The Utah Air National Guard was founded on November 18, 1946. The base is located on over 82 acres in the northeast corner of the Salt Lake International Airport. Nearly 1500 trained men and women serve in the Utah ANG to guard the state of Utah and defend the United States of America.
Commanded by Brigadier General Gene C. Buckner, the Assistant Adjutant General for Air, the Utah ANG assignments include real-world military operations as well as daily activities that support state and federal missions and fulfill training requirements.
Utah ANG's largest component, the 151st Wing, is commanded by Col. Douglas E. Foster. The 151st WG includes 17 squadrons and 5 group commanders who are committed to building excellent organizations within the wing.
The Utah ANG began as a fighter-bomber unit, but now serves an air refueling mission. Its assigned mission has changed three times over the past 75 years. The type of aircraft flown by the wing has changed a total of eight times. The current primary aircraft assigned to the wing are the KC-135R Stratotanker. The 151st WG has been operating the KC-135 since it was originally assigned to Utah in 1978, when the unit became part of the Strategic Air Command. The Strategic Air Command became the Air Mobility Command in June 1992.
Historical examples of federal service are numerous.
Members were called to serve 21 months during the Korean Conflict. Flying P-51 fighter aircraft, 10 pilots flew over 100 missions. Two Utah pilots were killed in this conflict. One Utah ANG pilot, Capt. Clifford Jolley, flying an F-86 Sabrejet, shot down seven soviet made MIG-15 aircraft and became the first Air Guard "Ace" of the Korean Conflict.
During the Vietnam War, Utah Air Guard crews flew 6,600 hours of support missions for American forces.
During the Middle East Crisis in August of 1990, Utah ANG crews were some of the first to volunteer in support of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Utah ANG's support of this operation continued well into 1991.
In 1999 many members were deployed in support of Operation Allied Force.
The Utah ANG participates in ongoing Aerospace Expeditionary Force missions. With the onset of the on-going war on terror, all units of the Utah Air National Guard have maintained extremely high operational and deployment tempos. Since September 11, 2001, members of Utah ANG have been activated and deployed for worldwide duty to include operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. In addition, members are continuously volunteering to provide support for worldwide humanitarian missions.
At home, local communities see many benefits from the Utah ANG. Many opportunities exist to meet legitimate military training needs while serving the community. Activities include Sub-for-Santa, blood drives, Adopt a School Program, highway cleanup and the 2002 Olympics. The Utah ANG also maintains a state of readiness should Utah need support during an earthquake, flood, civil disturbance, or major disaster. Since 1946, the Utah ANG has responded to numerous local and national emergencies. Whether facing the challenges of a global pandemic, supporting local and national authorities during time of civil unrest, or helping communities recover from natural disasters, the Airman of the Utah Air National Guard are always up to the task when our state and nation needed them the most.