| Unit Name: | 46th Tactical Missile Squadron |
| Dates: | 1942-1949; 1959-1972 |
| Type: | Troop Carrier, Surface to Air Missile |
| Role: | Airlift, Air defense |
| Size: | squadron |
| Motto: | The First and the Finest (1959-1972) |
| Battles: | Southwest Pacific Theater |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation Philippine Presidential Unit Citation |
| Identification Symbol Label: | 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron emblem (approved 5 May 1960)[1] |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron emblem (approved 13 January 1943)[2] |
The 46th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, formed by the consolidation of two inactive units in September 1985.
The squadron's first predecessor was organized in May 1942 as the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, where it engaged in combat, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its actions. Following V-J Day, it deployed to Japan, serving as part of the occupation forces until inactivating in 1949.
The second predecessor unit was activated in January 1959 as the 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron. It served at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey as part of the air defenses of the northeastern United States with BOMARC missiles until inactivating in October 1972.
The squadron was first activated under the 317th Transport Group (later 317th Troop Carrier Group), an element of Air Transport Command (later I Troop Carrier Command) in May 1942[2] as the group expanded from three to four squadrons.[3] The group and squadron equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrains and trained at several airfields in Texas, the midwest and the southeast.[2] It also performed various airlift missions as part of its training. The squadron deployed to Australia, arriving in January 1943[2] as an element of Fifth Air Force.[3] It made numerous flights in unarmed planes over the Owen Stanley Range transporting reinforcement and supplies to Wau, Papua New Guinea, where enemy forces were threatening a valuable Allied airdrome, for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.[3] It performed paratroop drops at Nadzab (the first airborne operation in the Southwest Pacific)[3] and Noemfoor in New Guinea; Tagaytay, Luzon, and Corregidor and Aparri in the Philippines.[2] Also performed cargo airlift, supply and evacuation, and other assigned missions along the northern coast of New Guinea; the Dutch East Indies and in the Philippines as part of MacArthur's island hopping offensive against the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific. This included supplying guerillas in Mindanao, Cebu, and Panay.[3] In April 1945, it bombed Carabao Island with drums of napalm.[3]
The squadron deployed to Okinawa in August 1945 after the Japanese capitulation[2] and became part of the American occupation forces. It replaced its C-47s with longer range Curtiss C-46 Commando aircraft and moved to Japan and the Korean peninsula during late 1945.[2] Its initial post-war missions included the evacuation of former Allied prisoners of war; later primarily cargo transport missions in the occupied areas of Japan and Korea during the postwar era. The squadron inactivated in 1949 in Japan[2] due to budget constraints; its aircraft being assigned to other units as part of the consolidation.
The squadron was activated as the 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC) in 1959 at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey,[4] and stood alert during the Cold War, with IM-99A (later CIM-10) BOMARC surface to air antiaircraft missiles. The squadron was tied into a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) direction center which could use analog computers to process information from ground radars, picket ships and airborne aircraft[5] to accelerate the display of tracking data at the direction center to quickly direct the missile site to engage hostile aircraft.[6] It trained personnel and prepared for operation of the BOMARC surface-to-air missiles; operated and maintained BOMARC missiles and associated equipment, trained personnel, and maintained a capability to intercept and destroy hostile aircraft until inactivation.[1] The squadron was inactivated on 31 October 1972, one of the last two BOMARC missile squadrons inactivated.[4]
The BOMARC missile site was located 4miles east-southeast of McGuire Air Force Base at . Although geographically separated from the base, it was an off base facility of McGuire and the squadron received administrative and logistical support from McGuire.[7]
The 46th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron were consolidated on 19 September 1985 as the 46th Tactical Missile Squadron while remaining inactive.[1]
46th Troop Carrier Squadron
Activated on 15 June 1942[2]
Redesignated as the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942[2]
Redesignated as the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 10 August 1948[2]
Inactivated on 1 April 1949[2]
46th Air Defense Missile Squadron
Constituted as the 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC) on 10 December 1958
Activated on 1 January 1959[4]
Inactivated on 31 October 1972[4]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua | 23 January 1943 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| New Guinea | 24 January 1943 – 31 December 1944 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| Northern Solomons | 23 February 1943 – 21 November 1944 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| Bismarck Archipelago | 15 December 1943 – 27 November 1944 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| Leyte | 17 October 1944 – 1 July 1945 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| Luzon | 15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| Southern Philippines | 27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron | ||
| World War II Army of Occupation (Japan) | 3 September 1945 – 1 April 1949 | 46th Troop Carrier Squadron |