34th Bomb Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 34th Bomb Squadron


caption= 34th Bomb Squadron Patch
dates= 11 June 1917 - 10 June 1919
15 July 1931 - 26 November 1945
19 March 1947 - 10 September 1948
10 May 1952 - 25 June 1958
15 November 1962 - 30 September 1976
1 July 1992 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Strategic Bombing
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Combat Command
12th Air Force
28th Bomb Wing
28th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Ellsworth Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= ThunderBirds (Doolittle's Raiders)
patron=
motto=
colors=Red, Black
march=
mascot= T-Bird
battles= Doolittle Raid
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 34th Bomb Squadron (34 BS) is part of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It operates B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.

Mission

Provide combat-ready aircrews to project global power anytime in support of the Combatant Commander's objectives.

History

The oldest squadron in the United States Air Force, activated June 11th, 1917. After WW I, the 34th was a ground training unit in 1918. It flew antisubmarine patrols from, 22 December 1941–c. March 1942. It contributed aircrews with its sister squadron, the 37th Bomb Squadron (Tigers), for the Doolittle raid on Tokyo, Japan, of 18 April 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in European Theater of Operations and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations from, 30 December 1942–1 May 1945. It oversaw German disarmament, June–September 1945.

The squadron also flew combat missions in Korea from, c. 10 May 1952–July 1953. It also provided crews and aircraft to other Strategic Air Command units conducting combat operations over Southeast Asia. In 2001, the 34th Bomb Squadron assigned to the Gunfighters of the 366th Wing, conducted devastating attacks versus the Taliban and Al Queda. In 2003, the T-birds kicked off OIF with the largest Precision Guided Bomb (PGM) strike in history, when a 4-ship of B-1s delivered 96 GBU-31 2,000 lb JDAMs.

Operations

*World War I
*World War II
*Korean War
*Afghanistan
*Iraq

Lineage

*34th Aero Squadron (1917 - 1923)
*34th Pursuit Squadron (1923 - 1935)
*34th Attack Squadron (1935 - 1939)
*34th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) (1939 - 1944)
*34th Bombardment Squadron, Medium (1944 - 1947)
*34th Bombardment Squadron, Light (1947 - 1952)
*34th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder (1952 - 1955)
*34th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical (1955 - 1962)
*34th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy (1962 - 1992)
*34th Bomb Squadron (1992 - Present)

Assignments

*Second Aviation Instruction Center (1917 - 1919)
*17th Bombardment Group (1931 – 1945, 1947 - 1948, 1952 - 1958)
*Strategic Air Command (1962 – 1963)
*17th Bombardment Wing (1963 – 1976)
*366th Fighter Wing (1992 - 2001)
*28th Bomb Wing (2001 - Present)

Bases stationed

*Camp Kelly, Texas (1917)
*England (1917)
*Tours, France (1917 - 1919)
*Mitchel Field, New York (1919)
*March Field, California (1931 - 1940)
*McChord Field, Washington (1940 - 1941)
*Pendleton, Oregon (1941)
*Portland, Oregon (1941 - 1942)
*Lexington County Airport, South Carolina (1942)
*Barksdale Field, Louisiana (1942)
*Telergma, Algeria (1942 - 1943)
*Sedrata, Algeria (1943)
*Djedeida Air Field, Tunisia (1943)
*Villacidro, Sardinia (1943 - 1944)
*Poretta, Corsica (1944)
*Dijon, France (1944 - 1945)
*Linz, Austria (1945)
*Hörsching, Austria (1945)
*Marchtrenk, Austria (1945)
*Clastres, France (1945)
*Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts (1945)
*Langley Air Force Base, Virginia (1947 - 1948)
*Pusan Air Base, Korea (1952 - 1954)
*Miho Air Base, Japan (1954 - 1955)
*Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (1955 - 1958)
**Deployed: RAF Sculthorpe, England (18 January – 4 March 1958)
*Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (1963 - 1975)
*Beale Air Force Base, California (1975 - 1976)
*Castle Air Force Base, California (1992 - 1994)
*Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho (1994 - 2001)
*Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota (2001 - Present)

Aircraft operated

*P-12 (1931 - 1934, 1935 - 1936)
*P-26 Peashooter (1935 - 1935)
*A-17 (1936 - 1940)
*YA-19 (1936 - 1940)
*B-18 Bolo (1939 - 1940)
*B-23 Dragon (1940 - 1941)
*B-25 Mitchell (1941 - 1942)
*B-26 Marauder (1942 – 1945, 1952 - 1956)
*B-57 Canberra (1955 - 1956)
*B-66 Destroyer (1956 - 1958)
*B-52 Stratofortress (1963 - 1976, 1992 - 1994)
*B-1 Lancer (1994 - Present)

References

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0034bs.html USAF 34th Bomb Squadron History]
* [http://www.ellsworth.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3736 28th Operations Group Fact Sheet]