Lineage

Organized as 18th Aero Squadron on 16 Jun 1917. Redesignated 23d Aero Squadron (Repair) on 22 Jun 1917. Demobilized on 22 Mar 1919. Reconstituted, and consolidated (1924) with 23d Squadron, which was authorized on 30 Aug 1921, organized on 1 Oct 1921, redesignated 23d Bombardment Squadron on 25 Jan 1923. Redesignated: 23d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 6 Dec 1939; 23 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940; 23d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 6 Mar 1944; 23d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 30 Apr 1946. Inactivated on 10 Mar 1947. Redesignated 23d Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, on 16 Sep 1947. Activated on 20 Oct 1947. Redesignated: 23d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic, on 16 Jun 1949; 23d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Heavy, on 14 Nov 1950; 23d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Oct 1955; 23d Bomb Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

Unkn, 16 Jun 1917?22 Mar 1919. Ninth Corps Area, 1 Oct 1921; 5th Group (Observation) (later, 5th Group [Pursuit and Bombardment]; 5th Group [Composite]; 5th Composite Group), 29 Mar 1922; 19th Bombardment Group, 8 May 1929 (attached to 5th Composite [later, 5th Bombardment] Group, 8 May 1929?11 Oct 1938); 5th Bombardment Group, 12 Oct 1938?10 Mar 1947. 5th Reconnaissance, (later, 5th Strategic Reconnaissance) Group, 20 Oct 1947 (attached to 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18?24 Aug 1948; 32d Composite Wing, 24 Aug 1948?16 Mar 1949; 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1?17 Jun 1949; 5th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952); 5th Strategic Reconnaissance, (later, 5th Bombardment) Wing, 16 Jun 1952; 5th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991?.

Stations

Camp Kelly, TX, 16 Jun 1917; Hazelhurst Field, NY, 5 Sep 1917?6 Jul 1918; Thetford, England, c. 25 Jul 1918 (detachments at Hucknall Torkard and Salisbury, c. 18 Aug?c. 5 Nov 1918); Duxford, England, 2 Sep 1918; Codford, England, 5 Nov 1918; Cherbourg, France, 11 Nov 1918; St Maixent, France, 18 Nov 1918; St Nazaire, France, c. 29 Jan?20 Feb 1919; Garden City, NY, c. 8?22 Mar 1919. March Field, CA, 1 Oct 1921?21 Mar 1922; Luke Field, TH, 29 Mar 1922; Hickam Field, TH, 1 Jan 1939; Mokuleia, TH, 24 Mar?3 Nov 1942; Espiritu Santo, 1 Dec 1942?3 Jan 1944 (air echelon operated from Guadalcanal, 31 Mar?24 Aug 1943, and 21 Oct?7 Dec 1943); Munda, New Georgia, 9 Jan 1944; Momote Airfield, Los Negros, 16 Apr 1944; Wakde, c. 20 Aug 1944; Noemfoor, c. 30 Sep 1944; Moratai, c. 16 Oct 1944; Samar, 20 Feb 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, Dec 1945?10 Mar 1947. Clark Field, Luzon, 20 Oct 1947; Kadena AB, Okinawa, 15 May 1948; Yokota AB, Japan, 16 Mar?2 May 1949; Fairfield?Suisun AFB, CA, 19 May 1949; Topeka (later, Forbes) AFB, KS, 1 Jun 1949; Mountain Home, ID, 25 Jun 1949; Fairfield?Suisun (later, Travis) AFB, CA, 1 Nov 1949 (deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam, 14 Jan?12 Apr 1955); Minot AFB, ND, 25 Jul 1968?.

Aircraft

In addition to NBS?1, included JN?6, DH?4 and others during period 1922?1929; primarily B?4, B?5, and LB?6 during period 1929?1937; B?12, 1937?1939; B?18, 1938?1942; B?17, 1941?1943; B?24, 1943?1945. C?46, 1947?1948; B/FB?17, 1947?1948; F?2, 1947?1948; RB?29, 1948?1951; RB?36, 1951?1955; B/RB?36, 1955?1958; B?52, 1959?.

Operations

Repaired and maintained aircraft and engines, 1917?1918. Bombed lava flowing from Mauna Loa, diverting it from the city of Hilo, 27 Dec 1935. Patrols over the Pacific, 8 Dec 1941?Nov 1942; 26 Aug?18 Oct 1943. Combat in South, Southwest, and Western Pacific, 27 Apr?16 Aug 1943, 22 Oct?6 Dec 1943, 22 Jan?1 Mar 1944, 18 Apr 1944?12 Aug 1945. Non?operational, 1946?1947. Photo-mapping in the Philippines. Formosa, and Southwest Pacific, Nov 1947?Mar 1949. Performed strategic reconnaissance, 1949?1952. Assumed a strategic bombardment mission, 1953?. From 1968 to 1975 provided qualified B?52 aircrews to other SAC units involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia.

Honors

Service Streamers. World War I Theater of Operations.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Central Pacific; Guadalcanal; China Defensive; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Woleai Island, 18 Apr?15 May 1944; Borneo, 30 Sep 1944. Presidential Unit Citation (Navy): Southwest Pacific, [1?9 Dec] 1942. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1977?30 Jun 1979; 1 Jul 1983?30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1985?30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1986?30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1989?30 Jun 1991; 1 Jul 1991?30 Jun 1993. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII).

Emblem

On a Blue disc a volcano in Black silhouette with Red lava flowing from the crater, extending upward therefrom and intermingled with clouds, futuristic vari-colored rays from Yellow to Red, on front thereof five Black drop bombs, two on the dexter and three on the sinister side. Approved on 30 Sep 1931 and reinstated on 13 Jan 1994; (8543 A.C.); replaced emblem approved on 12 May 1952 (44361 A.C.).