Des Moines, Iowa -- 80 years ago on February 25, 1941, the 132d Wing, Iowa Air National Guard was founded in Des Moines, Iowa.
Starting out as an observation squadron in the middle of WWII, the unit of today has gone through many changes while striving toward the future.
From 1941-1987, the 132d Wing flew and maintained 13 different fighter aircraft and contributed to the air defense of the nation during the Cold War era. In the early '90's, the 132d Wing converted to F-16 fighters, and a decade later we responded when our nation was attacked on 9/11. The F-16 mission saw numerous deployments in support of the Global War on Terror.
The 132d took action when Iowa was affected during the floods of 1993 and 2008. In 2020, the unit also continued to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic by manning Test Iowa sites and contact tracing efforts.
In 2013, the 132d Wing saw the last F-16 fighter jet depart the base, marking the end of the era of manned aircraft and transitioning to today's current mission sets with the MQ-9 Reaper, intelligence targeting and cyberspace operations.
Over its 80 years of history, 132d Wing has transitioned through new mission sets, fought in global conflicts and raised up 17 commanders and has been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 15 times in the service of the community, state and nation.
The 132d Wing will be celebrating its anniversary all year long as by honoring the legacy of past, present and future members of the unit as it looks forward to the next 80 years.