ATLANTIC CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. More than 180 members of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard have been mobilized to support North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty missions in the eastern US. The 177th FW has been conducting NORAD-directed operations, including combat air patrol missions, since the morning of September 11.

Due to the requirement to support 24-hour operations, the wing's full-time force has been augmented through the activation of traditional Air National Guard members. Traditional Air National Guard members attend regularly scheduled unit-training assemblies and annual training periods, but are not activated for full-time duty until called up for state or federal active duty.

The last time the 177th FW flew combat air patrol missions was during their deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH (November 4 - December 15, 2000). While deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base, 177th pilots flew missions to enforce the southern no-fly zone over Iraq.

As a result of the 1998 Quadrennial Defense Review, the 177th Fighter Wing was converted from an air sovereignty mission to a general-purpose fighter mission. The general-purpose fighter mission focuses primarily on the air-to-ground role (bomb dropping). General-purpose wings are routinely deployed around the world to support on-going military operations as well as providing response forces for contingency operations. Under normal conditions, the 177th FW conducts combat-readiness training in order to maintain its worldwide deployment capability in support of Air Force objectives.

The wing's past experience in maintaining air defense alert and flying air sovereignty missions enabled the 177th to quickly reconfigure its aircraft and begin flying NORAD combat air patrols shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"As we collectively grieve over the tragic events of September 11th, the men and women of the 177th Fighter Wing remain focused on conducting our around-the-clock operations in support of NORAD and the American people," stated Col. Mike Cosby, commander of the 177th Fighter Wing. "What greater privilege could we have as citizen-airmen than to help guard our homeland during this time of crisis."