th Tactical Fighter Wing.

The unit was re-designated as the 107th Tactical Fighter Group in 1962, it became the 107th Fighter-Interceptor Group in 1971, the 107th Fighter Group in 1992, the 107th Air Refueling Group in 1994 and the 107th Air Refueling Wing in 1995.

Along the way the unit flew the F-51H Mustang, F-94B Starfire, the F-86H Sabre, the F-100C Super Sabre, the F101B Voodoo, the F-4D Phantom II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

In 1994 the wing became the 107th Air Refueling Group and operated the KC-135 tanker aircraft until 2008 when wing members began flying the C-130 in conjunction with the Air Force Reserve's 914th Airlift Wing and became the 107th Airlift Wing.

MQ-9

The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence collection asset. Given its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons -- it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets.

Reapers can also perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-lase, convoy/raid over watch, target development, and terminal air guidance. The MQ-9's capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of combatant commander objectives.