107th Attack Wing
The 107th Attack Wing is a New York Air National Guard unit operating MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft from Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The 107th Attack Wing is a unit of the New York Air National Guard based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in western New York. Although the supplied name refers to the unit during its airlift period, the authoritative subject is the 107th Attack Wing, its current designation since 15 March 2017. The wing is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper and, when placed in federal service, is gained by the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The wing's present mission combines remotely piloted aircraft operations with the broad support functions required to generate and sustain military capability. Its stated purpose is to provide global surveillance and strike support for federal authorities while retaining readiness for state contingencies. This includes intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; precision strike support; aircraft and systems maintenance; supply and transportation; contracting; communications; civil engineering; personnel services; base operations; security forces; and medical support. The organization therefore functions less like a consumer-facing brand than a military service institution whose identity is expressed through mission, lineage, readiness, and public service. The unit's lineage reaches back to the 339th Bombardment Group, constituted and activated at Hunter Field, Georgia, in August 1942 during the Second World War. Initially equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers, it later trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras, moved to England, and conducted fighter operations from RAF Fowlmere as the 339th Fighter Group. During approximately a year of combat operations in Europe, the group was credited with destroying enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. It returned to the United States and was inactivated in October 1945. The wartime lineage was re-established in New York after the group was redesignated the 107th Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard in May 1946. Federal recognition followed at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport in December 1948. Over subsequent decades the organization passed through fighter, fighter-interceptor, tactical-fighter, air-refueling, airlift, and attack missions, reflecting major changes in American air defense and expeditionary operations. A significant post-Cold War transformation began with the arrival of KC-135R Stratotankers in 1994. The former fighter organization became an air-refueling wing and used the tanker fleet for aerial refueling as well as cargo and passenger transport. Its personnel participated in expeditionary deployments connected with operations including Uphold Democracy, Deny Flight, Decisive Endeavor, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and other contingency activities. In November 2007 the wing was notified that it would transition to airlift under changes associated with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. The 107th became an associate organization with the Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls, jointly operating C-130H2 Hercules aircraft. The 107th's final C-130 flight took place in December 2015. The next major transition was to the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission. Conversion began in 2014, and the organization was formally redesignated the 107th Attack Wing on 15 March 2017. This ended its C-130 association with the 914th Airlift Wing and established the 107th as the second New York Air National Guard wing to take on a remotely piloted aircraft mission. Alongside federal missions, the wing has supported New York emergency response, including recovery work after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Its current identity is consequently defined by both global aerospace operations and the dual state-and-federal responsibilities characteristic of the National Guard.
History
The organization's lineage began on 3 August 1942, when the 339th Bombardment Group was constituted during the Second World War. It was activated at Hunter Field, Georgia, on 10 August and initially served as a Third Air Force operational training unit equipped with A-24 Banshee dive bombers. In August 1943 it became the 339th Fighter-Bomber Group, moved to California for desert training, and converted to Bell P-39 Airacobras after the A-24 was removed from combat service. The group became combat-ready and transferred to the European theater in 1944. Redesignated the 339th Fighter Group, it operated from RAF Fowlmere in England with the 503rd, 504th, and 505th Fighter Squadrons. During roughly one year of operations, the group was credited with destroying 235 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and 440 aircraft on the ground. It returned to the United States and was inactivated on 18 October 1945. The wartime organization was redesignated the 107th Fighter Group and allotted to the New York National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport and received federal recognition on 8 December 1948. The organization then served through successive air-defense and fighter designations. Its 136th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was not mobilized during the 1991 Gulf crisis because of its air-defense commitment, although unit firefighters and medical personnel supported domestic bases whose active-duty personnel had deployed overseas. After the end of the Cold War, the unit adopted the Air Force Objective Organization structure and became the 107th Fighter Group in 1992. The arrival of KC-135R Stratotankers in March 1994 initiated a conversion from air defense to aerial refueling. The organization became the 107th Air Refueling Group in July 1994 and the 107th Air Refueling Wing in October 1995. Its tanker aircraft also supported cargo and passenger transport. From the mid-1990s onward, expeditionary elements participated in a range of international contingencies, including operations associated with the Balkans, homeland defense, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other deployments. Force-structure decisions later produced another major change. In 2007 the wing was notified that it would become an airlift unit under changes related to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. The 107th Airlift Wing became an associate unit with the Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing, also located at Niagara Falls. The two organizations jointly operated C-130H2 Hercules aircraft, with additional aircraft transferred from the Tennessee Air National Guard's 118th Airlift Wing. The 136th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron subsequently supported operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The wing also retained a domestic-response role. Following Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012, personnel deployed to New York and Long Island, first staging at Stewart Air National Guard Base and later operating in Peekskill and surrounding areas. Their tasks included road clearance, traffic control, assistance with feeding and housing displaced people, and movement of residents from flooded areas. Beginning in 2014, the organization transitioned from C-130 airlift to the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission. Its final C-130 flight occurred in December 2015. On 15 March 2017 it was redesignated the 107th Attack Wing. The change ended the airlift association with the 914th Airlift Wing and transferred the C-130H2 aircraft to the 914th. The 107th became the second New York Air National Guard wing to assume a remotely piloted aircraft mission. Its major current elements include the 107th Operations Group, 136th Attack Squadron, 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, 222nd Command and Control Squadron, 107th Mission Support Group, and 107th Medical Group.
- 2017
Redesignated 107th Attack Wing
[1]The current designation became official on 15 March.
- 2014
MQ-9 transition begins
[1]The wing began converting from C-130 airlift to remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper operations.
- 2012
Hurricane Sandy domestic response
[1]Wing personnel supported recovery and humanitarian tasks in heavily affected parts of New York.
- 2008
Airlift designation takes effect
[1]The unit was redesignated the 107th Airlift Wing on 1 July following the decision to transition it from tanker operations.
- 1995
107th Air Refueling Wing established
[1]The wing structure was established on 1 October under the Air Force's one-base, one-wing policy.
- 1994
Conversion to air refueling
[1]KC-135R Stratotankers arrived, moving the unit from fighter air defense into aerial refueling and associated transport work.
- 1948
Federal recognition at Niagara Falls
[1]The reorganized unit received federal recognition and activation on 8 December.
- 1946
Lineage allotted to New York National Guard
[1]The wartime lineage was redesignated the 107th Fighter Group and allotted to the New York National Guard on 24 May.
- 1945
Wartime group inactivated
[1]The 339th Fighter Group returned to the United States and was inactivated on 18 October.
- 1944
European combat operations begin
[1]The group moved to England and operated as the 339th Fighter Group from RAF Fowlmere under VIII Fighter Command.
Products and positioning
A dual-status military organization positioned around persistent surveillance, strike support, operational readiness, and responsive service to both federal authorities and New York State.
Remotely piloted aircraft · 2014
MQ-9 Reaper
The MQ-9 Reaper is the wing's current principal aircraft system. The remotely piloted platform supports persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance together with strike-related missions. Its adoption transformed the organization from a conventional airlift unit into a remotely piloted aircraft wing and underpins the current 107th Attack Wing designation.
Military airlift aircraft · 2008
C-130H2 Hercules
The C-130H2 Hercules formed the wing's principal airlift capability after its transition from tanker operations. The 107th operated the aircraft in association with the Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls and deployed airlift personnel in support of Iraq and Afghanistan operations. The 107th completed its final C-130 flight in December 2015.
Aerial refueling aircraft · 1994
KC-135R Stratotanker
KC-135R Stratotankers supported the wing's aerial-refueling era beginning in 1994. In addition to refueling, the aircraft were used for cargo and passenger transport. Expeditionary personnel associated with the tanker mission supported numerous international and homeland-defense contingencies during the 1990s and 2000s.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Hurricane Sandy recovery response
New York State
The wing supported emergency recovery in New York City, Long Island, Peekskill, and other affected areas after Hurricane Sandy.
Outcome. Personnel helped clear roads, control traffic, support displaced residents, and move people from flood-affected locations.
- 1996Air Expeditionary Force deployments
International · United States homeland defense
From the mid-1990s, expeditionary elements of the wing participated in rotating deployments and contingency operations rather than relying only on whole-unit mobilizations.
Outcome. The approach enabled the wing to contribute personnel and aircraft packages to multiple operations and task forces.
Brand decisions
2014
Adopt the MQ-9 Reaper missionGeneration changeBackground
Federal budget reductions and changing mission requirements affected the wing's airlift role.
Action taken
The organization began converting from C-130 airlift to MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft operations.
Aftermath
The final C-130 flight occurred in December 2015, and the unit became the 107th Attack Wing in March 2017.
2007
Transition to airliftStrategyBackground
The transition was directed in connection with force-structure changes arising from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decisions.
Action taken
The wing shifted from air refueling to C-130H2 airlift and formed an associate relationship with the 914th Airlift Wing.
Aftermath
The two wings jointly operated C-130 aircraft until the 107th later moved to the MQ-9 mission.
1994
Convert from air defense to aerial refuelingStrategyBackground
The arrival of KC-135R aircraft reflected a broader post-Cold War change in force requirements.
Action taken
The organization adopted the air-refueling mission and became the 107th Air Refueling Group, followed by wing status in 1995.
Aftermath
The unit gained tanker, cargo, passenger, and expeditionary support responsibilities.
Recent events
- 2017
Unit redesignated as the 107th Attack Wing[1]
Leadership change
The organization formally adopted the 107th Attack Wing designation on 15 March after transitioning to the MQ-9 mission.
- 2015
Final C-130 flight completed[1]
Other
The wing conducted its last C-130 flight in December, completing the operational transition away from its airlift role.
- 2014
107th begins transition to MQ-9 Reaper mission[1]
Product generation
The organization started moving from C-130 airlift operations to the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission.
- 2012
107th Airlift Wing supports Hurricane Sandy recovery[1]
Other
Personnel deployed to areas including New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County to clear roads, control traffic, support displaced residents, and assist flood recovery.
- 2007
107th Wing notified of transition to airlift mission[1]
Other
The wing was informed that it would move from air refueling to airlift as part of force-structure changes associated with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.
Sources2 sources
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