As a militia air force formation, the Minnesota Air National Guard is an element of the Minnesota National Guard alongside the Minnesota Army National Guard. The Minnesota Air National Guard has two primary units located at Duluth International Airport and at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The Minnesota Air National Guard has also been active in the Global War on Terror since September 11, 2001.

Interestingly, the 109th Airlift Squadron was actually the first ever Air National Guard unit in the whole of the USA. Members of the former 109th Aeromedical Squadron came up with the idea of putting these particular markings from a Convair C-131 Samaritan air evacuation aircraft onto the C-130.