During World War II the 411th was assigned to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), Ninth Air Force in Western Europe.

It then took part in pre-invasion activities, escorting B-26 Marauders to attack airdromes, bridges, and railroads in Occupied France.

The squadron patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month.

The squadron moved to the European Continent in July 1944 where it struck railroads, hangars, boxcars, warehouses, and other objectives to prevent reinforcements from reaching the front at St.

It also flew reconnaissance missions to support ground operations in the Rhine Valley in March 1945, hitting airfields, motor transport, etc.

[3] The squadron was equipped with P-51D Mustangs and assigned to the 146th Fighter Group, at Van Nuys Airport by the National Guard Bureau.

The squadron trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat under the supervision of Fourth Air Force.

In April 1951 the 116th Fighter-Bomber Group (116 FBG) began receiving brand new F-84E Thunderjets directly from Republic Aviation.

The 116th FBG with the 158th and 159th FBS's departed from San Diego on the transport aircraft carrier USS Windham Bay two days later.

The USAF, having learned from expensive previous experience with open air transportation of F-84s on an aircraft carrier deck, heavily protected their F-84s with cosmoline and tarpaulins.

The squadrons' initial role was to augment Japanese air defenses, and operational training began on 6 August.

The first mission was with sixteen F-84Es that flew from Misawa to Chitose AB for a pilot briefing, and then after arming with 500-pound general-purpose bombs, they took off for an attack against Sariwon, in southwestern North Korea.

The squadron was reorganized at Norton the same day it was relieved from active duty, although it took until January 1953 before it re-equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang and operationally-gained by TAC.

The Delta Daggers soldiered on until the early 1970s when they were retired to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center at Davis-Monthan AFB.

In October 1982, the 163d again assumed a tactical fighter role and converted to the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II and moved to March AFB, near Riverside, into new facilities built for the unit.

After the end of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the phaseout of the RF-4C Phantom II from the Air National Guard was accelerated.

The unit flew combat missions around-the-clock refueling NATO aircraft, including complex night formation sorties with the F-117A.

This extensive aircraft modernization project required intensive aircrew training and is expected to extend the life of the 40-year-old Boeing jet beyond the year 2020.

The 19th supported NATO's Operation Joint Forge while deployed to Istres Air Base, France, from 31 October through 3 December 2000.

Under Air Expeditionary Force 9, the Grizzlies also sent personnel to Kuwait, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey from October through December 2000.

In 2007 the Air National Guard stood up the first of several units that will operate the MQ-1 Predator armed unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

[citation needed] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency