549th Strategic Missile Squadron

550th Strategic Missile Squadron
Emblem of the 549th Strategic Missile Squadron
Active	1942-1949; 1961-1964
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	ICBM Missile Squadron

Emblem of the World War II 549th Bombardment Squadron

The 549th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was inactivated on 15 December 1964.

History

Activated in late 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during June 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and was programmed to be re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation led to units inactivation in September 1945, being neither manned or equipped.

Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron in 1947; Inactivated in 1947 due to budget reductions.

Redesignated as a Strategic Missile Squadron and activated in 1961. Equipped with SM-65 Atlas Missiles, stood nuclear alert until inactivation in 1965 with phaseout of Atlas ICBMs.

Lineage

• Constituted as 549th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 25 Nov 1942

Activated on 1 Dec 1942

Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945

• Redesignated 549th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 25 Aug 1947

Activated in the reserve on 15 Sep 1947

Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

• Redesignated 549th Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 19 Apr 1960

Organized on 1 Oct 1960

Inactivated on 15 Dec 1964

Assignments

• 385th Bombardment Group, 1 Dec 1942-28 Aug 1945

ETO Fuselage Code: XA

• Second Air Force, 15 Sep 1947
• Tenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1948
• First Air Force, 15 Aug 1948
• Tenth Air Force, 1 Dec 1948-27 Jun 1949
• Strategic Air Command, 19 Apr 1960
• 385th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 1 Jan 1963-15 Dec 1964 (not operational, December 1–15, 1964)

Stations

• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 Dec 1942
• El Paso Army Airfield, Texas, 4 Jan 1943
• Geiger Field, Washington. 1 Feb 1943
• Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana, 11 Mar 7 Jun 1943

• RAF Great Ashfield, England, 6 Jul 1943-6 Aug 1945
• RAF Great Ashfield (AAF-155), South Dakota, 14-28 Aug 1945
• Selfridge Field, Michigan, 15 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949
• Offut AFB, Nebraska, 19 Apr 1960-15 Dec 1964

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1947-1949.
• SM-65 Atlas Missile, 1961-1964

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975