132nd Wing

Cold War

During 1952, over one million dollars of federally funded improvements were added to the Des Moines airport. The work included the addition of 1,800 feet to the main runway and 3,480 feet of taxiways to better accommodate the wing receiving jet aircraft upon their return to peacetime service. After returning to Des Moines, the wing was re-equipped with F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter-bombers and returned to normal peacetime training committed to Tactical Air Command. It was later upgraded with newer F-84E Thunderjets in 1955. The wing was transferred to Air Defense Command in July 1958, becoming an all-weather F-86L Sabre Interceptor squadron, its new mission being the air defense of Des Moines and eastern Iowa.

In June 1960, the Lincoln, Nebraska-based 173rd FIS was reassigned to the new Nebraska ANG 155th Fighter-Interceptor Group when the squadron was expanded to a group-level organization. In a similar reassignment, the Sioux City-based 174th FIS was reassigned to the 185th Tactical Fighter Group on 30 September 1962. The F-86Ls of the remaining 124th FIS were replaced with F-89J Scorpion Interceptors, which the squadron flew until the summer of 1969.

The 132nd was transferred back to TAC in 1969, being re-equipped with second-line F-84F Thunderstreaks, the standard TAC aircraft for its Air National Guard-gained squadrons at the time. The 132nd upgraded to the F-100D Super Sabre aircraft, which were returning from South Vietnam in 1971, and being transferred to the ANG to replace the subsonic F-84's. The wing began receiving new and transferred A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft in 1976 when the National Guard Bureau began modernizing the ANG with frontline aircraft after the drawdown of the regular Air Force following the end of the Vietnam War.

With the retirement of the A-7Ds in the late 1980s, the wing was upgraded to Block 42 F-16C Fighting Falcons in 1990. From 1998 to 2004, as part of the Air Expeditionary Force concept, the wing had an unprecedented six overseas contingency deployments to patrol the No-Fly Zone over Iraq in Operations Northern and Southern Watch. Two of the six contingency deployments occurred within a ten-month period, attesting to the unit's professionalism and high state of readiness.

Modern era

Immediately following the events of 11 September 2001, the 124th Fighter Squadron's F-16s, pilots, and maintenance members were placed on alert, poised to defend against any possible attacks. After 9/11 the unit's F-16's were prepared to launch within minutes in the event of a "scramble" order – 24/7. The unit has also provided continuous Combat Air Patrols during Presidential visits.

The unit was deployed to Al Udeid AB, Qatar in 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Total flying hours during this contingency equaled to over three-fourths of a year's normal flying allocation in only 52 days.^{[citation needed]}

Less than a week after Hurricane Katrina, 12 members of the 132nd Medical Group teamed up with 19 members of the Sioux City 185th Air Refueling Wing and headed south to bring aid to those injured or sick because of the storm. The team treated 80 to 100 patients a day with ailments ranging from minor cuts to dehydration and acute skin infections caused by exposure to bacteria-laden sewer water.^{[citation needed]}

Mission Change

Congressional actions removed the wing's fighters from the base, with the transition beginning in FY 2013.^[2] The last regularly scheduled F-16 flights occurred in August 2013, after which the unit's 21 F-16s were transferred to the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base.^[3]

It was initially suggested to transition the wing to the A-10 Thunderbolt II however in light of the increased need for cyber warfare, intelligence, and RPA capacity by the U.S. Air Force as well as highly technical skills and training that went with this mission the Iowa legislature lobbied successfully for the 132nd to reclassify into the ISR and RPA mission.

The loss of the Falcons created some debate over the base's status as an aeronautical base with a true flying mission, and the airport threatened legal action to begin charging a full market-value lease. This was addressed by the reassignment of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation, Iowa Army National Guard, from Boone, IA to the base, occupying the hangars that held fixed-wing Air Force fighters for 70 years.^[4]

Current Missions

The wing moved from a manned fighter wing to a multi-mission unit, including the operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft, an ISR group, and a cyber operations squadron, adding them to the unit's distributed training operations center.

The 132nd Operations Group operates the MQ-9 Reaper, a remotely piloted aircraft. Aircrew based and physically located in Des Moines carry out missions in all corners of the world. These aircrews provide real-time full-motion video and flexible strike capabilities to combatant commanders around the globe.

The 132nd ISR Group provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance research and analysis capabilities to enable combatant commanders' planning and operational decision making. Through the use of intelligence information and training, the analysts of this group determine the strengths and weaknesses of an enemy target complex and pass that information off to Weaponeers who determine the best aim point and weapon to achieve the desired target destruction. As part of the 25th Air Force, the 132 ISRG received the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award in late 2017, 2018, and 2020 for participation in targeting operations worldwide.

The 168th Cyberspace Operations Squadron is tasked with analyzing and protecting networks and systems by determining vulnerabilities and implementing solutions.

The Distributed Training Operations Center (DTOC) is the Iowa Air National Guard center for Distributed Mission Operations (located in Des Moines). It operates as a wing detachment. Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) is a component of the Air Force Training Transformation initiative. While the center organizes DMO events primarily for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command pilots, DTOC also facilitates training between Air National Guard fighter pilots and warfighters in the U.S. Army, Air Force Reserve, Navy, and allied forces.^[5] The center also has the capability to include non-virtual assets into the simulation, allowing pilots in physical aircraft to participate in the exercises. Such virtual training exercises save the Air Force substantial funds over gathering assets for real-life exercises.