The photograph above shows the 154th Wing’s flightline around 1963/64. In the foreground is the old civil engineering building. The flightline building had not be built, and surrounding the tarmac, barely seen, is the earthen berm.
On December 1, 1960, the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (199 FIS) was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 154th Fighter-Interceptor Group (154 FIG) was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 199 FIS becoming the group’s flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 154th Headquarters, 154th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 154th Combat Support Squadron, and the 154th USAF Dispensary.
In December 1961, the new HIANG complex was completed and consisted of 60 acres. The land was originally part of Fort Kamehameha and had been acquired in 1960 by permit from the U.S. Army to the Hawaii ANG.
Along with the change to Group status, Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) began receiving Mach-1 F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors. Eventually 29 F-102s were received by the Group. For the next sixteen years, the 154 FIG operated the Delta Daggers establishing an excellent safety record. The last F-102A finally left ANG service in October 1976, when the 199 FIS traded in their Delta Daggers for F-4C Phantom II and was redesignated the 154th Tactical Fighter Group.
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