179th Cyberspace Wing

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The 179th Cyberspace Wing (179 CW) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard based at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base in Mansfield, Ohio. When activated for federal service, it is gained by the U.S. Air Force and falls under Air Combat Command. The wing’s mission is to provide information operations and the engineering infrastructure needed to support air, space, and cyberspace operations. It also supports domestic missions and multi‑domain operations in a time of increasing great‑power competition.

A quick look at its history:
- The unit’s roots go back to World War II with the 363d Fighter Squadron (formed in 1942). After the war, it became the 164th Fighter Squadron in the Ohio Air National Guard and flew several fighter aircraft over the years (P-39, P-51, F‑80, F‑84, F‑100).
- In 1962, the group was restructured as the 179th Tactical Fighter Group, and the unit continued as a fighter unit through the 1960s and into the 1970s.
- In 1976 the wing shifted to load‑carrying missions and became the 179th Airlift Wing, flying C‑130 airlift aircraft. It supported many operations, including the Gulf War (1991), humanitarian missions in Bosnia (Provide Promise), Somalia, and Haiti (Uphold Democracy).
- During the 1990s the unit reorganized under new Air Force structures and deployed as an Expeditionary Airlift Squadron for joint operations in Europe and the Balkans. It aligned with Air Mobility Command, then Air Combat Command, and continued to provide airlift and disaster relief.
- In 2005, BRAC recommendations put Mansfield’s future in question, but the base and unit were kept while plans evolved toward new missions and aircraft. The wing briefly operated the C‑27J Spartan in the 2010s and deployed in 2011–2012–2013.
- In 2021 the Air Force announced Mansfield would host the first Cyberspace Wing in the Air National Guard. The C‑130s were retired, with divestment completed in 2022, and the unit was redesignated the 179th Cyberspace Wing in 2023. The wing moved from Air Mobility Command to Air Combat Command, and new cyber operations groups and squadrons were established.

Current leadership and status:
- Wing Commander: Colonel Darren Hamilton
- Deputy Wing Commander: Colonel Kenneth Kmetz
- The 179th Cyberspace Wing now focuses on cyber operations and related information‑technology missions, marking a shift from traditional airlift duties to modern information warfare capabilities.