| Unit Name: | 529th Bombardment Squadron |
| Dates: | 1942–1946; 1947–1949; 1955–1966; 1971–1991 |
| Role: | Medium bomber |
| Mascot: | Li'l Beaver (World War II) |
| Battles: | Southwest Pacific Theater |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Presidential Unit Citation |
| Identification Symbol Label: | 529th Bombardment Squadron emblem |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | 529th Bombardment Squadron emblem[1] |
| Identification Symbol 3 Label: | 529th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[2] |
The 529th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1991.
The squadron was first activated during World War II. After training as a heavy bomber unit in the United States, it moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, entering combat in May 1943, flying combat missions from Australia while attached to the Royal Australian Air Force, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. In 1945 it moved forward to the Philippines, then to Okinawa. Following V-J Day, the squadron returned to the Philippines and was inactivated there in February 1946.
The squadron was activated in the reserves in 1947, but was inactivated in the military budget reductions of 1949.
The squadron was activated at Plattsburgh in July 1955 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber unit. At Plattsburgh, it flew Boeing B-47 Stratojets until inactivating in 1966 when the B-47 was withdrawn from service with SAC. It was again activated in 1971 with General Dynamics FB-111 Aardvarks until inactivating when its planes were transferred to Tactical Air Command and modified for conventional operations.
The squadron was activated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona on 3 November 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 380th Bombardment Group. After training with Consolidated B-24 Liberators, the squadron moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater in April 1943.[1] [3]
The air echelon arrived at Manbulloo Airfield, in the Australian Northern Territory by the end of April.[1] For the remainder of its stay in Australia, the squadron and the rest of the 380th Group would be attached to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It trained RAAF crews on the operation of the Liberator. Its initial combat operations were in May, when it flew armed reconnaissance missions.[3]
From its home in Australia, the 529th attacked Japanese installations in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismark Archipelago, including airfields, ground installations and factories. In August 1943, it participated in a series of raids on oil refineries in Balikpapan, Borneo in what at the time was the longest bombing mission flown by an Army Air Forces bomber unit. For this mission, the squadron was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). During April and May 1944, the unit conducted a series of raids on enemy airfields in western New Guinea to support landings in the Hollandia area, for which it was awarded a second DUC.[3]
The squadron was relieved from attachment to the RAAF and moved to the Philippines in February 1945. Operating from Mindoro, the squadron provided air support for ground forces on Luzon, and attacked industrial targets in Formosa, ground installations along the China coast and transportation targets in French Indochina. It also continued its attacks on refineries in Borneo. In August 1945, the squadron moved to Okinawa. Following V-J Day, the squadron flew reconnaissance missions over Japan and flew prisoners of war from Japan to Manila. The squadron became nonoperational and moved to Fort William McKinley in November 1945. It was inactivated there in February 1946.[1] [3]
The squadron was activated in the reserves at Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida, where its training was supervised by Air Defense Command (ADC). Although nominally a very heavy bomber unit, it is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped at this time.[4] In 1948 Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[5] President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[6] and the 529th was inactivated[1] and not replaced as reserve flying operations at Jacksonville ceased.
The squadron was again activated at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York in July 1955 as part of the 380th Bombardment Wing and equipped with Boeing B-47 Stratojets.[1] Although activated on the 11th, the squadron did not begin to be operational until the end of the month. Substantial work was ongoing to make Plattsburgh operational, and in the first half of 1956, most training was conducted through a detachment of the 380th Wing located at another B-47 base, Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida. From 3 April 1957 to 3 July 1957, the squadron deployed to RAF Brize Norton on Operation Reflex.[7] Reflex placed Stratojets and Boeing KC-97s at bases closer to the Soviet Union for 90 day periods, although individuals rotated back to home bases during unit Reflex deployments [8] The percentage of SAC planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike gradually grew over the next three years to reach the goal of 1/3 of SAC’s force on alert by 1960.[9] [10]
From 1958, the Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases.[10] The alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962.[11]
After the detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba, SAC dispersed its B-47s on 22 October 1962.[12] Most dispersal bases were civilian airfields with AF Reserve or Air National Guard units. Squadron B-47s were configured for execution of the Emergency War Order as soon as possible after dispersal. On 24 October 1962, SAC went to DEFCON 2, placing all its combat aircraft on alert.[13] As tensions eased, on 15 November 1/6 of the dispersed B-47s were recalled to their home bases.[14] On 21 November, SAC went to DEFCON 3. Dispersed B-47s and supporting tankers were recalled on 24 November. On 27 November the squadron returned to its normal alert posture.[15]
The squadron flew the B-47 Until 1965, when the medium bomber began to be phased out of SAC's inventory. Ground alert for B-47s was terminated on 11 February 1966.[16] The squadron began to send its Stratojets to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for retirement. It became nonoperational on 11 June 1966 and was inactivated on 25 June.[7]
See main article: 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. In July 1971, the squadron was activated and became combat ready with the General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark medium bomber.[7] In 1991, the squadron began transferring its aircraft to be modified as F-111G fighter-bombers. With the exception of museum aircraft, the last FB-111 was gone by July 1991,[17] and the squadron was inactivated in September.[18]
Activated on 3 November 1942
Redesignated 529th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 26 August 1944[19]
Inactivated on 20 February 1946
Activated in the reserve on 17 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Activated on 11 July 1955[20]
Inactivated 25 June 1966[21]
Inactivated on 1 September 1991[18]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Offensive, Japan | 28 April 1943 – 2 September 1945 | |||
| New Guinea | 28 April 1943 – 31 December 1944 | |||
| Bismarck Archipelago | 15 December 1943 – 27 November 1944 | |||
| Luzon | 15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 | |||
| China Defensive | 21 February 1945 – 4 May 1945 | |||
| Southern Philippines | 27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 | |||
| China Offensive | 5 May 1945 – 2 September 1945 | |||
| Western Pacific | 17 April 1945 – 2 September 1945 |