96th Bomb Squadron

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Lineage

Organized as 96th Aero Squadron on 20 Aug 1917. Redesignated: 96th Squadron (Bombardment) on 14 Mar 1921; 96th Bombardment Squadron on 25 Jan 1923; 96th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Dec 1939; 96th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, c. 6 Mar 1944. Inactivated on 28 Feb 1946. Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 Apr 1946. Activated on 1 Jul 1947. Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 28 May 1948. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Apr 1963. Redesignated 96th Bomb Squadron on 28 Sep 1993. Activated on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments

Unkn, 20 Aug 1917?Sep 1918; 1st Day Bombardment Group, Sep?Nov 1918; unkn, Nov 1918?Sep 1919; 1st Day Bombardment (later, 2d Bombardment) Group, 18 Sep 1919?28 Feb 1946 (attached to 1st Surveillance Group, 12 Nov 1919?10 Jan 1921, and to 1st Provisional Air Brigade, May?Oct 1921). 2d Bombardment Group, 1 Jul 1947; (attached to 2d Bombardment Wing, 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952); 2d Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952?1 Apr 1963. 2d Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993?.

Stations

Kelly Field, TX, 20 Aug?7 Oct 1917; Clermont-Ferrand, France, 16 Nov 1917; Amanty, France, 18 May 1918; Maulan, France, 23 Sep 1918; Colombey-les-Belles, France, 10 Jan 1919; St Denis de Pile, France, 13 Feb 1919; Libourne, France, 12?16 Apr 1919; Mitchel Field, NY, 2 May 1919; Ellington Field, TX, 26 May 1919; Camp Furlong, NM, c. 28 Jun 1919; Fort Bliss, TX, 3 Jul 1919 (flight operated from Douglas, AZ, c. 10 Aug 1919?10 Jan 1920); Kelly Field, TX, 12 Jan 1920 (operated from Langley Field, VA, 20 May?26 Oct 1921); Langley Field, VA, 30 Jun 1922; Ephrata, WA, 29 Oct 1942; Glasgow, MT, 29 Nov 1942?14 Mar 1943; Navarin, Algeria, 25 Apr 1943; Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria, 27 Apr 1943; Ain M?lila, Algeria, 17 Jun 1943; Massicault, Tunisia, 30 Jul 1943; Amendola, Italy, c. 10 Dec 1943; Foggia, Italy, c. 20 Oct 1945?28 Feb 1946. Andrews Field, MD, 1 Jul 1947; Davis-Monthan Field (later, AFB), AZ, 24 Sep 1947; Chatham AFB, GA, 1 May 1949; Hunter AFB, GA, 29 Sep 1950?1 Apr 1963 (deployed at Bassingbourne RAF Station, England, 4 May?24 Sep 1951; Upper Heyford RAF, England, 4 Sep?3 Dec 1952; Sidi Slimane Afld, French Morocco, 11 Aug?20 Sep 1954 and 6 Jul?24 Aug 1956). Barksdale AFB, LA, 1 Oct 1993?.

Aircraft

In addition to Breguet 14, included DH?4, 1918; included DH?4, Caproni bomber, HP 0/400, and MB?2 (NBS?1) during period 1919?1928; included LB?5, LB?7, B?3, and apparently B?5 during period 1928?1932; primarily B?6 during period 1932?1936; in addition to B?10, B?17, and B?18, included B?25 during period 1936?1942; B?17, 1942?1945. B?29, 1947?1950; B?50, 1949?1954; B?47, 1954?1963.

Operations

Combat as a day bombardment unit with the French Eighth and American First Army, 12 Jun?4 Nov 1918. Mexican border patrol, Aug 1919?10 Jan 1920; participated in demonstrations of the effectiveness of aerial bombardment on warships, Jun?Sep 1921, and 5 Sep 1923; good-will flights to South America, 1938?1939. Antisubmarine patrols, 8 Dec 1941?c. 28 Oct 1942; combat in MTO and ETO, 28 Apr 1943?1 May 1945. Strategic bombardment training, 1 Jul 1947?1 Apr 1963.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War I: Lorraine; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Steyr, Austria, 24 Feb 1944; Germany, 25 Feb 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Nov 1956?1 Apr 1957.

Emblem

On a Black disc edged with a narrow White inner border and a narrow Black outer border a Red demi-devil issuing from base grasping in its right hand a White aerial bomb pointing to base. Approved on 4 Mar 1924 (K 2676) and slightly modified in 1994.

  
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