93d Bomb Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 93d Bomb Squadron


caption= 93d Bomb Squadron Patch
dates= 21 August 1917 - 31 March 1919
20 October 1939 - 1 February 1963
1 October 1993 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Strategic Bombing
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Force Reserve Command
Tenth Air Force
917th Wing
917th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Barksdale Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Battle of the Philippines
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 93d Bomb Squadron (93 BS) is part of the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability. It is the only reserve bomber unit in the United States Air Force.

Mission

Employ the bomber in support of Air Force worldwide conventional commitments.

History

The 93d flew combat missions in France as a pursuit unit from 11 August 1918 – 10 November 1918. It also saw combat in the Southwest Pacific from, 7 December 1941-c. 24 October 1942 with its ground echelon fighting alongside infantry units in the Philippines, c. 19 December 1941-May 1942. The squadron conducted replacement training from, 1 February 1943-1 April 1944 before returning to combat in Western Pacific from, c. 12 February 1945 – 15 August 1945.

The 93d also flew combat missions in Korea, 28 June 1950-25 July 1953. It has conducted bombardment training, 1954-1963 and since 1993. It won the B-52 category of the 1995 Gunsmoke competition and participated in training exercises through the 1990s.

In September 2001 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where it flew 88 combat missions before redeploying to Barskdale AFB in January 2002. It deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan again from May-September 2002. In March 2003 the 93d deployed to RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Between March and August 2003 the 93d flew more than 100 combat sorties and dropped over 1 million pounds of munitions. From January-March 2005 the squadron deployed to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam as part of an ongoing bomber rotation to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the Asian-Pacific region by the U.S. Pacific Command.

Operations

*World War I
*World War II
*Korean War
*Operation Tandem Thrust
*Operation Cope Thunder
*Operation Enduring Freedom
*Operation Iraqi Freedom

Lineage

*93d Aero Squadron (1917 - 1935)
*93d Bombardment Squadron (1935 - 1939)
*93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (1939 - 1944)
*93d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy (1943 - 1948)
*93d Bomberdment Squadron, Medium (1948 - 1961)
*93d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy (1961 - 1993)
*93d Bomb Squadron (1993 - Present)

Assignments

*3d Pursuit Group (1918)
*1st Air Depot (1918 – 1919)
*19th Bombardment Group (1939 – 1953)
**Ground Echelon Attached : 5th Interceptor Command (19 December 1941 – May 1942)
*19th Bombardment Wing (1953 – 1961)
*4239th Strategic Wing (1961 – 1963)
*917th Wing (1993 - Present)

Bases stationed

*Camp Kelly, Texas (1917)
*Beaulieu, England (1917 - 1918)
*Issoudun, France (1918)
*Vaucouleurs, France (1918)
*Lisle-en-Barrois, France (1918)
*Foucaucourt-sur-Thabas, France (1918)
*Colombey-les-Belles, France (1918 - 1919)
*Romorautin, France (1919)
*Garden City, New York (1919)
*March Field, California (1939 - 1941)
*Albuquerque Army Air Base, New Mexico (1941)
*Clark Field, Luzon (1941)
*Batchelor, Australia (1941 - 1942)
**Ground Escholon: Luzon and Mindanao (c. 19 December 1941–May 1942)
*Singosari, Java (1942)
*Melbourne, Australia (1942)
*Cloncurry, Australia (1942)
*Longreach, Australia (1942)
*Mareeba, Australia (1942)
*Pocatello, Idaho (1942 - 1943)
*Pyote Army Air Base, Texas (1943 - 1944)
*Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas (1944 - 1945)
*North Field, Guam (1945 - 1950)
*Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (1950 - 1954)
*Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida (1954 - 1956)
*Homestead Air Force Base, Florida (1956 - 1961)
*Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan (1961 - 1963)
*Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1993 - Present)
**Deployed: In support of Operation Enduring Freedom (September 2001 - January 2002)
**Deployed: In support of Operation Enduring Freedom (May - September 2002)
**Deployed: RAF Fairford & Diego Garcia (March - August 2003)
**Deployed: Anderson Air Force Base, Guam (January - March 2005)

Aircraft Operated

*SPAD S.XIII (1918)
*SPAD S.VII (1918)
*B-17 Flying Fortress (1939 – 1944)
*B-18 Bolo (1939 - 1941)
*B-24 Liberator (1941 - 1942)
*LB-30 (1941 - 1942)
*B-29 Superfortress (1944 - 1954)
*B-47 Stratojet (1954 - 1961)
*B-52 Stratofortress (1961 - 1963, 1993 - Present)

References

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0093bs.html USAF 93d Bomb Squadron History]
* [http://www.917wg.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3409 93d Bomb Squadron Fact Sheet]