188th Wing

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The 188th Wing is a unit of the Arkansas Air National Guard based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It operates the MQ-9 Reaper, a remotely piloted aircraft, with a focus on attack, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and targeting. If activated to federal service, it falls under the Air Combat Command of the U.S. Air Force. The Wing is made up of four groups and multiple squadrons, flights and sections.

Key facts
- Country: United States; Branch: Air National Guard; Type: Wing; Role: Attack; ISR; Targeting
- Garrison: Fort Smith Air National Guard Station, Arkansas
- Nickname: Flying Razorbacks
- Mottos: Videre Scire Est (To See Is To Know); Vigilius Animus (We Are On Guard)
- Decorations: Meritorious Unit Award; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- Tail markings: Red stripe with Arkansas in white; Code FS

History in brief
- 1962: Formed as 188th Tactical Reconnaissance Group from the 184th TRS; flew RF-84F Thunderstreak
- 1970s–1980s: Flew RF-101C, F-100D/F, F-4C
- 1988: Transitioned to F-16A/B
- 1992: Reorganized under USAF Objective Wing
- 2002: Deployed F-16s to Saudi Arabia (Southern Watch); 2005: to Balad, Iraq (Iraq Freedom)
- 2005 BRAC threat; mission changed to A-10s; 2007: 184th FS becomes an A-10 unit
- 2007–2012: Deployments to Afghanistan in support of operations
- 2014: Transition to MQ-9 Reaper; 184th FS redesignated 184th Attack Squadron
- 2014: Fire Department disbanded
- 2021: Ebbing AFB named to host training for F-16/F-35; 188th Wing to host

Today
- The 188th Wing now operates MQ-9 Reapers from Fort Smith, with a mission in attack, ISR and targeting, and serves as a key Arkansas ANG unit.