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103rd Aircraft Squadron

In September 1946, the 103rd Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) Squadron was founded at Hartford's Brainard Field and by 1951 the unit was activated to establish an AC&W squadron in Iceland. As Korea erupted into war, the Flying Yankees sent virtually all the unit air crews overseas. 


Following Korea, the Flying Yankees were assigned to Air Defense Command and redesignated the 103rd Fighter Interceptor Wing in 1956. As the cold war dominated the national psyche the unit stood 24-hour runway alert flying F-84, F-86, F100A and the F-102. While the cold war got warmer, Yankee Watch was activated for the Berlin Crisis in October 1961 to control Berlin-Frankfurt air corridor flights from Rothwesten Air Base, Germany. The Squadron redeployed home a year later and moved to its new and present home in Orange, Conn.


When national defense strategy changed again in the spring of 1971, the Flying Yankees were reassigned to Tactical Air Command flying the F-100D and F models in the close air support ground attack mission. For over 30 years, the Flying Yankees have perfected their skills in this mission. Gaining what is still the undisputed master of the ground support mission in 1979, the unit converted into the A-10 Thunderbolt It's. Since that time the Flying Yankees have all but left Bradley International.
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