[1] Since becoming an F-35A unit, the Green Mountain Boys are tasked with carrying out the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).

[2] A 134th Observation Squadron was active at Ethan Allen Army Airfield, Fort Ethan Allen 44°30′14″N 73°09′41″W / 44.50389°N 73.16139°W / 44.50389; -73.16139, Burlington, Vermont as a Vermont National Guard reconnaissance unit for the United States Army 7th Field Artillery Regiment in 1921–27, but does not officially share the current squadron's lineage.

[3][4][5] Although this unit trained near the current Burlington International Airport, and shares the same numerical designation as the 134th Fighter Squadron, the unit was never consolidated with the 134th Fighter Squadron by the Air Force Historical Research Agency or the National Guard Bureau and does not share any lineage or history with the current Vermont Air National Guard.

The squadron supported Allied ground forces in northern Burma; covered bombers that attacked Rangoon, Insein, and other targets; bombed enemy airfields at Myitkyina and Bhamo; and conducted patrol and reconnaissance missions to help protect transport planes that flew The Hump route between India and China.

Escorted bombers, flew interception missions, struck the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations, serving in combat until the end of the war.

It was organized at the Burlington International Airport, Vermont, and was extended federal recognition on 14 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau.

The organizers of the squadron were MG Murdock Campbell, the Adjutant General, Col Albert Cate, Air Advisor, and LtCol William M. Bowden became the first commander of the newly formed unit.

The 134th was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was assigned initially directly to the Vermont Air National Guard until the Massachusetts ANG 67th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized on 15 October 1946.

With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized – placed on active duty.

The squadron was then attached to the Air Defense Command 23d Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Presque Isle AFB, Maine on 1 April 1951 with no change of mission.

When the unit returned to Burlington, the Maintenance and Operations Squadrons immediately moved into the facilities that had been vacated by the Regular Air Force with the closure of Ethan Allen AFB.

The J model was designed to carry two AIR-2 Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles under the wings to defend against enemy bomber attack.

During the 1950s and early 1960s, better training and equipment, and closer relations with the Air Force greatly improved the readiness of Group.

In 1971 the 158th embarked on an intensive recruiting program that made Vermont one of the top units in the country in total strength.

This mission took pilots, electronic warfare officers, and maintenance personnel all over the United States, Canada, and as far as Iceland, South Korea, and Japan.

The unit provided direct operational training of now-Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) aircrews in the accomplishment of their mission when their systems were severely degraded as might be expected during an attack by enemy offensive aircraft.

In the mid eighties the USAF decided to re-equip the Air National Guard units with more modern equipment as part of the "Total Force" concept.

As a result, the Vermont ANG has one of the highest rates of interceptions of Russian bombers that were coming in over the North Pole, except for some Alaskan USAF units.

Many times Vermont F-16's were called upon to fly to a point just short of Iceland and escort Soviet bombers as they flew off the coastline of the United States.

In March 1992, with the end of the Cold War, the 158th adopted the Air Force Objective Organization plan, and the unit was re-designated as the 158th Fighter Group.

Along with the Air Defense mission, the men and women of "The Green Mountain Boys" have also been tasked seven times to deploy to different locations in Central America to help patrol the skies and intercept aircraft suspected of illegally smuggling drugs.

In the fall of 1997, the 158th Fighter Wing was evaluated by the Air Combat Command and was tasked to fight a simulated war from 2 locations, a very challenging undertaking.

The men and women of "The Green Mountain Boys" received the first rating of "Outstanding" (the highest possible score) ever earned by an Air Defense Unit.

After the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the 134th began flying Operation Noble Eagle air defense missions over major cities in the northeast.

Beginning in May 2005, the 134th began a series of deployments to Balad Air Base, Iraq, being attached to the 332d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

[12] The Green Mountain Boys returned to Vermont on 3 August 2022 after being replaced by Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors from the 90th Fighter Squadron.

Aircraft operated include:[14][15] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency