It is assigned to Sioux City Air National Guard Base, Iowa and is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft.

Established on 27 April 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, as the 386th Fighter Squadron, equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts.

Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command, the squadron flew in direct support of General Hodges First Army.

The squadron was part of the first group to move into Germany on 17 March 1945 at Aachen and the first to fly a combat mission off a German soil.

Today, the 185th consists of nearly 1,000 traditional and full-time military members as well as over 300 air technicians and state contract employees.

Activated to Federal Service during the Korean War, sent to Dow AFB, Maine Used by TAC to train replacement pilots in F-51D Mustang ground support operations, also deployed unit members to Japan and Korea to fly combat missions.

The 132d was moved to Alexandria AFB, Louisiana in May 1952 again with F-51s replacing the federalized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing which was deployed to France.

Performed training as a tactical fighter unit until relieved from active service and returned to Iowa ANG jurisdiction in January 1953.

In 1955, the 174th FS was reassigned to Air Defense Command and re-designated the 174th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and was transitioned to the F-84E Thunderstreak.

The 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron, augmented by many of the other group personnel deployed with their F-100s to Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam on 11 May 1968.

In addition, the 174th Fighter Squadron won the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with a designation of valor.

The "Bat" depicted on the tails of the aircraft and the shoulder patch of the pilots during the Vietnam War became a legendary symbol of the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron.