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.

Effective 15 September 1947, the squadron was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan. Having been allotted to the organized reserves, with assignment to Second Air Force, Air Defense Command, it was redesigned as a very heavy bombardment unit on 25 August. In July 1948, the squadron was assigned to the Tenth Air Force, which in December, became a part of the Continental Air Command. The squadron was inactivated on 27 June 1949 due to budget restrictions.

Reactivated in 1960 as a Strategic Air Command SM-65D Atlas ICBM launch squadron. On March 30th 1961, SAC placed the 549th Strategic Missile Squadron on operational status. The squadron was assigned nine missiles, three at 3 dispersed locations; two in Nebraska and one in Iowa during April and May 1961, the last Atlas D missiles to go on alert. The missiles were housed in a "coffin launcher" style complexes. The missile was kept in semi-hard facilities in which the missile was stored above ground horizontally above ground. In order to launch, a 400-ton overhead door was rolled back after which the "bird" was raised to a vertical position. Once upright, the rocket was fueled with RP-1 and Liquid Oxygen after which it would then be made ready for launch. (see below for site details).

Missiles were retired and removed in late 1964 in favor of the more advanced LGM-25C Titan II; squadron was inactivated on 15 December. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization. Today the remains of the sites are still visible in aerial imagery, in various states of use or abandonment; Site 549-B appears to be very well preserved with the missile blockhouse and most structures still being intact including the three launch pads.

Lineage

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

Activated on 1 December 1942

Inactivated on 28 August 1945

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

Activated in the reserve on 15 September 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

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

Organized on 1 October 1960

Inactivated on 15 December 1964

Assignments

• 385th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942-28 August 1945

ETO Fuselage Code: XA

• Second Air Force, 15 September 1947
• Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1948
• First Air Force, 15 August 1948
• Tenth Air Force, 1 December 1948-27 June 1949
• Strategic Air Command, 19 April 1960
• 385th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 1 January 1963-15 December 1964 (not operational, December 1–15, 1964)

Stations

• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 December 1942
• El Paso Army Airfield, Texas, 4 January 1943
• Geiger Field, Washington. 1 February 1943
• Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana, 11 March – 7 June 1943

• RAF Great Ashfield (AAF-155), South Dakota, 29 June 1943-6 August 1945
• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, 14–28 August 1945
• Selfridge Field, Michigan, 15 September 1947-27 June 1949
• Offut AFB, Nebraska, 19 April 1960-15 December 1964

Aircraft and missiles

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

Operated three missile sites of three missiles at each site (9 total):

549-A, 3.4 mi SE of Mead, NE 41°11′37″N 096°26′23″W

549-B, 3.6 mi NE of Arlington, NE 41°29′17″N 096°17′59″W

549-C, 4.3 mi SE of Missouri Valley, IA 41°31′15″N 095°49′09″W

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