328th Weapons Squadron

328th Weapons Squadron
300px USAF Cyberwarriors at the 624th Operations Center, located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Active	1942–1994; 2003–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Advanced Space Superiority and Cyberspace Warfare Operations Training
Part of	USAF Weapons School
Garrison/HQ	Nellis AFB, Nevada
Engagements	World War II American Antisubmarine Theater EAME Theater 1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (9x)
Insignia
328th Weapons Squadron emblem	125px

The United States Air Force's 328th Weapons Squadron (328 WPS) is an USAF Weapons School training unit located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

The squadron's origins trace back to the 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) activated on 28 January 1942. The 328th Bombardment Squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry during the raid on the Ploesti, Romania oil refineries during August 1943. The 328th flew the B-29, B-47, B-50, and B-52G during the Cold War.

Mission

The 328 WPS is one of eighteen squadrons at the United States Air Force Weapons School. The 328 WPS is the largest squadron within the USAF Weapons School and manages two separate syllabi: the Space Superiority Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) and the Cyberspace Warfare Operations WIC.

History

World War II

File:328th Bombardment Squadron - B-24 Liberators.jpg

B-24J-55-CO s/n 42-99949 Lost on September 21, 1944 over Belgium in a mid-air collision with B-24H (s/n 42-94969) from the 93rd's 330th Bomb Squadron. Both planes crashed near Ingelmunster,Belgium. Photo taken 14 August 1944.

Established in early 1942 initially as a B-24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron, flying antisubmarine patrols. Later was redesignated as a heavy bomb group; trained under Third Air Force in Florida. Completed training in late 1942; deployed to the European theater of operations (ETO) as one of the initial heavy bomber squadrons assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, September 1942.

Engaged in long-rang strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe. Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt in December 1942; operating from airfields in Libya and Tunisia. Raided enemy military and industrial targets in Italy and in the southern Balkans, including the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Polesti, Romania, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry in that raid. Also flew tactical bombing raids against Afrika Korps defensive positions in Tunisia; supporting British Eighth Army forces in their advance to Tunis, in September and October 1943.

Returned to England with disestablishment of IX Bomber Command in North Africa. From England, resumed long-range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive. The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in the Eighth Air Force, continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May, 1945.

Returned to the United States in June, 1945; being re-manned and re-equipped with B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Trained for deployment to the Central Pacific area to carry out very long range strategic bombing raids over Japan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for deployment, instead became Continental Air Command (later Strategic Air Command) B-29 squadron.

Cold War

During the Cold War, the squadron was equipped with new weapons systems as they became available, performing strategic bombardment training with the B-50 Superfortress, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1950. The B-50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary.

By 1951, the emergence of the Soviet Mig-15 interceptor in the skies over North Korea signaled the end of the propeller-driven B-50 as a first-line strategic bomber. The squadron received B-47 Stratojet jet bombers in 1954. In 1955 it began receiving an early model of the B-52 Stratofortress and upgraded to various models over the next 40 years. Taken off nuclear alert after the end of the Cold War, the squadron was inactivated in 1994 with the inactivation of its parent unit and the close of Castle AFB.

Modern era

The weapons school's Space Division was activated in July 1996 and the Space Division was redesignated as the 328th Weapons Squadron in 2003. The unit has graduated over 250 weapons officers.

Lineage

File:328th Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png

Emblem of the World War II 328th Bombardment Squadron

• Constituted 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Activated on 1 Mar 1942

Re-designated: 328th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943

Re-designated: 328th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 23 May 1945

Re-designated: 328th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948

Re-designated: 328th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 Feb 1955

Re-designated: 328th Bomb Squadron on 1 Sep 1991

Inactivated on 15 Jun 1994

• Re-designated 328th Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003

Activated and organized on 3 February 2003, assuming resources of Space Division, USAF Weapons School

Assignments

• 93d Bombardment Group, 1 Mar 1942
• 93d Bombardment Wing, attached 10 Feb 1951, assigned 16 Jun 1952
• 93d Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991-15 Jun 1994
• USAF Weapons School, 3 Feb 2003–Present

Stations

• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 1 Mar 1942
• Page Field, Florida, 18 May-13 Aug 1942
• RAF Alconbury (AAF-102), England, 7 Sep 1942
• RAF Hardwick (AAF-104), Englandc. 6 Dec 1942-15 Jun 1945

Air echelon operated from: Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 7–15 Dec 1942

Air echelon operated from: RAF Gambut, Libya, 16 Dec 1942-25 Feb 1943

Air echelon operated from: Bengasi Airport, Libya, 27 Jun-25 Aug 1943

Air echelon operated from: Oudna Airfield, Tunisia, 18 Sep-3 Oct 1943

• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 26 Jun-26 Jul 1945

• Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas, 20 Aug 1945
• Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico, 13 Dec 1945
• Castle Field (later, AFB), California, 21 Jun 1946-15 Jun 1994

Flight of aircraft and personnel deployed to 1708th Provisional Bombardment Wing, Prince Abdulla AB, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Aug 1990-Mar 1991 (Operation Desert Storm)

Flight of aircraft and personnel deployed to 4300th Provisional Bombardment Wing, Diego Garcia AB, British Indian Ocean Territories, Jan-Mar 1991 (Operation Desert Storm)

• Nellis AFB, Nevada, 3 Feb 2003–Present

Aircraft operated

• B-52H Stratofortress (1974–1993)
• B-52G Stratofortress (1966–1967; 1974–1994)
• B-52F Stratofortress (1958–1974)
• B-52E Stratofortress (1957–1958; 1967–1970)
• B-52D Stratofortress (1956–1958)

• B-52B Stratofortress (1955–1965)
• B-47 Stratojet (1954–1955)
• B-50 Superfortress (1949–1954)
• B-29 Superfortress (1945–1949)
• B-24 Liberator (1942–1945)

References

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

• USAFHRA 328 Weapons Squadron Factsheet

External links

• The 93rd Bombardment Group Museum, Station 104, Hardwick. A small museum on the actual airfield site in Nissen (Quonset) and brick built huts.