Sioux City's 185th Welcomes Historic Jet for Restoration Work
SIOUX CITY —For the next several months, a small group at the Iowa Air National Guard's 185th Air Refueling Wing's paint shop will be responsible for bringing a piece of military history fully back to life.
Recently, a Republic F – 84F Thunderstreak, which first saw prototypes fly in 1950, was moved from Fort Dodge to Sioux City, by two CH-47 Chinook helicopters, for the purpose of removing years of weathering and deterioration, according to Iowa National Guard Director of Public Affairs Jackie Schmillen.
"The aircraft will receive surface preparation, corrosion treatment where needed, repairs to damaged exterior areas, and a complete repaint to preserve its appearance and protect it from future exposure to the elements," Schmillen told The Journal Thursday evening.
According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force: The Republic F – 84F Thunderstreak began as a ground support fighter bomber Tactical Air Command and later a reconnaissance version was made. Republic Aviation built 2,112 F-84Fs for the military. That company was later acquired by Fairchild Aircraft which then was bought by M7 Aerospace. General Motors "fabricated 599 more" Thunderstreaks and "1,301 were delivered to NATO air forces."
"Through the late 1950s, the U.S. Air Force replaced its F-84Fs with supersonic F-100s, and the Thunderstreaks went to Air National Guard units. However, some F-84Fs temporarily returned to USAF service in the early 1960s due to the Berlin crisis," the National Museum of the United States Air Force states on its website. (The Berlin Crisis is the event which prompted construction of the Berlin Wall.)
In 2025, the 133rd Test Squadron, the only test squadron in the Air National Guard, located in Fort Dodge, was inactivated from service after 76 years, according to the 185th Air Refueling Wing. The Fort Dodge Messenger has reported the Thunderstreak stood "proudly" outside the 133rd Test Squadron Facilities for "more than half a century."
The move from Fort Dodge to the 185th, Schmillen said, was a multi-unit effort that provided "an excellent joint training opportunity." She said the two Chinook helicopters were from Bravo Company, First Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment in Davenport, Iowa. They coordinated with personnel from the 185th as well as other Iowa National Guard units.
Once all of the work is done on the Republic F – 84F Thunderstreak it will move back to the Fort Dodge Regional Airport and placed on display.
"The project preserves an important piece of Iowa Air National Guard history while helping ensure the aircraft can continue serving as a symbol of military service and aviation heritage for the Fort Dodge community," Schmillen said.
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