In spirit, the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard can trace its roots to before the American Revolution when Massachusetts saw the creation of its first civilian militia. It was in the days after World War II that another group of citizen soldiers, intent on providing air defense for New England in the wake of the war, spearheaded the organization of an Air National Guard fighter squadron in western Massachusetts. The unit traces its lineage to the 333rd FS constituted and activated at Bellows Field, HI in August 1942. The squadron was assigned to the 18th FG and, from January 1943, to the 318th FG, 7th Air Force. Initially flying patrols in Hawaii, the squadron served as a replacement training unit from July 1943 to June 1944, and equipped with P-47D/N, flew combat sorties in the Western Pacific from July 1944 until VJ Day. It was inactivated at Ft Lewis, WA, in January 1946. Reconstituted and redesignated the 131st FS, it was alloted to the Massachusetts National Guard on May 24, 1946. On April 10, 1946, the first meeting of the 131st Fighter Squadron was held at the Holyoke Gas & Electric building. Twenty-five area pilots who had seen duty in Europe and the Pacific during World War II attended that meeting. Six months later, on October 26, Barnes Airport in Westfield, was selected as the base for the 25 P-47 "Thunderbolt" fighters and support aircraft first assigned to the unit. Use of the municipal airport as a site for the Air Guard unit launched a civic-military partnership that continues to this day.

The 131st Fighter Squadron was extended federal recognition on February 24, 1947. In June 1947, the Westfield City Council approved the taking of 62 acres of land to be used for hangars, machine shops and other buildings that would become the base. Within the next six months, aircraft and other equipment arrived, pilots were checked out in the P-47s and the unit was in duty. In its first year, it was estimated the unit had a $1 million economic impact on the local area. The unit grew steadily in size and prominence and by January 1949, the base was at full strength. During that month, pilots from the 131st performed a flyover for President Harry S. Truman's inauguration. A year later, the embers of the 131st were honored for their proficiency with the award of the Spaatz Trophy in recognition as an outstanding flying unit. It was the first time, and not the last, that the honor would be bestowed on the Westfield Air Guard unit. During the Korean War, the 104th was among six other groups not not called up for war duty. In the Spring of 1951, the P-47s were replaced by the P-51 "Mustang", which were in turn replaced by the F-94 "Starfire" in 1954. The year 1957 saw the arrival of the F-86H which had been the top fighter of the Korean War. The unit converted to group status in 1956 and the 104th Fighter Group was born. Construction of the hangar that is the centerpiece of the base to this day began in March 1959 and was completed the following year. The unit's first real world test arrived in 1961 when the 104th and its parent unit, the 102nd, were ordered to active duty by President John F. Kennedy. The President's call-up came as the Soviets moved to cut off Allied access to Berlin. Operation Stair Step proved to be the largest airlift attempted since World War II. The 104th's F-86H were among hundreds of aircraft moved across the Atlantic and Phalsbourg Air Base in France became home for some 700 members of the 104th from October 1961 to August 1962. The F-86H was replaced by the F-84F "Thunderstreak" in 1965.

The 104th's first link to the NASA space program came in 1966 when a former pilot, Captain John L.Swigert, was selected as an astronaut trainee. Capt. Swigert traveled into space in 1970 aboard Apollo13 with astronauts James Lovell and Fred Halse on a troubled lunar mission that became the subject of a major motion picture. In 1983, another 104th pilot, Major Byron T.Lichtenberg flew as payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Columbia. In the 1960s, as war developed in Vietnam, members of the 104th watched closely as Air Guard units were called up. Again, the unit was not called to active duty. The 104th Tactical Fighter Group acquired the F-100 "Supersabre" in the Spring of 1971 with the planes flown to Westfield from Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam by pilots of the 35th TFW. Several members of the 104th traveled to Vietnam to assist the 35th in inspecting and overhauling the jets prior to their flight halfway around the world. In 1978, it was announced that the unit would receive the new A-10A "Thunderbolt II". The first aircraft were delivered fresh from the factory in 1979 and the 104th, along with its sister unit, the 103rd Tactical Fighter Group of the Connecticut Air National Guard, were the first Guard units in the country to fly the A-10A. The unit became Combat Ready with the new aircraft in an unusually short period of time and this led to the 104th receiving the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service in 1984. The A-10 conversion also brought a major period of development on base with close to $5 million in new buildings erected in the early 1980s. The pilots and maintenance crews repeatedly proved their ability to meet every challenge with deployments to Nellis AFB for Red Flag and Wendover, Utah in 1981. In January 1982, the first of a series of "Thunderswap" deployments began with groups of support personnel traveling to RAF Bentwaters, England, in order to experience a NATO-base environment. In October 1982, the 104th deployed 14 A-10s and 285 personnel to Yenisehir AB, Turkey. In October 1983, the 104th TFG was awarded the prestigious Winston P.Wilson Trophy by the National Guard Bureau. The trophy was presented annually to a jet equipped Air National Guard unit that performed all of its assigned duties in an outstanding manner.

During 1983, the unit was presented with The Tactical Air Command Spruance Safety award for its continued flying safety record. The following year, the 104th collected its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and Major Byron Lichtenberg became the second Massachusetts Guardsman in space when he boarded the Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist for a ten-day orbital flight. In 1985, the unit accepted another Outstanding Unit Award for the third time in four years. 1986 saw a deployment of five pilots and fifty support personnel to Eilson AFB, Alaska, to participate and win the prestigious "Yukon Lightning", an Air Force wide A-10 tactical employment competition.

On March 15, 1992, the unit designation changed and in June of the same year, the 104th FG became part of Air Combat Command under an Air Force wide restructuring program. In 1995, the 104th deployed for six weeks to Aviano AB, Italy in support of Operation Deny Flight and Deliberate Force. During that period, the unit flew combat missions for the first time in its history. Later that year, the unit received its fourth Outstanding Unit Award for its accomplishments during the period of January 1, 1993 through July 31, 1994. In February 1999, approximately 200 members of the 104th Fighter Wing left winter behind for sunny Florida to take part in Operation Snowbird 1999. Ten A-10s and wing's members deployed to Patrick AFB, Fla. from where they spent the next few weeks. Operation Snowbird is a National Guard Bureau program established as a winter deployment for northern tier ANG flying bases to head South for the winter.

In May 1999, members of the 104th Fighter Wing were activated to deploy in support of NATO operations in Kosovo. The 104th Expeditionary Operations Group was formed with a complement of 18 aircraft drawn from the 110th FW/MI ANG, 124th FW/ID ANG and the 104th FW. With a total of 500 personnel deployed to Trapani AB, Italy. the 104th EOG flew more than 400 sorties. Forming the 104th Expeditionary Operations Group was the first real world test of how the Air Force was planning to do business in the future. It was the first time three Guard units from across the country had been brought together rainbowed as the military calls it and pressed into combat duty in the Air Force's post-Cold War "total force" concept.

In 2000, the unit received its sixth Outstanding Unit Award. The 104th FW also deployed to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait in support of Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) 7 for Southern Watch in July of the same year. In October 2001, the entire Security Forces Squadron was activated in support of Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. Several members of the 104th were deployed to various locations in Southwest Asia. On January 19, 2002, the 104th FW deployed 11 A-10As along with 197 personnel and 165,000 lbs of cargo to Davis Monthan AFB, AZ to participate in the unit's Snowbird deployment. While deployed at D-M, the unit flew a total of 180 sorties and dropped live munitions and enhanced the training of the pilots in Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) and night time operations. During May 2002, the 104th FW geared up for Desert Rescue X at NAS Fallon, NV. Desert Rescue exercise provides the most in-depth training for participating units involved in Combat Search and Rescue missions without being in actual combat situations. The 104th FW has been participating in Desert Rescue exercises since 1995. Since then, the 104th has seen many modifications on the A-10 to aid in the recovery of downed aircrew members. In 1999, the 104th's aircraft went through a modification called Embedded Global Positioning System. In 2002, the same aircraft were undergoing another modification called "LARS" which stands for Lightweight Airborne Recovery System. In November, the wing's A-10s were modified to carry the new AN/AAQ-28 "Litening II" targeting and navigation pod and pilots began training with it in December at Nellis AFB, NV.

In January 2003, the 104th Fighter Wing deployed approximately 500 personnel in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia and other locations within the same region. There, the 104th became part of the 387th Air Expeditionary Wing comprised of 103rd FW/CT ANG personnel. The 104th FW sent 11 A-10As to the deployed location where they flew each day of the war, compiling a 98 percent Mission Effectiveness Rate with no combat losses or damage. The 104th Fighter Wing returned home in May 2003 and to state control the following month. In August 2003, the 104th FW held an Open House featuring the U.S.Navy Blue Angels demonstration team. Again, this was a good opportunity to say 'thank you' to the local community for their support during the wing's operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2005, the 104th Fighter Wing received an unprecedented seventh Air Force Outstanding Unit award as well as receiving back-to-back "Outstanding" ratings during their last two Operational Readiness Inspections. In November of the same year, the Base Relocation And Closure committees recommendations became law and the 104th FW was on the list to go through a transformation that will impact the local community, the ANG and the Air Force. Starting in 2007, the Barnestormers are undergoing a conversion from a top-rate A-10 unit to a stellar F-15 unit. Mission will change from providing Close-Air-Support (CAS) and Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) to flying air superiority missions over key strategic military and political locations throughout the world. The 104th Fighter Wing conversion has begun and many pilots, maintainers and mission support personnel will be in school again soon.

On February 21, 2007, the first two A-10s from the 104th Fighter Wing departed Barnes Air National Guard for the last time. Aircraft 632 and 612 left for their new home with the 175th Wing/MD ANG at Martin State Airport, Maryland. September 2007 marked the end of an era for the 104th Fighter Wing and Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield. After nearly 30 years of continuous service with the A-10, the 104th FW said farewell to its last Hog when they departed the base on Sept. 12, 2007. The 104th FW received its first new mission aircraft, the F-15C, on September 8, 2007. The 104th Fighter Wing with its F-15C will become the primary air defense unit for the entire Northeast, a mission transferred to western Massachusetts from the 102nd Fighter Wing at Otis Air National Guard on Cape Cod. Best wishes to the Barnestormers! (Septemberl 2007)