According to the 125th STS mission statement, the squadron is "poised for full spectrum rapid response to all crises and contingencies at home or abroad".

Formed at Westover Field, Massachusetts in August 1943, the 371st Fighter Group trained in the mid-Atlantic area, and moved to the European theater during February and March 1944, serving in combat with 9th Air Force from April 1944 to May 1945.

Operated in the area of northeastern France and southwestern Germany during the fall and winter of 1944–1945, attacking such targets as storage dumps, trains, rail lines, marshalling yards, buildings, factories, bridges, roads, vehicles, and strong points.

Launched a series of attacks against vehicles, factories, buildings, railroad cars, tanks, and gun emplacements during the period 15–21 March 1945, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for this six-day action that contributed to the defeat of the enemy in southern Germany.

Afterwards, it was then reassigned to the federalized Washington Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing in April 1951, and moved to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, by May of the same year.

In William Tell 1976, the 142nd garnered first place in the F-101 category and Lieutenant Colonel Don Tonole and Major Brad Newell captured the overall "Top Gun" title flying the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo.

Success came again at William Tell 1984 when the unit placed first in the F-4 category flying the McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II and beat many of its F-15 Eagle and F-106 Delta Dart rivals in the overall competition.

The wing participated in a wide variety of expeditionary and humanitarian assistance missions in the turbulent post-Cold War environment while providing air defense of the Pacific Northwest.

Wing personnel deployed on various other missions, sending medical troops to Belize, civil engineers to Macedonia, and to such places around the globe as Curaçao, Denmark, Germany, Guam, Kuwait, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In the 50th Year of William Tell Anniversary Competition held in 2004, the 142nd Fighter Wing was rated first in maintenance, element attack and gun categories.

[citation needed] In 2004, unit personnel provided humanitarian aid in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2007 floods in Vernonia, Oregon.

Ironically the argument made by several groups to save the base was that of the NORAD mission it performed and the air cover it provided for the Pacific Northwest was essential to homeland security.

The night of the crash, the pilot, Major Gregory Young's body was found 40 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon.

[5] The crash was due to unrecognized spatial disorientation, which caused the pilot to misperceive his attitude, altitude, and airspeed until his aircraft impacted the water.

[7] The fighters armed with live AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, intercepted and escorted the plane away from populated areas before it crashed on Ketron Island, near McChord Air Force Base.

[4] In February 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Kate Brown activated the Oregon National Guard to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the public.