Despite suffering heavy losses from flak, the squadron helped cover four armored divisions dunging the breakout.

[2] The squadron supported the Allied advance across the Netherlands, operating from bases in France and from Sint-Truiden Airfield, Belgium.

On these missions, despite adverse weather and heavy antiaircraft fire, the squadron attacked lines of communications, factories and rail targets as ground forces advanced.

The squadron also flew air interdiction missions, strafing and bombing troop concentrations, railroads, highways, bridges, ammunition and fuel dumps, armored vehicles, docks, and tunnels.

The squadron was equipped with North American F-51D Mustangs and a few Douglas A-26 Invaders,[5] The 188th's post-war mission was the air defense of New Mexico.

[6] A total of 54 officers and 400 airmen moved to Long Beach Municipal Airport, California, as part of the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing.

First Lieutenants Robert Lucas and Joseph Murray were killed while flying close air support missions in Korea.

[6][8] After the Korean War ended, the 188th was redesignated the 188th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and equipped with Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star jet aircraft.

In April 1961, an aircraft malfunction caused an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile to launch and shoot down a Boeing B-52B Stratofortress bomber near Grants, New Mexico.

In January 1968, the group was activated as a result of the Pueblo Crisis, and in June of that year the squadron and approximately 250 maintenance and support personnel were deployed to Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam.

The unit flew over 6000 combat sorties in the F-100C Super Sabre and amassed over 630 medals and decorations before release from federal active duty in June 1969.

[5] After its Vietnam War deployment, the 188th was relieved from active duty and returned to New Mexico State Control on 4 June 1969.

Close air support missions were flown over The Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and the North Sea.

In 1980, the 150th Tactical Fighter Group was the first guard unit to be assigned to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force; the first to participate in Bright Star joint service exercises in Southwest Asia; the first to receive the Low Altitude Night Attack modification to the A-7D; the first to participate in a deployed bare base operational readiness inspection, and the first to have a crew chief as a member of the Air Force Thunderbirds.

[5] Early in the 1990s with the end of the Cold War and the continued decline in military budgets, the Air Force restructured to meet changes in strategic requirements, decreasing personnel, and a smaller infrastructure.

On 11 May 1992 the 188th received its first Block 40 F-16C and their last A-7D left on 28 September 1992, being retired to Davis-Monthan AFB Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center storage.

With this event the A-7D was almost phased out completely as the 188th was one of the last Air National Guard units to fly the venerable aircraft.

The flight provided fighter aircraft support to the US Army Air Defense Center and White Sands Missile Range.

The squadron would deploy two F-16s to the Marietta factory adjacent to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Atlanta, Georgia for a six-week period for each test.

Another 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron was activated in March 2001,[i] deploying to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch.

Operation Northern Watch was a US European Command Combined Task Force which was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq.

Within hours of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, squadron pilots flew combat air patrol sorties over key resources in the western United States, and continued to do so for many months.

In October 2007, the unit returned to Balad as part of a rainbow deployment Air Expeditionary Force 9/10 (Cycle 6) which included the 119th, 120th, 134th, 163rd, 186th and 188th squadrons.