World War II Activated in October 1943 as the
409th Fighter Squadron at
Hamilton Field, California. During World War II, the squadron was an Operational Training Unit (OTU), equipped with second-line
Bell P-39 Airacobras and
Curtiss P-40 Warhawks. Its mission was to train newly graduated pilots from Training Command in combat tactics and maneuvers before being assigned to their permanent combat unit. Initially assigned to
IV Fighter Command, then transferred to
III Fighter Command in 1944, being re-equipped with
P-51D Mustangs. It took part in air-ground maneuvers and demonstrations, participating in the Louisiana Maneuvers in the summer of 1944 and in similar activities in the US until after V-J Day. Inactivated in November 1945.
California Air National Guard Early Years (1946–1950) The 409th Squadron was redesignated as the
194th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at
Naval Air Station Alameda, California, and was extended federal recognition. The 194th Fighter Squadron was equipped with
North American P-51D/H Mustangs (later redesignated as F-51) and was assigned to the
144th Fighter Group.
Air Defense (1950–1989) F-51D/H Mustang (1950–1954) With the
surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty. However, the 194th was not mobilized. On 1 October 1952, the 194th Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the
194th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. In March 1953, the
194th Fighter-Bomber Squadron participated, along with the
138th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (
New York ANG), in a secret experiment to see if the Air National Guard was capable of performing air intercept missions. The experiment, brainchild of Major General
George G. Finch, was to place two F-51D Mustang and five pilots on a five minute alert from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. The experiment was deemed a great success, with the five minute alert becoming permanent in August 1954. During its years flying the F-51D/H, the unit earned prominence as one of the Air Force's most respected aerial gunnery competitors. At the same time, the 194th relocated to
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (known at the time as Fresno Air Terminal), followed by the wing in 1957. On 7 July 1955, the 194th was re-designated as the
194th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, a designation kept by the squadron for the next 37 years. On 1 April 1958,
the Griffins transitioned to the F-86L Sabre, In January 1981, the 194th FIS started a Det. 1 alert detachment at
George Air Force Base, taking on
Quick Reaction Alert responsibilities. Between September and December 1983, the 194th FIS maintained a Det. 1 alert detachment at
Castle Air Force Base, California, taking over from the
318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron while they converted from the F-106 to the
McDonnell Douglas F-15A/B Eagle. With the end of the detachment, the 194th FIS ended operations on the F-106 on 31 December 1983. Between March 1986 and April 1987, the 194th FIS deployed three F-4Ds (
65-0583,
65-0740 and
65-0747) to
Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, alongside the
178th FIS and
179th FIS as part of Exercise Creek Klaxon. The three ANG squadrons were deployed to provide air defense alert while the resident
86th Tactical Fighter Wing converted from the F-4E Phantom II to the
General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.
The Griffins flew their last F-4D Phantom II sortie on 30 June 1989, launching a four-ship of F-4Ds which undertook a training mission with F-15s and
Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses before conducting a flypast over Fresno and recovering for the last time. The 194th FIS conducted their first F-16 sorties in July 1989. with the original plan having been to convert to the F-16 between 1990 and 1991. Replacing the F-4D in the air defense and attack roles, the Block 15 F-16A/B airframes weren't initially suited to the dedicated air defense mission the squadron was tasked to. This was fixed with the Air Defense Fighter (ADF) upgrade these aircraft received during 1990, which included the addition of a Clear Weather Intercept module on the
AN/APG-66 radar and an
Advanced Identification Friend or Foe system. In 1995, the squadron transitioned to the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon block 25 aircraft. the first of 21 F-15s, on 18 June 2013. The 194th FS received their Eagles from the
186th Fighter Squadron (
Montana ANG) and the
65th Aggressor Squadron, with the last three F-15Cs arriving at Fresno from
Great Falls ANGB on 24 October 2013. The last F-16 departed the 194th Fighter Squadron on 7 November 2013, destined for
162nd Fighter Wing of the
Arizona Air National Guard. In October 2018, the 194th FS deployed six F-15Cs to
Starokostiantyniv Air Base, Ukraine, as part of Clear Sky 2018, becoming the first American unit to land Eagles in Ukraine.
The Griffins borrowed an F-15D from the
493rd Fighter Squadron at
RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, for the duration of the exercise due to not deploying their own two-seat D model. On 16 October 2018, Lt. Col. Seth ‘Jethro’ Nehring of the 194th FS died in a crash in
Sukhoi Su-27UB1M (
Blue 70) while on a familiarization flight with Col. Ivan Petrenko of the
Ukrainian Air Force. In September 2019, six Ukrainian pilots and a translator deployed to Fresno ANGB to conduct familiarization flights with the Eagle. Due to the
18th Wing at
Kadena Air Base, Japan, divesting its fleet of F-15C/Ds, the 194th FS deployed to Kadena AB in October 2023 to help maintain a continuous fighter presence at the base.
F-15EX It was announced in 2023 that the 194th Fighter Squadron would replace the F-15C/D Eagle with the updated
Boeing F-15EX Eagle II. However, with the announcement in April 2025 that the
107th Fighter Squadron,
Michigan ANG, would now be receiving the F-15EX the timeline for deliveries to the 194th FS has been delayed.
Lineage • Constituted
409th Fighter Squadron on 12 October 1943 : Activated on 15 October 1943 : Redesignated
409th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 April 1944 : Redesignated
409th Fighter Squadron on 5 June 1944 : Inactivated on 7 November 1945 • Redesignated
194th Fighter Squadron, and allocated to the National Guard on 24 May 1946 : Extended federal recognition on 25 June 1948 : Redesignated
194th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 October 1952 : Redesignated
194th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 December 1952 : Redesignated
194th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 7 July 1955 : Redesignated
194th Fighter Squadron on 16 March 1992
Assignments •
372d Fighter (Later Fighter-Bomber, Fighter) Group, 15 October 1943 – 7 November 1945 • 144th Fighter Group (later 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 144th Fighter-Bomber Group, 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 144th Fighter Group, 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 25 June 1948 •
144th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 July 1976 • 144th Operations Group, 16 March 1992 – present
Stations •
Hamilton Field, California, 15 October 1943 •
Portland Army Air Base, Oregon, 7 December 1943 •
Esler Field, Louisiana, 25 March 1944 • Pollock Army Air Field, Louisiana, 15 April 1944 • Esler Field, Louisiana, 9 February 1945 •
Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana, 14 September – 7 November 1945 •
Naval Air Station Alameda, California, 25 June 1948 •
Hayward Air National Guard Base, California, 1949 •
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (later Fresno Air National Guard Base), California, 1954 : Det. 1:
George Air Force Base, California, January 1981 – 26 June 1992 : Det. 1:
Castle Air Force Base, California, September 1983 – December 1983 : Det. 1:
March Air Force Base, California, 26 June 1992 – present
Aircraft • Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944 • Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944–1945 • North American P-51D Mustang, 1945 • North American F-51D/H Mustang, 1948–1954 • North American F-86A Sabre, 1954–1958 • North American F-86L Sabre, 1958–1964 • Convair F-102A/TF-102A Delta Dagger, 1965–1974 • Convair F-106A/B Delta Dart, 1974–1983 • McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, 1983–1989 • General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Block 15, 1989–1995 • General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 25, 1995–2007 • General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 32, 2006–2013 • McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagle, 2013–present ==References==