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Massachusetts’ 104th Fighter Wing formally became the Air National Guard’s fifth F-35A Lightning II unit during a Sunday ceremony at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts.
The ceremony drew distinguished guests, international dignitaries, service members, alumni and community partners.
Attendees included Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the chief of the National Guard Bureau; retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president and who served in the Massachusetts Guard; and military representatives from Kenya and Paraguay, Massachusetts’ partners in the Guard’s State Partnership Program.
“For generations, men and women at the 104th Fighter Wing have answered the call, protected the skies, served our state and defended our country,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said. “The arrival of the F-35A represents a new chapter for this great military installation here. And it’s also an affirmation of the extraordinary professionalism and readiness of this wing that has existed decade after decade after decade.”
The Air Guard began operating the F-35A in 2019, when the stealth fighter arrived at Vermont’s 158th Fighter Wing. The aircraft has since joined the 115th Fighter Wing in Wisconsin, the 187th Fighter Wing in Alabama and the 125th Fighter Wing in Florida.
At the 104th FW, the F-35A replaces the F-15 Eagle, which the wing operated from 2007 until late last year.
“Welcoming in these fifth-generation aircraft provides our wing with increased and unmatched capabilities to safeguard both our country and the great city of Westfield as we execute our new 104th Fighter Wing mission and vision,” said Col. Michael ‘Shot’ Glass, the wing commander.
Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, Massachusetts’ adjutant general and a former wing member, presided over the ceremony.
Keefe also serves as the NGAUS chairman. He was elected last month at the 148th General Conference & Exhibition in Indianapolis.
“The acquisition of the F-35A Lightning II is a strategic investment that positions the 104th Fighter Wing at the forefront of our nation’s defense for the remainder of the century,” Keefe said. “We are securing our role as a cornerstone of national security for the next fifty years and beyond.”
The F-35A combines stealth technology for operating undetected in contested environments, sensor fusion for exceptional situational awareness and precision-strike systems for engaging targets accurately across multiple domains.
Officials said these capabilities enable the aircraft to excel in air-to-air combat, carry out effective ground strikes and support joint operations across the military services.
—By Airman 1st Class Ellen Ozkaptan
