had flown briefly in 1952 during the unit's Korean War activation. The aircraft, designed as an "All Weather" fighter interceptor, carried a pilot and radar operator. On 15 April 1956, the 176th FIS was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 115th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau at Truax Field. The 176th FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. The Group continued its air defense mission with summer training moved to Volk Field from 1956 to 1962. Beginning in 1963, training moved to "year around" training. In January 1960 F-89 crews were put on active duty status and the unit was assigned an around-the-clock runway alert commitment of two armed aircraft. Along with this commitment came the F-89J with an armament platform that included the AIR-2 Genie. The AIR-2A was the first US air-to-air rocket with a nuclear warhead. In early 1966 the squadron turned in their F-89's for the F-102 Delta Dagger. In May 1966 the 176th FIS replaced their F-89's with the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. In the spring of 1967 after a period of re-training in the new supersonic interceptors, the 176th FIS resumed its air defense "runway alert" mission. One year later in June 1969, the unit airlifted to Gulfport, Mississippi for summer training, ending six years of "year around" training at home base. In September 1972, the 176th FIS won the prestigious "William Tell Competition" in the F-102 category. The event, held at Tyndall Air Force Base, included top Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force and active US Air Force units worldwide. The competition included 12 teams of 48 aircraft, each team scored on aerial marksmanship, weapons control, weapons loading and maintenance. Forward Air Control In November 1974, the squadrons parent 115th Fighter-Interceptor Group was transferred from Air Defense Command to Tactical Air Command(TAC). In addition the 115th's status was elevated from a group to a Wing, its designation being changed to the 128th Tactical Air Support Wing in a re-alignment by the Wisconsin National Guard Bureau. The squadron was re-designated as the 176th Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS), and in December 1974 the unit's F-102's were replaced by the Cessna O-2A Skymaster Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft. The O-2 was the military version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster, a high wing, twin boom aircraft with a unique centerline pusher/tractor twin engine configuration. The O-2A version, used by the 176th