321st Missile Squadron

321st Missile Squadron
250px LGM-30G Minuteman III test launch at Vandenburg AFB, California
Active	1942-1946; 1947-1948; 1951-1960; 1964-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Intercontinental ballistic missile
Part of	Air Force Global Strike Command
Garrison/HQ	Francis E. Warren Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Bombs Away! (World War II)
Engagements	World War II (Asia-Pacific Theater)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (3x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (12x) Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col Cynthia Gundersen
Insignia
321st Missile Squadron emblem (approved 4 November 1965)
Patch with unofficial 321st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron emblem
321st Bombardment Sq emblem (approved 27 March 1943)
321st Bombardment Squadron "Jolly Rogers" patch

The 321st Missile Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 90th Operations Group, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. The squadron is equipped with the LGM-30G Minuteman III Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with a mission of nuclear deterrence.

History

World War II

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

B-24D-170-CO Liberator 42-72956 on Mission to Wewak, New Guinea, 24 February 1944

The squadron was first organized as the 321st Bombardment Squadron at Key Field, Mississippi in April 1942 as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit and one of the original squadrons of the 90th Bombardment Group. The squadron trained with Liberators in the southeastern United States under III Bomber Command until August.

"Jolly Rogers" of the 90th Bombardment Group on a mission, 1943

The squadron moved to Willow Run Airport, Michigan for conversion training on newly manufactured Ford Liberators. Assigned to VII Bomber Command with B-24Ds, the unit moved to Hickam Field, Hawaii in September. The squadron arrived in northern Queensland, Australia in November 1942 and began bombardment missions under V Bomber Command almost immediately.

The squadron attacked enemy airfields, troop concentrations, ground installations and shipping in New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, Palau and the southern Philippines. The 321st was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its operations in Papua between through January 1943. The unit participated in the Battle of Bismarck Sea in March 1943, and earned another citation for strikes on enemy airfields at Wewak, New Guinea in September 1943 despite heavy flak and fighter opposition.

During 1944, the 321st supported the New Guinea Campaign through the end of June, then made long-range raids on oil refineries at Balikpapan, Borneo, in September and October. In January 1945, the squadron moved to the Philippines and supported ground forces on Luzon, attacked industrial targets on Formosa, and bombed railways, airfields, and harbor facilities on the Asiatic mainland. Shortly before the end of the war in the Pacific, the 90th moved to Okinawa, from which it would be able to strike the Japanese home islands.

After VJ Day, the squadron flew reconnaissance missions over Japan and ferried Allied prisoners of war from Okinawa to Manila. It ceased operations by November 1945. The squadron was inactivated in the Philippines in early 1946.

Strategic Air Command

The squadron was active but unmanned from, 1 July 1947 – 1 September 1948. Brought to operational status under Strategic Air Command in 1951, being equipped with RB-29 Superfortresses at Fairchild AFB, Washington. Moved to Forbes AFB, Kansas shortly afterward and conducted operational training from, 1 June 1951-September 1952, replacement training from, 1 June 1951 – 1 September 1953, and. SHORAN training from, 10 November 1952-30 Novovember 1953 Replaced the propeller-driven RB-29s with new RB-47E Stratojet swept-wing reconnaissance bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. Flew many long-range clandestine missions with the RB-47, flying many ferret missions around the periphery of Soviet territory, and sometimes inside on penetration flights to map planned routes for B-52s if combat missions over the Soviet Union ever became necessary. Began performing RB-47 crew training from, c. 1 January 1959 – 20 June 1960. Began phasing down RB-47 missions in 1959 when the vulnerability of the aircraft to Soviet air defenses became evident, was inactivated on 20 June 1960.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron

Reactivated on 9 April 1964 as an ICBM squadron assigned to the 90th Missile Wing at Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Initially equipped with 50 LGM-30B Minuteman Is in early 1964. Upgraded to LGM-30G Minuteman III in 1973/1974, has maintained ICBMs on alert ever since. Its current commander is Lt Col Matthew Dillow.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 321 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 April 1942

Redesignated 321 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 6 March 1944

Inactivated on 27 January 1946

• Redesignated 321 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 11 June 1947

Activated on 1 July 1947

Inactivated on 6 September 1948

• Redesignated 321 Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 20 December 1950

Activated on 2 January 1951

Redesignated 321 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium on 16 June 1952

Discontinued on 20 June 1960

• Redesignated 321 Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Minuteman) on 16 September 1963

Organized on 9 April 1964

Redesignated 321 Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991

Assignments

• 90th Bombardment Group, 15 April 1942 - 27 January 1946
• 90th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1947 - 6 September 1948
• 90th Bombardment Group, 2 January 1951 (attached to 90th Bombardment Wing after 16 Feb 1951)
• 90th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 16 June 1952 - 20 June 1960
• Strategic Air Command, 16 September 1963 (not organized)
• 90th Strategic Missile Wing, 9 April 1964
• 90th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – present

Stations

• Key Field, Mississippi, 15 April 1942
• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 17 May 1942
• Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina, 21 June 1942
• Willow Run Airport, Michigan, 9 - 23 August 1942
• Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 12 September 1942
• Iron Range Airfield, Queensland, Australia, c. 4 November 1942
• Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome), Port Moresby, New Guinea, 10 February 1943
• Dobodura Airfield Complex, New Guinea, December 1943
• Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, c. 23 February 1944
• Mokmer Airfield, Biak Island, Netherlands East Indies, 12 August 1944
• McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, 26 January 1945
• Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, 15 August 1945
• Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 23 November 1945 - 27 January 1946
• Andrews Field (later Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 1 July 1947 - 6 September 1948
• Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, 2 January 1951
• Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 14 March 1951 - 20 June 1960
• Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, 9 April 1964 - present

Aircraft and missiles

• Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1942–1945)
• Boeing RB-29 Superfortress (1951–1954)
• Boeing RB-47E Stratojet (1954–1960)
• LGM-30B Minuteman I (1964–1974)
• LGM-30G Minuteman III (1973–Present)

LGM-30 Minuteman Missile Alert and Launch Facilities

321st Missile Squadron Launch Facilities

Missile Alert Facilities (K-O flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:

K-01 6.8 mi S of Dix NE,

L-01 21.9 mi N of Stoneham CO,

M-01 12.1 mi NE of Stoneham CO,

N-01 1.7 mi N of Raymer CO,

O-01 11.8 mi E of Grover CO,

See also

• List of United States Air Force missile squadrons

References

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• Warren AFB Minuteman Site Coordinates