On 1 April 1951 the 180th was federalized and brought to active duty due to the Korean War. It moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. At Langley, the 180th Bombardment Squadron was assigned to the federalized 126th Bombardment Group, equipped with B-26 Invaders. The 126th Group consisted of the 180th, along with the 108th and the 168th Bombardment Squadrons from the Illinois Air National Guard. The aircraft were marked by various color bands on the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Black/Yellow/Blue for the 108th; Black/Yellow/Red for the 168th, and Black/Yellow/Green for the 180th.