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  • Westfield High School Ambassadors support 104th FW

    With the Air National Guard shifting from a Stategic Reserve force to an Operational Reserve force, the deployment demands on the Guard have increased steadily over the past decade. From 2010-2011, the wing approximately deployed 140 members both for state-side and overseas contingency operations. The wing anticipates deploying the same, if not

  • Awards & Decs: Realizing the relevance of recognition

    Awarding military members for their service and performance has been a long tradition throughout the history of the U.S. Armed Forces. When the Air Force was established in 1947, Airmen were still permitted to receive most U.S. Army decorations. By 1962, after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Air Force began to create its own system for member
  • Gen Craig McKinley, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, addresses attendees at the 2011 Joint Senior Leadership Conference in Oxon Hill, MD on November 9th. The Joint Senior Leadership Conference is bi-annual event, which brings senior leaders and action officers from all 54 states and territories together. (National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Melissa E. Chatham) (Released)

    ...Proud to be part of Guard

    As I packed my blues in my suit case a day before taking a flight down to Baltimore to attend the Joint Senior Leadership conference, my wife asked me "what is this conference about again...?" my answer was "well, there are going to be a bunch of hot shots talking about Air Force stuff..." Obviously, I was not really aware what this conference was

  • Col. Sean Collins provides invaluable service to Afghanistan

    In war we see things that are not seen anywhere else but in a combat area," said Col. Collins when asked about his experiences in Afghanistan. The commander of the 104th Fighter Wing Medical Group, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Collins was tasked with ensuring that care and research

  • Thanks for the turkeys, Ammo Can drive tradition

    What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey meal? Members of the 104th Fighter Wing have been asking themselves that same question for the past 6 years, and each time they ask...they are reminded that there are families in our community that may not be able to have a traditional thanksgiving meal without a little help. That is why members of the

  • 104th Security Forces Assist Displaced Residents

    As the City of Springfield absorbed another severe weather event, many residents who lost power during the October 30th storm found their way to Central High School to seek respite from the frigid temperatures. For seniors, the infirm and the very young, the hazards associated with the austere storm related conditions present an acute set of

  • 104th unit members respond during Operation Harvest Snow

    Personnel from the 104th Fighter Wing responded to emergency conditions throughout Western Massachusetts in yet another instance of severe weather. Massachusetts National Guard state-support operations were initiated hours after the October 30 snow storm immobilized large areas of the region. Although many Guardsmen were without power themselves,

  • Barnes responds to Irene

    As the forecast of Hurricane Irene became clear and Massachusetts would certainly be in her path, the Massachusetts National Guard began mobilizing and preparing to support the commonwealth as it braced for localized disasters. 113 men and women from the 104th Fighter Wing joined nearly 1,300 Mass. National Guard members called to duty from

  • Ten years after, Barnes protects Northeast

    Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day? Ten years later, the lyrics from this Alan Jackson song still paint a vivid picture of a clear, calm September morning abruptly changed by the horrific images of two New York towers engulfed in smoke, a corner of the Pentagon destroyed and a Pennsylvania filed filled with smoldering
  • A week prior to the UCI and LCAP inspections, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, demonstrating the power of team-work. Many sportscasters in the early part play-off considered the Bruins to be one of the most unlikely teams to win the series, and it was the team-work that was lauded as the most important aspect of their championship run. As the wing prepared for the inspection, the wing leadership used the Bruins as an example for finishing strong. Lt. Col. Charles Wilson, from the exercise and evaluation office worked with Senior Master Sgt. James Burke from the 104th Logistic Readiness Squadron to create Barnes’ own Stanley Cup, signifying that team-work and hard work paid-off, excelling during these arduous inspections. This ‘cup’ was presented to Col. Brooks, the team captain in the same fashion as the Stanley Cup is presented to the winning team’s captain at the end of the NHL play-offs. The ‘cup’ was then passed amongst the wing members in attendance during the out-brief.

    UCI results top the charts

    The 104th Fighter Wing completed two high-level higher headquarters inspections with 'OUTSTANDING' results. The wing demonstrated better than 97% in-compliance ratings on both inspections: 98.16% for the Air Combat Command Unit Compliance Inspection and 97.48% and a grade of "OUTSTANDING" for the Logistic Compliance Assessment Program
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