Idaho ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally awarded to Major Command of the USAF if federalized.

State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.

Serving in the Pacific Theater Fifth Air Force during World War II, he was one of the P-38 Lightning pilots credited with shooting down Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto on 18 April 1943.

After the September 11 attacks, elements of every Air National Guard unit in Idaho has been activated in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

As part of the invasion of Iraq and supporting the British portion of that operation called Operation Telic, on March 28, 2003 two 124th Wing A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 190th Fighter Squadron flew a mission to destroy artillery and rocket launchers from Iraq's 6th Armor Division, dug in 25 miles (40 km) north of Basra.

During the mission, the two A-10 aircraft mistakenly attacked a patrol of four armored vehicles from D Squadron of the British Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry that were supporting the 16 Air Assault Brigade in Operation Telic.