144th Operations Group

144th Fighter Wing

At the end of October 1950, the Air National Guard converted to the Wing Base Organization. As a result, the 61st Fighter Wing was withdrawn from the National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 144th Fighter Wing was established, allocated to the state of California, and activated on 1 November 1950, assuming the personnel, equipment, and mission of the inactivated 61st Wing. The 144th Group was assigned to the new wing as its operational group.

Air Defense Mission

Most of the Air National Guard was federalized and placed on active duty during the Korean War. The 144th Fighter Group were not called up, although numerous members of the group volunteered for active duty. The group replaced its F-51Ds with newer F-51H Mustangs in 1951, The F-51H was a very long range version of the Mustang. Its increased range was well-suited for air defense. In October 1952, the group became the 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group. Although it became the 144th Fighter-Bomber Group two months later,^[1] it retained an air defense mission. In June 1953, while still flying the Mustang, the unit qualified for the first all-jet, worldwide gunnery meet. Using borrowed North American F-86A Sabres, the 144th, which represented the Air National Guard, placed fifth in the competition.

With the increased availability of jet aircraft after the Korean War, the squadron received its first jet aircraft, the F-86A Sabre in 1954. At the same time, the 194th relocated to Fresno Air Terminal, followed by the group in 1956.^[d] On 7 July 1955, the 144th again became the 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group. With the F-86A, the 144th began standing dusk-to-dawn alerts, joining its active duty Air Defense Command (ADC) counterparts. ADC had organized its dispersed fighter squadrons into independent groups since 1953. Starting in 1956, Air National Guard units with air defense missions began following this model. On 24 August 1957, the 191st Squadron in Utah was assigned to the new 151st Fighter Group (Air Defense). On 19 April 1958, the 152nd Fighter Group (Air Defense) assumed command of the 192d Squadron in Nevada. The group, now with one squadron, was redesignated the 144th Fighter Group (Air Defense).

In April 1958, the group's remaining squadron, the 194th transitioned to the North American F-86L Sabre, which was designed from the onset as an all-weather interceptor. The F-86L was equipped with data link, which permitted interceptions to be controlled by Semi-Automatic Ground Environment direction centers.

In July 1964, the group began flying the Convair F-102A Delta Dagger supersonic interceptor. On 25 July 1974, the 144th retired its last F-102 and brought the improved Convair F-106 Delta Dart into service. In the 1970s, the Air Force began to regard combat groups located on the same station as their parent wings as an additional layer of management. As a result, the group, which had returned to its earlier 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group designation in 1972, was inactivated on 9 July 1976 and the 194th Squadron was transferred directly to the 144th Wing.

Reactivation

Starting in 1992, the Air National Guard began reorganiing its units along the Operational Wing system adopted by the regular Air Force. The group was redesignated the 144th Operations Group and once again activated at Fresno. In 1995, the group transitioned to the more capable General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon Block 25 aircraft. In addition to its home base, the group maintains a detachment on alert at March Air Reserve Base, California

The group was the busiest dedicated air defense group in the country during 1999, with deployments to eight countries and more than a half-dozen states. Fifty wing members deployed five F-16s to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, to participate in the Navy's annual joint combat training exercise. Members of the unit also traveled to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida for Combat Archer, which provided an opportunity for live fire weapons training. To top off the year, six dozen members and six aircraft deployed to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada for Exercise Red Flag. During the opening minutes of the exercise, a 144th Fighter Wing four-ship flight executed simulated kills against four actual Mikoyan MiG-29s. These were the first-ever MiG-29 kills in a Red Flag exercise.

As the group's F-16C Block 25 aircraft came to the end of their operational lifespan, the 194th Fighter Squadron began to receive F-16C Block 32 aircraft in December 2006. All aircraft were replaced by the end of 2007.

The group started the conversion process to the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle, transferred from the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air National Guard in June 2013.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} The last F-16 departed the 144th Fighter Wing on 7 November 2013, destined for 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard.^[12] It was announced in 2023 that the 144th Fighter Wing would replace the F-15C Eagle with the updated Boeing F-15EX Eagle II.^[13]