319th Missile Squadron - History

History

Activated in spring 1942 as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber squadron. Trained under Third Air Force in southeastern United States. Reassigned to Michigan where squadron received Very Long Range (VLR) B-24D Liberator heavy bombers manufactured by Ford specifically for extended length missions over the Pacific.

Squadron deployed first to Hawaii and trained on the heavy bombers for combat and long over-ocean navigation and bombardment missions under Seventh Air Force. Squadron deployed to Fifth Air Force in Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), assembling in northern Queensland, Australia then moving to operational base in Papua New Guinea. From airfields in New Guinea, the squadron carried out long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, Philippine Islands and other areas from bases as ground forces sized them during MacArthur's island hopping campaign. Bombarded enemy targets on Okinawa; Iwo Jima; Formosa and eastern China, eventually being stationed on Ie Shima preparing for VLR bombardment operations over the Japanese Home Isands when the Japanese Capitulation occurred in August 1945. Squadron personnel demobilized in Okinawa and Philippines, aircraft sent to reclamation during fall of 1945. Inactivated as a paper unit in Early 1946.

The squadron was active but unmanned from, 1 July 1947-1 September 1948. Brought to operational status under Strategic Air Command in 1951, being equipped with RB-29 Superfortresses at Fairchild AFB, Washington. Moved to Forbes AFB, Kansas shortly afterward and conducted operational training from, 1 June 1951-September 1952, replacement training from, 1 June 1951-1 September 1953, and. SHORAN training from, 10 November 1952-30 Novovember 1953 Replaced the propeller-driven RB-29s with new RB-47E Stratojet swept-wing reconnaissance bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. Flew many long-range clandestine missions with the RB-47, flying many ferret missions around the periphery of Soviet territory, and sometimes inside on penetration flights to map planned routes for B-52s if combat missions over the Soviet Union ever became necessary. Began performing RB-47 crew training from, c. 1 January 1959-20 June 1960. Began phasing down RB-47 missions in 1959 when the vulnerability of the aircraft to Soviet air defenses became evident, was inactivated on 20 June 1960.

Reactivated on 1 October 1963 as an ICBM squadron assigned to the 90th Missile Wing at Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Initially equipped with 50 LGM-30B Minuteman Is in early 1964, the first 90th SMW ICBM squadron activated. Upgraded to LGM-30G Minuteman III in 1973/1974, has maintained ICBMs on alert ever since.