The 188th Rescue Squadron is unit of the

New Mexico Air National Guard The New Mexico Air National Guard (NM ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of New Mexico, United States of America. It is, along with the New Mexico Army National Guard, an element of the New Mexico National Guard. As state militia units, the u ...

. It is assigned to the

150th Special Operations Wing The 150th Special Operations Wing (150 SOW) is a unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The wing traces its history back to the expansion of the 150th Tactical Fighter Group into the 150th Fighter Wing i ...

located at

Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy ...

, New Mexico.

History

World War II

The squadron was first organized at Key Field, Mississippi in February 1943 as the 621st Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 404th Bombardment Group. The squadron was initially equipped with a mix of

Douglas A-24 Banshee The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/dive ...

s and Bell P-39 Airacobras. In July 1943, the squadron moved to

Congaree Army Air Field McEntire Joint National Guard Base or McEntire JNGB is a military airport located in Richland County, South Carolina, Richland County, South Carolina, United States, 10 miles (16 km) west of the town of Eastover, South Carolina, Eastover a ...

, South Carolina, where it was redesignated the 507th Fighter-Bomber Squadron The following month. In early 1944, the squadron converted to

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s. Completing its training for combat in March, it deployed to the United Kingdom.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 610Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 288–290 507th Fighter Squadron - Republic P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt 42-27234

507th Fighter Squadron - Republic P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt 42-27234

The squadron arrived at its first overseas station,

RAF Winkton Royal Air Force Winkton or more simply RAF Winkton is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground previously in Hampshire but now, due to County boundary changes, in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Christc ...

, England in early April. It became operational on 1 May and began bombing and strafing targets in France to help prepare for

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

, the invasion of Normandy. At the end of the month, it dropped the "Bomber" from its name and became the 507th Fighter Squadron, but retained the air support mission. The squadron provided top cover for the landings on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

. A month later, on 6 July, the squadron moved to Chippelle Airfield in France, from which it provided air support for

Operation Cobra Operation Cobra was the codename for an Offensive (military), offensive launched by the United States First United States Army, First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Invasion of Norman ...

, the Allied breakout at

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.flak, the squadron helped cover four armored divisions dunging the breakout. This support earned the squadron the

French Croix de Guerre with Palm The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

. The squadron supported the

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

advance across the Netherlands, operating from bases in France and from

Sint-Truiden Airfield Sint-Truiden / Brustem Airfield ( nl, Vliegveld Sint Truiden, ) is an airfield located in , southeast of Sint-Truiden (Limburg) and approximately east of Brussels. Formerly known as Sint-Truiden Air Base ( nl, Luchtmachtbasis Sint-Truiden, frenc ...

, Belgium. Its actions in this area, resulted in the squadron being cited in the order of the day of the Belgian Army and the award of the Belgian Fourragère for its contributions to the liberation of the Belgian people. On 10 September, the squadron participated in three

armed reconnaissance Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding horse racing, race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse, Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was ind ...

missions. On these missions, despite adverse weather and heavy antiaircraft fire, the squadron attacked

lines of communications A line of communication (or communications) is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base. Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communicat ...

, factories and rail targets as ground forces advanced. These missions earned the squadron the

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

. During December 1944 and January 1945, attacked German positions during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

. Later it supported Operation Lumberjack and the establishment of a bridgehead on the west bank of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

in March 1945. The squadron also flew

air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...

missions, strafing and bombing troop concentrations, railroads, highways, bridges, ammunition and fuel dumps, armored vehicles, docks, and tunnels. It covered bombing missions by

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

es,

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

s, and Martin B-26 Marauders. On 4 May, the squadron flew armed reconnaissance missions that would prove to be its last combat missions of the war. The squadron briefly served with

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

forces in Germany before returning to the United States in August 1945. It reassembled at

Drew Field Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. The ...

, Florida on 11 September, but was inactivated on 9 November 1945.

New Mexico Air National Guard

188th Fighter Squadron - North American F-51H-5-NA Mustang 44-64291

507th Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 188th Fighter Squadron on 24 May 1946, and allotted to the National Guard. It was organized at

Kirtland Field Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the ea ...

, New Mexico and was extended federal recognition on 7 July 1947. The squadron was equipped with

North American F-51D Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA ...

s and a few Douglas A-26 Invaders, The 188th's post-war mission was the

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

of New Mexico.

Korean War federalization

On 10 February 1951, the 188th was federalized and brought to active duty for the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

.Cornett & Johnson, p. 124 A total of 54 officers and 400 airmen moved to Long Beach Municipal Airport, California, as part of the

1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its 1 ...

. It was redesignated the 188th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, with a mission of air defense of

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

. Most unit members were transferred to active-duty Air Force units and deployed to Japan and South Korea. First Lieutenants Robert Lucas and Joseph Murray were killed while flying close air support missions in Korea. Captain Francis Williams and First Lieutenant Robert Sands were each credited with three MiG-15 kills. The squadron was kept up to strength with regulars, reservists and other guardsmen. The squadron began to re-equip with

North American F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...

s in October 1951, but reverted to Mustangs two months later.

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...

, however, was having difficulty adapting the wing base organization to the dispersed squadrons required for the air defense mission. In February 1952, it inactivated its fighter wings, including the 1st Wing, and replaced them with regional organizations. The squadron was assigned to the

4705th Defense Wing The 27th Air Division was a United States Air Force numbered air division and the geographic Air Defense Command region controlled by the 27th AD. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command (ADC)'s Tenth Air Force, at Luke Air Force Ba ...

, which acted as a temporary headquarters for former 1st Wing operational squadrons. In March, the squadron was assigned to the

27th Air Division The 27th Air Division was a United States Air Force numbered air division and the geographic Air Defense Command region controlled by the 27th AD. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command (ADC)'s Tenth Air Force, at Luke Air Force Base, ...

. The unit was released from active duty in November 1952, transferring its personnel and Mustangs to the regular 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.

Cold War

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 July 1955, it once again became the 188th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and augmented

, being gained by Western Air Defense Force. On 1 July 1957, the 188th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 150th Fighter Group was established. The 188th becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the group headquarters, 150th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 150th Air Base Squadron, and the 150th USAF Dispensary. Also, the 188th assumed 24-hour air defense alert status at Kirtland. In April 1958, the first Air National Guard unit to receive the

North American F-100A Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet engine, jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century S ...

was the 188th, which received these planes in April 1958. This conversion raised group strength to 956 officers and airmen. 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 The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air F ...

bomber near

Grants, New Mexico Grants is a city in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It is located about west of Albuquerque. The population was 9,163 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Cibola County. Grants is located along the Trails of the Ancients Byw ...

. The B-52B, from the

95th Bombardment Wing 95 or 95th may refer to: * 95 (number) * one of the years 95 BC, AD 95, 1995, 2095, etc. * 95th Division (disambiguation) * 95th Regiment ** 95th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation) * 95th Squadron (disambiguation) * Atomic number 95: americium *M ...

took off from

Biggs Air Force Base Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...

, Texas on a training mission. During an intercept by two New Mexico ANG F-100As, an AIM-9B launched and impacted one of the engine pods on the bomber's left wing, taking the B-52's left wing off in the subsequent explosion. Three B-52 crewmembers died; the F-100 pilot was absolved of any blame. In the fall of 1962, the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...

put the 188th on an alert status that lasted for 90 days.

188th Tactical Fighter Squadron - North American F-100C-1-NA Super Sabre 53-1737

In 1964, the F-100As were retired and the 188th received newer F-100C and twin-seat F-100F Super Sabre trainers, and became the 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron, gained by

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

. In January 1968, the group was activated as a result of the

Pueblo Crisis USS ''Pueblo'' (AGER-2) is a , attached to Navy intelligence as a spy ship, which was attacked and captured by North Korean forces on 23 January 1968, in what was later known as the "''Pueblo'' incident" or alternatively, as the "''Pueblo'' cris ...

, and in June of that year the 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron and approximately 250 maintenance and support personnel were deployed to

Tuy Hoa Air Base Căn cứ không quân Tuy Hòa is a former air force base in Vietnam, being closed in 1970. It was built by the United States in 1966 and was used by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone o ...

, Republic of Vietnam. Remaining group members were assigned to various bases in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. 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. Captain Michael Adams was killed in action and Major Bobby Neeld and First Lieutenant Mitchell Lane remain listed as missing in action. The unit received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V' Device. After its Vietnam War deployment, the 188th was relieved from active duty and returned to New Mexico State Control on 4 June 1969. 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron A-7D-10-CV Corsair II 71-0301

188th Tactical Fighter Squadron A-7D-10-CV Corsair II 71-0301

In 1973, after the United States withdrew its forces from South Vietnam, the 188th became the first Air National Guard squadron to receive

LTV A-7D Corsair II The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...

subsonic tactical close air support aircraft from Tactical Air Command units that were preparing to receive the new

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republ ...

. Receiving its aircraft from the

354th Tactical Fighter Wing The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF). The wing replaced the 343d Fighter Win ...

at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and the

355th Tactical Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation * 355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force * 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Ai ...

at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The aircraft had excellent accuracy with the aid of an automatic electronic navigation and weapons delivery system. Although designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft, it also had limited air-to-air combat capability. In 1977, the unit participated in the "Coronet Ante" exercise, which was part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "Coldfire" exercise in Europe. The 150th TFG deployed nine A-7Ds to Gilze Rijen Air Base, The Netherlands, from 2 September through 27 September 1977. Close air support missions were flown over The Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and the North Sea. In 1980, the 188th received the new twin-seat A-7K trainer. In 1980, the 150th Tactical Fighter Group was the first guard unit to be assigned to the

Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) is an inactive United States Department of Defense Joint Task Force. It was first envisioned as a three-division force in 1979 as the Rapid Deployment Force, or RDF, a highly mobile force that could ...

; 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 The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created in 1953, the USAF Th ...

. Additionally, the unit set an A-7D and first endurance record of 11 1/2 hours non-stop from

Pease Air Force Base Pease, in Middle English, was a noun referring to the vegetable pea; see that article for its etymology. The word survives into modern English in pease pudding. Pease may also refer to: People * Pease family (Darlington), a prominent family in D ...

, New Hampshire to

Cairo West Air Base Cairo West AB is a military airport on the western side of Cairo, Egypt. The air base shares some infrastructure with the adjacent Sphinx International Airport. Originally a Royal Air Force installation ("Landing Ground 224"), among other unit ...

, Egypt. The unit was partially activated in support of

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, although no A-7D aircraft were sent to Southwest Asia. On 11 December 1990, 44 members of the 150th Security Police Flight and other unit members were deployed to Saudi Arabia. All members returned home by May 1991.

Post Cold War operations

188th Fighter Squadron - General Dynamics F-16C Block 30H Fighting Falcon 87-0304

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. The 150th Group adopted the new USAF Objective Wing Organization in early 1992, with the word "tactical" being eliminated from its designation and the squadron became the 188th Fighter Squadron. The 188th flew A-7D's for twenty years before converting to the

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

. 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 The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG),Offici ...

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. However, instead of converting to older F-16A/B models, the squadron received relatively new block 40 aircraft. This type had the Low Altitude Night Targeting Infra Red Navigational system (LANTIRN) on board for advanced navigation and targeting by day and night. Again, the 188th was the first within the Air National Guard to have this capacity. On 1 October 150th expanded to become a Wing, and the 188th Fighter Squadron became part of the new 150th Operations Group.

150th Defense System Evaluation Flight

188th Fighter Squadron - General Dynamics F-16C Block 30B Fighting Falcon 85-1567

An out of the ordinary organizational setup was also at hand in the 188th. Within the squadron was another flight – being the 150th Defense Systems Evaluation Flight – which flew F-16C block 30 aircraft. It typically had about five on hand. Even during the time frame when the 188th was flying block 40s the flight had F-16 block 30s. The flight provided fighter aircraft support to the US Army Air Defense Center and White Sands Missile Range. Typically testing for the army and various navies around the world. With the USAF, the flight was selected to do all the flight tests for the F/A-22 Raptor before they leave the Marietta factory in Georgia. Tests usually involved avionics, radar systems and more. 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. But for the most part any other tests were done over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The flight was discontinued in 2007 with many jets departing during the year prior.

Expeditionary Force deployments

In mid-1996, the Air Force, in response to budget cuts, and changing world situations, began experimenting with air expeditionary organizations. The Air Expeditionary Force concept was developed that would mix active duty, reserve and Air National Guard elements into a combined force. Instead of entire permanent units deploying as "provisional" as in the 1991 Gulf War, Expeditionary units are composed of "aviation packages" from several wings, including active-duty Air Force, the

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...

and the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

, would be married together to carry out the assigned deployment rotation. 188th Fighter Squadron General Dynamics F-16C Block 40D Fighting Falcon 88-0515

188th Fighter Squadron General Dynamics F-16C Block 40D Fighting Falcon 88-0515

In April 1998, the squadron was the major force provider for the 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deploying 6 F-16s and support personnel to

Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is a Kuwait Air Force base that is home to 3 Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 C/D squadrons: 9 Squadron, 25 Squadron, and 61 Squadron. The base also has an area designated for operations by the U.S. Air Force and its allies. Hi ...

, Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch. Operation Southern Watch was an operation which was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone below the 32nd parallel in Iraq. This mission was initiated mainly to cover for attacks of Iraqi forces on the Iraqi Shi’ite Muslims. The expeditionary squadron was inactivated in July 1998. Another 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron was activated in March 2001,Because they are provisional units, expeditionary units are considered different units, even when they have the same designation, with the exception of "rainbow" units that have been assigned to major commands. 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. This mission was a successor to Operation Provide Comfort which also entailed support for the Iraqi Kurds. The deployed personnel and aircraft returned in June 2001 and the 188th EFS was again inactivated.

Global War on Terrorism

After the attacks of 11 September 2001, the squadron supported several deployments in support of

Operation Noble Eagle Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.. ...

Atlantic City Air National Guard Base Atlantic City Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard base located at Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey. The base is home New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing, operating F-16C Fighting Falcon. Role and op ...

, New Jersey and

March Air Reserve Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...

, California. 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. Expeditionary squadrons have also been activated, deploying worldwide in the F-16 to

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, Australia, Chile, and South Korea. In May 2004, the 188th deployed its F-16s to Balad Air Base, Iraq, becoming the first U. S. fighter squadron to be stationed at the base. 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. The deployment cycle started in September and the 188th sent six aircraft with two spares that returned stateside immediately.

Special operations

Although rated a number one facility in the

2005 Base Realignment and Closure The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...

plan, the USAF decided to close down 188th and convert Kirtland from a fighter to a

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

base as part of the reduction of the USAF fighter fleet by 250 aircraft. It was hoped that some of the money saved would allow the USAF to purchase new aircraft, such as the F-35A Lightning II. In 2009, the 21 F-16C/D aircraft of the New Mexico ANG were reassigned to other Air National Guard units in the

District of Columbia Air National Guard The District of Columbia Air National Guard (DC ANG) is the aerial militia and Air Force reserve organization of the District of Columbia, United States of America. It is, along with the District of Columbia Army National Guard, an element of the ...

and the Vermont Air National Guard as part of the "Fiscal Year 2010 Combat Air Force Restructure". The last two F-16s left Kirtland in September 2010. The 150th was to become an associate wing of Kirtland's

58th Special Operations Wing The 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW) is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force. The 58 SOW ser ...

Lineage

* Constituted as the 621st Bombardment Squadron (Dive)' on 25 January 1943 : Activated on 4 February 1943 : Redesignated 507th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943 : Redesignated 507th Fighter Squadron on 30 May 1944 : Inactivated on 9 November 1945 * Redesignated 188th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946Lineage information, including stations, through May 1946 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 610 : Activated and received federal recognition on 7 July 1947 : Federalized and ordered to active service on 1 February 1951 : Redesignated 188th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron c. 10 February 1951 : Inactivated on 10 November 1952 : Redesignated 188th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, returned to New Mexico state control and activated on 1 January 1953 : Redesignated 188th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955 : Redesignated 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 April 1964 : Federalized and ordered to active service on 7 January 1968 : Relieved from active duty and returned to New Mexico state control on 18 May 1969 : Redesignated 188th Fighter Squadron on 16 March 1992 : Redesignated 188th Rescue Squadron on 1 January 2013

Assignments

* 404th Bombardment Group (later 404th Fighter-Bomber Group, 404th Fighter Group), 4 February 1943 – 9 November 1945 *

New Mexico National Guard The New Mexico National Guard is the militia of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Comprising the New Mexico Army National Guard and the New Mexico Air National Guard, it is part of the National Guard of the United States, a reserve force under both ...

, 7 July 1947 *

137th Fighter Group 137th may refer to: *137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War *137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force *137th Special ...

, c. September 1947 *

, 1 November 1950 *

Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

, 1 February 1951 *

, 10 February 1951 * 4705th Defense Wing, 6 February 1952 * 27th Air Division, 1 March 1952 – 1 November 1952 * 140th Fighter-Bomber Group (later 140th Fighter-Interceptor Group), 1 January 1953 * 150th Fighter Group (Air Defense) (later 150th Tactical Fighter Group), 1 July 1957 *

31st Tactical Fighter Wing The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base ...

, 7 June 1968 * 150th Tactical Fighter Group (later 150th Fighter Group), 18 May 1969 * 150th Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – present

Stations

* Key Field, Mississippi, 4 February 1943 *

, South Carolina, 5 July 1943 * Pollock Army Air Field, Louisiana, 15 September 1943 * Myrtle Beach Army Air Field, South Carolina, 4 November 1943 – 13 March 1944 * RAF Winkton (AAF-414), England, 5 April 1944 * Chippelle Airfield (A-5),Station number in Johnson. France, 6 July 1944 * Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, 28 August 1944 *

Juvincourt Airfield Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France. Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Juvin ...

(A-68), France, 17 September 1944 * Sint-Truiden Airfield (A-92), Belgium, 1 October 1944 * Kelz Airfield, Germany (Y-32), 3 April 1945 *

Fritzlar Airfield Fritzlar Air Base (German: ''Heeresflugplatz Fritzlar'', IATA: FRZ, ICAO: ETHF) is a military air field of the German Army Aviation Corps. It is located near the town of Fritzlar in northern Hesse, Germany. The airfield is part of the Georg-Fr ...

(Y-86), Germany, 13 April 1945 * AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen (R-50), Germany, 23 June–August 1945 * Drew Field, Florida, 11 September–9 November 1945 * Kirtland Field (later Kirtland Air Force Base), New Mexico, 7 July 1947 * Long Beach Municipal Airport, California, 17 May 1951 – 1 November 1952 * Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1 January 1953 – Present * Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 7 June 1968''See'' Ravenstein, pp. 54–57 (dates of assignment to 31st Wing). * Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 18 May 1969 – present

New Mexico Air National Guard deployments

* Operation Deliberate Force : Attached to:

31st Operations Group The 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two F-16CG ...

: Operated as: 188th Fighter Squadron (Provisional) : Operated from:

Aviano Air Base Aviano Air Base ( it, Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about from Pordenone. Th ...

, Italy, February – June 1995 * Operation Southern Watch : Operated from Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, April – July 1998 * Operation Northern Watch : Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, March – June 2001 *

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

: Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, February – May 2002 *

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

: Balad Air Base, Iraq, May – September 2004 : Balad Air Base, Iraq, 29 October – December 2007

Aircraft

* Douglas A-24 Dauntless, 1943–1944 * Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944 * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945 * Douglas A-26 Invader (later B-26), 1947–1951 * North American P-51D Mustang (later F-51), 1947–1951, 1951–1952, 1953 * North American F-86 Sabre, 1951 * Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, 1953–1958 * North American F-100A Super Sabre, 1958–1964 * North American F-100C Super Sabre, 1964–1973 * North American F-100F Super Sabre, 1964–1973 * LTV A-7D Corsair II, 1973–+1992 * LTV A-7K Corsair II, 1977–+1992 * General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon, 1992–2010 * General Dynamics F-16D Fighting Falcon, 1992–2010 *

HH-60G Pavehawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...

, 2012–present *

C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

, 2012–present * CV-22, 2014–present

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * {{US Air Force navbox Rescue squadrons of the United States Air Force Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Military units and formations in New Mexico