Virgin Islands Air National Guard

U.S. Virgin Islands Air National Guard

Entrance sign to the main base of the 285th Combat Communication Squadron

Active| 7 May 1980–present
Country|  United States
Allegiance|  U.S. Virgin Islands
Branch|  Air National Guard
Role| USSOUTHCOM combat support
Garrison/HQ| St Croix ANGS, United States Virgin Islands
Commanders
Civilian leadership| President Donald Trump (Commander-in-Chief)
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III
Governor Albert Bryan
State military leadership| The Adjutant General-Nominee Kodjo S. Knox-Limbacker
Insignia
Emblem of the Joint Forces Virgin Islands National Guard|

Military unit

The Virgin Islands Air National Guard (VI ANG) is the aerial militia of the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. It is, along with the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, an element of the Virgin Islands National Guard.

As territorial militia units, the units in the Virgin Islands Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the governor of the United States Virgin Islands through the office of the Virgin Islands adjutant general unless they are federalized by order of the president of the United States. The Virgin Islands Air National Guard is headquartered at St Croix Air National Guard Station, Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, St. Croix, and its commander is Deborah Y. Howell.

## Overview

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Under the "Total Force" concept, Virgin Islands Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of the United States Air Force (USAF). Virgin Islands ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Virgin Islands Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.

Along with their federal reserve obligations, as territorial militia units the elements of the Virgin Islands ANG are subject to being activated by order of the governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. Territorial missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.

## Components

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* 285th Civil Engineering Squadron

## History

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The Virgin Islands Air National Guard was founded on the island of St. Croix in February 1980, as the 285th Combat Communications Flight, a subordinate unit of the 226th Combat Communications Group. The original authorized strength was one officer and 21 enlisted members. Original federal recognition came in May 1980 and is the official beginning of the Virgin Islands Air National Guard. The 285th grew quickly both in size and capability. Within 10 years of inception the unit had won the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award twice and was later awarded the award a third time. St Croix Air National Guard Station was opened in 1986 as the first National Guard–owned facility in the Virgin Islands.

When Hurricane Hugo devastated St. Croix in 1989, the 285th's facility became the heart of the recovery effort, and the 285th provided the first official communications off the island to the rest of the U.S.

## References

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This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

* Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense, ISBN 0160483026
* Virgin Islands Air National Guard
* 285th Combat Communications

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virgin Islands Air National Guard.

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Air National Guard

| State and
territorial
units|

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|
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Centers|

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Wings and Groups

| Wings|

| Composite|

* 108th
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* 176th
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|

Air Control|

* 116th

Airlift|

* 103d
* 105th
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* 109th
* 120th
* 123d
* 130th
* 133d
* 136th
* 139th
* 143d
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* 152d
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* 156th
* 164th
* 165th
* 166th
* 167th
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* 179th
* 182d
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Air Refueling|

* 101st
* 117th
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* 126th
* 128th
* 134th
* 137th
* 141st
* 151st
* 155th
* 157th
* 161st
* 168th
* 171st
* 185th
* 186th
* 190th

Attack|

* 110th
* 174th

Bomb|

* 131st

Fighter|

* 52d*
* 53d*
* 54th*
* 55th*
* 60th*
* 61st*
* 62d*
* 63d*
* 66th*
* 67th*
* 71st*
* 86th*
* 104th
* 106th*
* 111th
* 114th
* 115th
* 122d
* 124th
* 125th
* 132d
* 138th
* 142d
* 144th
* 148th
* 149th
* 150th
* 159th
* 162d
* 169th
* 173d
* 177th
* 180th
* 183d
* 187th
* 192d

Intelligence|

* 102d
* 181st
* 184th

Reconnaissance|

* 147th
* 163d

Regional Support|

* 194th

Rescue|

* 106th
* 129th

Special Operations|

* 150th
* 193d

Groups|

| Composite|

* 170th

|

Airlift|

* 135th*

Air Operations|

* 102d
* 152d
* 157th

Air Refueling|

* 112th*
* 127th
* 160th*

Combat Communications|

* 162d
* 163d
* 201st
* 226th
* 252d
* 254th
* 281st*

Cyberspace Engineering Installation|

* 251st
* 253d

Operations|

* 140th

Reconnaissance|

* 214th

Squadrons

| Flying|

| Air Command and Control|

* 128th

|

Airlift|

* 109th
* 115th
* 118th
* 130th
* 135th*
* 137th
* 139th
* 142d
* 143d
* 144th
* 155th
* 156th
* 158th
* 164th
* 165th
* 167th
* 169th
* 180th
* 181st
* 183d
* 186th
* 187th
* 189th*
* 192d
* 198th*
* 200th
* 201st
* 204th
* 249th

Air Refueling|

* 106th
* 108th
* 116th
* 117th
* 126th
* 132d
* 133d
* 141st
* 145th*
* 146th
* 147th
* 151st
* 153d
* 166th
* 168th
* 171st
* 173d
* 174th
* 191st
* 197th
* 203d

Attack|

* 103d
* 105th
* 111th
* 124th
* 136th
* 138th
* 160th
* 162d
* 172d
* 178th
* 184th
* 196th
* 214th

Bomb|

* 110th

Fighter|

* 100th
* 104th
* 107th
* 112th
* 114th
* 119th
* 120th
* 121st
* 122d
* 123d
* 125th
* 131st
* 134th
* 148th
* 149th
* 152d
* 157th
* 159th
* 163d
* 170th*
* 175th
* 176th
* 179th
* 182d
* 190th
* 194th
* 195th
* 199th

Rescue|

* 101st
* 102d
* 103d
* 129th
* 130th
* 131st
* 188th
* 210th
* 211th
* 212th

Special Operations|

* 150th
* 185th
* 193d

Training|

* 154th

Non-Flying|

| Air Control|

* 103d
* 109th
* 116th
* 117th
* 123d
* 128th
* 133d
* 134th
* 141st
* 176th
* 255th

|

Air Operations|

* 112th

Air Support|

* 113th ASOS
* 172d

Air Traffic Control|

* 243rd
* 245th
* 270th

Civil Engineering|

* 285th Civil Engineering Squadron

Combat Communications|

* 143d
* 147th
* 149th
* 206th
* 221st
* 222d
* 223d
* 225th
* 228th
* 231st
* 232d
* 234th
* 236th
* 239th
* 240th
* 242d
* 244th
* 256th
* 261st
* 262d
* 263d
* 264th
* 265th
* 267th
* 269th
* 271st
* 272d
* 280th
* 282d
* 283d
* 291st
* 292d
* 293d

Command and Control|

* 119th
* 127th
* 153d
* 222d

Engineering Installation|

* 130th
* 202d
* 205th
* 210th
* 211th
* 212th
* 213th
* 214th
* 215th
* 217th
* 218th
* 219th
* 220th
* 241st
* 243d
* 270th
* 272d

Force Support|

* 187th

Information Warfare Aggressor|

* 177th

Intelligence|

* 101st
* 117th
* 123d
* 152d
* 161st
* 194th
* 234th

Joint Communications Support|

* 224th
* 290th

Logistics Readiness|

* 187th

RED HORSE|

* 202d
* 203d
* 819th

Security Forces|

* 187th

Space Control|

* 114th

Space Operations|

* 111th
* 148th

Space Warning|

* 137th
* 213th

Special Operations Communications|

* 193d
* 280th

Special Tactics|

* 125th

* Asterisk (*) denotes an inactive unit

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National Guard: Army National Guard and Air National Guard

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Seal of the Army National Guard
Seal of the Air National Guard

Federal district
and territories|

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Territory of United States Virgin Islands

Charlotte Amalie (capital)

Topics|

* Bibliography
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Cities|

* Anna's Retreat
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* Christiansted
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Islands|

* Saint Croix
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Parks|

* Buck Island Reef NM
* Christiansted NHS
* Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
* Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM
* Virgin Islands NP

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