On 1 April 1951 the 126th Bombardment Wing (Light), with units at O'Hare and Midway Airports, was ordered to federal duty for 21 months as part of the National Guard mobilizations for the Korean War. After 3 months of training, the unit moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. On 30 October 1951 the wing flew their B-26 Invader bombers across the Atlantic Ocean to Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base, France. In December, the Wing's remaining personnel and equipment arrived aboard the USS "General H. F. Hodges".