Following V-E Day, the squadron served in the army of occupation at AAF Station Straubing, Germany until was inactivated on 20 August 1946 and transferred its personnel and equipment to another unit, which was activated in its place.

[5] It made strafing and bombing attacks on transportation targets and flak batteries in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of France.

[2][6] The squadron provided close air support for forces in the Battle of Cherbourg, which secured a vital port for further operations in France.

[7] By early September, fuel shortages were impacting both Third Army and XIX Tactical Air Command, slowing the Allied advance, and sometimes forcing fighter-bombers to land at forward bases to refuel.

[8] On 3 September 1944, operating from Chartres Airfield, and in the face of "withering anti-aircraft and small arms fire," the squadron destroyed numerous motor transport vehicles, horse-drawn vehicles, and uncounted troops in the vicinity of Mons (Bergen), Belgium, also attacking as targets of opportunity enemy positions that obstructed the progress of Allied ground forces.

In February 1951, the aged F-51Ds that the unit had been flying since its activation in 1947 were replaced by F-84E Thunderjets, and the squadron began transition training on the jet fighter-bomber.

At Itazuke, the squadrons took over the F-84Es of the 27th FEW, which remained in place, its aircraft being reassigned from SAC to Far East Air Force inventory records.

On 2 June, the final elements of the 136th arrived in Japan, the national guardsmen officially relieved the 27th Fighter Bomber Wing and the SAC airmen departed for the United States.

On 26 June, in one of the largest air-to-air battles in Korea, two 182d FBS pilots, Captain Harry Underwood and 1st Lt Arthur Olighter shot down an enemy MiG-15 that broke through an F-86 Sabre escort of four B-29s.

It was the first ANG unit to down a MiG-15; it dropped 23,749 (7,120 tons) of bombs and expended over 3 million rounds of .50 caliber ammunition; being awarded Five Korean Campaign Ribbons.

The 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing was released from active duty and returned to the United States on 10 July 1952 With the 182d's return from the Korean War, the squadron was re-equipped with the Very Long Range (VLR) F-51H Mustang, which had been developed to escort B-29 Superfortress bombers in the Pacific Theater from the Mariana Islands to the Japanese Home Islands.

Fernando Fournier, the undersecretary of foreign affairs for Costa Rica, said it was his understanding that the Mustangs were sold for a dollar apiece.

In 1957, the squadron was selected by the Air Defense Command to man a runway alert program on full 24-hour basis – with armed jet fighters ready to "scramble" at a moment's notice.

This event brought the wing into the daily combat operational program of the USAF, placing them on "the end of the runway" alongside regular USAF-Air Defense Fighter Squadrons.

In July 1960 the unit became one of the first to transition to the F-102A Delta Dagger Mach 1.2 all-weather interceptor and began a 24-hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast.

In 1968, the Air National Guard began to retire its F-102s and the 182d was ordered to send their aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB for storage at AMARC.

The 48th TFW – a permanent resident at RAF Lakenheath after moving aircraft and personnel from Chaumont AB in France – was also preparing for the arrival of the F-111, but had to initially convert to F-4D Phantom IIs before their ultimate F-111 version – the F-111F – came available during 1977.

The Super Sabre was used as a dedicated fighter-bomber later in its career, once the air-superiority role had been taken over by more modern aircraft, and the squadron trained in using the fighter for ground support.

Beginning in 1975, the 182d began a NATO commitment, with squadron aircraft and personnel deploying to the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) for Autumn Forge/Cold Fire/Reforger exercises.

By 1979, the Super Sabres were being retired, and were replaced by McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs, largely Vietnam War veteran aircraft, that were made available to the Air National Guard.

The squadron also continued its NATO deployments, exercising at USAFE bases in West Germany, England, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Although similar in appearance to the earlier models, the Block 25 aircraft were a considerable advancement with the Westinghouse AN/APG-68(V) multi-mode radar with better range, sharper resolution, and expanded operating modes.

In 1997, the squadron deployed aircraft and personnel to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in support of Operation Southern Watch.

It also deploys to other bases, flying Dissimilar air combat training missions against active-duty, reserve and ANG units.