During the 50 years since the unit was activated, the 117th has participated in a total of 59 field training exercises and deployments—50 stateside and 9 overseas. Operationally, perhaps the most significant unit event occurred on 8 January 1951 when the 117th was called to active duty for 21 months during the Korean War and assigned for duty at Sewart Air Force Base, Smyrna, Tennessee. Upon returning to Air National Guard status, the unit was assigned to the 152nd Tactical Control Group, with headquarters in White Plains, New York. While assigned to this Group, they participated in Field Training Exercises in the states of New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. In December 1958, the unit was reassigned to the 157th Tactical Control Group with headquarters in Saint Louis, Missouri. The unit has deployed four times to Norway. The 1984 sealift deployment to Norway established the 117th as the first Tactical Air Control System (TACS) Squadron to be sea-lifted. It was also the first TACS to Norway and the first time TACS and the Norwegian Air Defense Ground Environment (NADGE) System were integrated.