142nd Wing

The 142nd Wing is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard and the United States Air Force, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon.

As a state militia unit, the 142nd Wing is under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Air National Guard unless it is federalized by order of the President of the United States. If activated for federal service, the wing will come under the command of Air Combat Command.

The 123rd Fighter Squadron assigned to the wing's 142nd Operations Group, descends from the 123rd Observation Squadron, formed on 30 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 142nd Wing is also home to the 125th Special Tactics Squadron (STS), which conducts a wide array of special forces operations both domestically, and internationally. According to the 125th STS mission statement, the squadron is "poised for full spectrum rapid response to all crises and contingencies at home or abroad". The 125th STS is one of only two Special Tactics Units in the Air National Guard. The inclusion of the 125th STS under the Wing led to the organization re-designating itself as the 142nd Wing in order to better articulate the varied capabilities of the organization.

The 142nd Wing participates around the globe supporting drug interdiction, United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) air defense, as well as contingency operations such as Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. The wing serves the nation, state, and community by providing mission-ready units, personnel, and equipment for:

• Air defense of the Pacific Northwest, guarding the skies from northern California to the Canada–US border, on 24-hour alert as part of North American Air Defense Command
• air superiority missions
• Federal augmentation in support of national security objectives
• Response to state and local contingencies
• Domestic search and rescue operations
• Proactive involvement in activities that add value to the people and communities which it serves

Today the wing flies the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (C and D models), providing air defense and air superiority capabilities. The unit has more than 1,000 officers and enlisted ranks personnel.