124th Fighter Wing The 124th Fighter Wing ( 124 FW ) is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard , stationed at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base , Boise , Idaho . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . Mission . The federal mission of the 124th Fighter Wing under Title 10 United States Code is to properly equip and train personnel in a high state of readiness for immediate tasking as levied by higher headquarters as part of the Air Reserve Component ( ARC ) of the U . S . Air Force . Its state mission under Title 32 United States Code is to , at the call of the Governor of the State of Idaho , provide personnel and equipment to assist civil authorities prior to , during and after emergencies or disasters ; to protect life , property , preserve peace , order and public safety . Units . The 124th Fighter Wing consists of the following units : History . Air Defense . On 1 July 1955 , the Idaho Air National Guard 190th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 124th Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 190th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 124th Headquarters , 124th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 124th Combat Support Squadron , and the 124th USAF Dispensary . Also in 1955 , the F - 86A day interceptors were replaced by the F - 94A Starfire all - weather interceptor . The 190th changed aircraft four more times over the next 23 years to fly the F - 89C Scorpion , F - 86L Sabre Interceptor and the F - 102 Delta Dagger . In 1958 , the 124th implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program , in which interceptors of the 190th FIS were committed to a five - minute runway alert , a task that would last until 1974 . In 1968 Air Defense Command was re - designated as Aerospace Defense Command ( ADCOM ) . Tactical Reconnaissance . In November 1975 , the 124th Fighter - Interceptor Group was transferred from Air Defense Command to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . It was re - equipped by TAC with the RF - 4C Phantom II Mach 2 high speed reconnaissance aircraft . Many of these planes were veterans of combat in Vietnam . F - 4 Phantom jets would eventually spend 20 years on Gowen Field , longer than any other aircraft in the history of Idaho ’ s Air National Guard . The unarmed RF - 4C carried high resolution cameras and electronic sensors , which soon proved their worth to thousands of people in Idaho . RF - 4C jets tracked flood waters pouring from the ruptured Teton Dam within hours of the dam ’ s collapse in 1976 to show officials where flood waters were headed in time to warn people living in endangered areas . Aerial photographs were also taken immediately after the 1983 Borah Peak earthquake near Challis . The Challis - Mackay region experienced rather thorough damage , with 11 commercial buildings and 39 homes with major damage ; while another 200 houses were damaged , minor to moderate . The reconnaissance photos helped emergency response crews locate and evaluate the damage . The RF - 4C was still in service at the time of the 1991 Gulf War , Operation Desert Storm , although the 190th TRS did not deploy any aircraft to the Middle East . Following the end of Desert Storm , all of the remaining RF - 4Cs were withdrawn from USAF service . Electronic Warfare . In 1991 , Idaho ’ s Air Guard changed aircraft and mission again , and began its conversion from the RF - 4C to the F ‑ 4G Phantom II " Wild Weasel " Electronic Warfare aircraft in June 1991 . The Idaho ANG was to be the only ANG unit to operate the F - 4G . The F - 4G was designed as an anti - Surface to Air Missile aircraft to jam and attack enemy radars when they were activated . " Wild Weasel " tactics and techniques were first developed in 1965 during the Vietnam War , and were later integrated into the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ( SEAD ) a plan used by US air forces to establish immediate air control , prior to possible full - scale conflict . The F - 4Gs were received from the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB , California as part of the closue of George AFB . The squadron was re - designated as the 190th Fighter Squadron with the changeover of its parent 124th to the Air Force Objective Wing organization . In 1992 , the 124th Fighter Group became part of the new Air Combat Command . In April 1993 the squadron ' s Wild Weasel jets were sent to Southwest Asia to support Operation Southern Watch , enforcing the no ‑ fly zone over southern Iraq . Twice 190th airmen were challenged by illegal Iraqi air defense radar near Basra . The threats were answered — and silenced — with AGM - 88 High - Speed Anti - Radiation Missile ( HARM ) anti - radiation missiles . Less than six months after ending its first Southwest Asia tour , the squadron began a second Southern Watch deployment , followed by two back ‑ to ‑ back tours in support of Operation Provide Comfort , enforcing the northern no ‑ fly zone and protecting Kurds from Iraqi aggression . From 1993 to 1995 there were a total of four deployments to the Gulf . The last such deployment returned to Boise in December 1995 . Idaho ’ s airmen served longer in Southwest Asia than any other flying unit in the Air National Guard . The 124th was named “ Best Flying Unit in the Air National Guard ” and received the prestigious Spaatz Trophy from the National Guard Association . Idaho airmen and Phantom jets went to Canada and Norway to provide critical tactical reconnaissance capabilities to U . S . and NATO forces Composite Wing . In the mid - 1990s the mission of the 124th changed considerably . On 1 October 1995 , the status of the 124th was changed from Group to Wing , and the organization became the 124th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1995 . On 20 April 1996 , the Air Force withdrew the last F - 4Gs from the 124th FW and the aircraft were consigned to storage at Davis Monthan AFB , Arizona . This marked the final retirement of the F - 4 Phantom II from active service with any American military unit , and after 20 years of service with the Idaho Air National Guard . The Phantoms of the 190th Fighter Squadron were replaced by the A - 10 Thunderbolt II air - ground support aircraft , better known as the “ Warthog ” . The 124th also became a composite wing , designated the 124th Wing on 1 September 1996 with the activation of the 189th Airlift Squadron at Boise ANGB . The squadron , assigned to the 124th Operations Group , was a tactical airlift squadron , equipped with Lockheed C - 130E Hercules transports . The 124th Wing , consisted of 18 units — two flying squadrons , 15 support units at Gowen Field and an electronic combat training range control squadron assigned to Mountain Home Air Force Base , Idaho . Tactical Airlift . Prior to its activation as a squadron in 1995 , the 189th Airlift Squadron was initially formed on 1 April 1984 as the 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Flight . Its mission was a Formal Training Unit ( FTU ) for aircrews being assigned to the 124th Tactical Reconnaissance ( later Fighter ) group flying RF - 4C Phantom II reconnaissance and later F - 4G Phantom II electronic warfare aircraft . On 16 March 1992 it was re - designated as the 189th Fighter Flight . The flight used 190th TFS / FS aircraft for its training mission . With the retirement of the F - 4Gs in 1995 , the status of the unit was changed from a flight to a squadron , and it received C - 130E aircraft for operational missions . The 189th supported countless deployments all over the world in support of the U . S . Southern Command , Operation Allied Force , Operation Southern Watch , Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . They also responded to winter weather disasters New Mexico and provided humanitarian support for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita . The Airlift Squadron ' s awards include the Governor ' s Outstanding Unit Citation 1997 , 1999 , and 2005 as well as the Adjutant General Award 1998 . The 189th Airlift Squadron was inactivated as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act on 18 October 2009 . Many of the members who were part of the squadron were absorbed within the wing . With the inactivation of the 190th , the wing ' s designation was returned to the 124th Fighter Wing . Close Air Support . The Warthog , famous for its success against Iraqi armor in the Gulf War , provides close air support to troops on the ground . Idaho ’ s A - 10s were deployed during Operation Allied Force in 1999 when they flew combat missions over Kosovo and again in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 . Already deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch , more than 250 personnel were mobilized in place . Idaho ’ s A - 10s led combat search and rescue and close air support missions in the initial weeks and months of the war . Two 190th pilots received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their efforts . On 8 April 2003 , an A - 10A ( USAF Serial Number ' 78 - 0691 ' ) of 124th Wing / 190th FS was shot down while on a combat mission , reportedly by an Iraqi Roland SAM . The pilot successfully ejected , and was soon rescued by USAF Pararescue forces of the 301st ARRS . The 190th Fighter Squadron also deployed in 2007 to Iraq , and 2008 to Afghanistan . In 2009 , the 124th Fighter Wing was selected a key installation to perform a new Consolidated Install Program for the entire active duty , Guard and Reserve A - 10 fleet . A crew of more than 50 full - time personnel performed several important modifications and upgrades to more than 200 A - 10 aircraft . Invasion of Iraq friendly fire incident . 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 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 . As a result of the attack by the 190th A - 10 aircraft , British Lance - Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed and five of his colleagues were injured , four seriously .