The federal mission of the 124th Fighter Wing under Title 10 United States Code is to properly equip and train personnel in a high state of readiness for immediate tasking as levied by higher headquarters as part of the Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force.

F-4 Phantom jets would eventually spend 20 years on Gowen Field, longer than any other aircraft in the history of Idaho's Air National Guard.

The unarmed RF-4C carried high resolution cameras and electronic sensors, which soon proved their worth to thousands of people in Idaho.

The RF-4C was still in service at the time of the 1991 Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, although the 190th TRS did not deploy any aircraft to the Middle East.

Idaho's airmen served longer in Southwest Asia than any other flying unit in the Air National Guard.

Idaho airmen and Phantom jets went to Canada and Norway to provide critical tactical reconnaissance capabilities to U.S. and NATO forces In the mid-1990s the mission of the 124th changed considerably.

On 20 April 1996, the Air Force withdrew the last F-4Gs from the 124th FW and the aircraft were consigned to storage at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona.

They also responded to winter weather disasters New Mexico and provided humanitarian support for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Warthog, famous for its success against Iraqi armor in the Gulf War, provides close air support to troops on the ground.

Idaho's A-10s led combat search and rescue and close air support missions in the initial weeks and months of the war.

On 8 April 2003, an A-10A (USAF Serial Number '78-0691') of 124th Wing/190th FS was shot down while on a combat mission, reportedly by an Iraqi Roland SAM.

As part of the invasion of Iraq and supporting the British portion of that operation called Operation Telic, on 28 March 2003 two 124th Wing A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 190th Fighter Squadron flew a mission to destroy artillery and rocket launchers from Iraq's 6th Armor Division, dug in 25 miles (40 km) north of Basra.

During the mission, the two A-10 aircraft mistakenly attacked a patrol of four armored vehicles from D Squadron of the British Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry that were supporting the 16 Air Assault Brigade in Operation Telic.

As a result of the attack by the 190th A-10 aircraft, British Lance-Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed and five of his colleagues were injured, four seriously.