Misplaced Pages

96th Bomb Squadron
96th Bomb Squadron members with B-52H Stratofortress
Active	1917–1946; 1947–1963; 1993–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Global Strike Command
Garrison/HQ	Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
Nickname(s)	Red Devils
Colors	Red and Black
Mascot(s)	Red Devil
Tail Code	"LA"
Engagements	World War I World War II - Antisubmarine World War II - EAME Theater Operation Desert Strike Operation Southern Watch Operation Allied Force Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (6x)
Insignia
96th Bomb Squadron emblem (Air Force Historical Research Agency version)
96th Bomb Sq emblem (The Institute of Heraldry version)
96th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 4 March 1924)

The 96th Bomb Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force 2d Operations Group located at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 96th is equipped with the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress.

Formed in August 1917, the 96 BS saw combat on the World War I Western Front, in France. It took part in the St. Mihiel offensive and Meuse-Argonne offensive. Later, it served with the Army Air Service and Army Air Corps in the Inter-War period it participated in Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell's 1921 off-shore bombing tests and during World War II fought in the North African and Italian campaigns. It was a part of Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. Since 1993, the 96th Bomb Squadron has flown the B-52H Stratofortress long-range heavy bomber, which can perform a variety of missions. Today the squadron is engaged in the Global War on Terrorism.

History

World War I

On 12 June 1918 the 96th Aero Squadron were the first Americans to bomb in combat at Dommary-Baroncourt Railyard, France. It was formed at Kelly Field, Texas. Originally consisting of 80 men, largely college graduates or college dropouts, volunteers all, and something of an elite group, since their aeronautical qualifications were the highest in the U.S. Army Air Service. Just before embarking upon its first aerial warfare, the squadron decided upon its insignia, a black triangle outlined by a white strip enclosing the profile of a red devil thumbing his nose at the ground with his left hand. In his right, he held a white bomb. This distinctive emblem was designed by the squadron's talented graphic artist, Harry O. Lawson.

The 96th saw combat as part of the 1st Day Bombardment Group, supporting the French Eighth and U.S. First Army from, 12 June 1918 – 4 November 1918. It operated French-made Breguet 14 planes and was involved in an embarrassing fiasco when the entire squadron landed around Koblenz, Germany by accident, providing all of their planes intact to the Germans. Nonetheless, it was the most heavily engaged and most successful USAS bomber squadron.

Inter-War period

Returned to the United States from France in May, 1919, was re-organized at Ellington Field, Houston, Texas and equipped with Martin MB-2 day bombers. Reassigned to several airfields in the southwest, its primary mission was reconnaissance along the Mexican border.

In May 1920 was temporarily assigned to Langley Field, Virginia and became part of the First Provisional Air Brigade under General Billy Mitchell. Trained with the Handley Page O/400 and Martin MB-2 bombers. Its mission would be to attack captured German ships along the Atlantic coast off Virginia in a service demonstration to determine whether a battleship could be sunk by bombing. The targets were an aged and surplus US battleship and four former German Navy vessels, including the battleship SMS Ostfriesland, obtained in the peace settlement after World War I and scheduled for scuttling.

On 13 July the Army airmen made their first appearance. The Martin bombers (limited to 300-pound bombs by the rules of the service test by the Navy) sank the former German destroyer G-102 in 19 minutes. On 18 July Navy and Army airplanes took turns attacking the former German light cruiser SMS Frankfurt. No bomb heavier than 600 pounds was allowed. There were frequent intermissions as inspectors dragged out their on-board inspections. The Air Service was finally allowed to strike and sank the vessel with 600-pound bombs. The Navy, which had figured on using gunfire from ships to finish off Frankfurt, was surprised.

On 21 July a flight of six Martins and two Handley Pages, each carrying a 2,000-pound bomb. As the pilots stood by waiting to take off, Johnson called with a change in rules. The bombers could bring no more than three of their biggest bombs to the target area. The written agreement had been that the Air Service would be allowed two direct hits with their biggest bombs. One of the Handley Pages had to drop out of the formation, but the other seven airplanes went on to the target. They had no intention of making two direct hits and stopping the test. Their orders were to aim for near misses to create water hammer shock waves against the hull. The first bomb fell at 12:18 p.m. It was a near miss, as planned. The other airplanes swept in at spaced intervals and delivered their ordnance. "We could see her rise eight or 10 feet between the terrific blows from under water," Mitchell said. The sixth bomb, at 12:31, sealed Ostfriesland's doom. Twenty-two minutes after the first bomb fell, the old battleship sank at 12:40. The seventh airplane, a Handley Page, dropped its unneeded bomb as a final salute at the point where the battleship had gone down.

With the completion of the demonstration, the 96th returned to Texas in October. The unit transferred to Langley Field on a permanent basis in June 1922 and engaged in routine training; tested and experimented with equipment and tactics; participated in maneuvers; flew mercy missions to aid victims of a flood in Pennsylvania in 1936 and victims of an earthquake in Chile in 1939; and made goodwill flights to South America in the late 1930s.

Received new Boeing B-17B Flying Fortress in the summer of 1939, being one of the first three squadrons to receive the new bomber. In November 1939, seven Fortresses flew from Langley Field to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on a good-will mission. All planes returned safely with no major incidents, once again demonstrating the safety and reliability of the B-17 design.

World War II

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, served on antisubmarine duty along the mid-Atlantic coastline as part of I Bomber Command for several months until AAF Antisubmarine Command was formed and took over that duty.

Re-equipped with more modern B-17F Flying Fortresses and assigned to II Bomber Command in Pacific Northwest for transition and combat training in late 1942 and early 1943. Moved to North Africa in April 1943, carrying out bombing missions in Algeria and Tunisia as part of Twelfth Air Force during the North African campaign. Flew many support and interdictory missions, bombing such targets as marshalling yards, airdromes, troop concentrations, bridges, docks, and shipping. Participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia, Apr-May 1943; the reduction of Pantelleria and the preparations for the Allied Invasion of Sicily, May-Jul 1943; the invasion of Italy, Sep 1943.

Transferred to Fifteenth Air Force in December 1943 and engaged in bombing operations primarily in Italy in support of the Allied drive north toward Rome, Jan-Jun 1944; the Invasion of southern France, Aug 1944; and the campaigns against German forces in northern Italy, Jun 1944-May 1945. Engaged primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets after Oct 1943, attacking oil refineries, aircraft factories, steel plants, and other objectives in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Greece.

En route to bomb a vital aircraft factory at Steyr on 24 Feb 1944, the group was greatly outnumbered by enemy interceptors, but it maintained its formation and bombed the target, receiving a Distinguished Service Cross for the performance. On the following day, while on a mission to attack aircraft factories at Regensburg, it met similar opposition equally well and was awarded a second DUC. Served as part of the occupation force in Italy after V-E Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 Feb 1946.

Cold War

Reactivated under Strategic Air Command on 1 July 1947 and equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Trained for strategic bombardment missions during the postwar years, being upgraded to the new atomic bomb-capable Boeing B-50 Superfortress in 1948. Replaced the propeller-driven B-50s with new Boeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements or to storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in late 1962 and was inactivated in April 1963.

Reactivation

The squadron was reactivated on 1 October 1993 as part of the 2nd Operations Group, 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana using the personnel, facilities and aircraft from the recently inactivated 596th Bomb Squadron.

On 1 August 1994 B-52H's 60-0008 "Lucky Lady IV" and 60-0059 "Laissez Le Bon Temps Roulez" set off on a round the world bombing mission, named Exercise Global Power 94-7. The bombers (using the callsigns Storm 1 & Storm 2) flew east and after around 17 hours into the flight they each dropped 27 Mk82 500lb bombs on the Udairi Bomb Range in Kuwait from a height of 800 feet. The two bombers continued flying east and landed back at Barksdale AFB 47.2 hours later, setting a new world record.

In September 1996, it deployed and launched attacks against military targets in Iraq in support of Operation Desert Strike. It earned the 1996 Mackay Trophy for the 33-hour long mission from Louisiana to Iraq and back as the most meritorious flight of the year. Since 1993 it has conducted combat operations to support worldwide conventional and nuclear taskings and provided long-range, heavy strike, initial response, and sustained firepower in support of all regional and global warfighting commanders. In late 1996, the squadron deployed to support Operation Southern Watch, returning again in 1998. In 1999, crews from the squadron deployed to Royal Air Force Base Fairford in support of Operation Allied Force.

In January 2002, the squadron deployed to fly combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan. It supported OEF until early 2007 when it began focusing full-time on the continuous bomber presence mission in the Pacific Theater. The squadron supported deployments in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and again in 2011 to Andersen AFB, Guam.

In 2011, as part of Air Force Global Strike Command's Global Strike Challenge (successor to SAC's Bomb Comp), the 96th Bomb Squadron won three awards:

The Bartsch Trophy for best ECM Score beating 9 other B-52 squadrons/units,

The Mitchell Trophy for best bombing score (6 meter BDU-50, beating 19 other B-1, B-2 and B-52 squadrons/units), and

The Linebacker Trophy for best B-52 Squadron in 2011.

In 2020, the 96th Bomb Squadron was selected as the best strategic bomber squadron by U.S. Navy Adm. Charles Richard, commander of USSTRATCOM:

The Omaha Trophy for best strategic bomber squadron in 2020.

Lineage

• Organized as the 96th Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment) on 20 August 1917

Redesignated 96th Squadron (Bombardment) on 14 March 1921

Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron on 25 January 1923

Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939

Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 6 March 1944

Inactivated on 28 February 1946

• Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 April 1946

Activated on 1 July 1947

Redesignated 96th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948

Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1963

• Redesignated 96th Bomb Squadron on 28 September 1993

Activated on 1 October 1993

Assignments

• Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 20 August 1917
• Unknown, 7 October 1917
• 1st Day Bombardment Group, September 1918
• Unknown, November 1918
• 1st Air Depot, AEF, 10 January-13 February 1919
• Unknown, 13 February–September 1919
• 1st Day Bombardment Group (later 2d Bombardment Group), 18 September 1919 – 28 February 1946 (attached to 1st Surveillance Group, 12 November 1919 - 10 January 1921, 1st Provisional Air Brigade, May–October 1921)
• 2d Bombardment Group, 1 July 1947 (attached to 2d Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951)
• 2d Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 1 April 1963
• 2d Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present

Stations

World War I

Inter-War period

• Mitchel Field, New York, 2 May 1919
• Ellington Field, Texas, 26 May 1919
• Camp Furlong, New Mexico, c. 28 June 1919
• Fort Bliss, Texas, 3 July 1919

Flight operated from Douglas Airport, Arizona, c. 10 August 1919-10 January 1920

• Kelly Field, Texas, 12 January 1920

Operated from Langley Field, Virginia, 20 May-26 October 1921

• Langley Field, Virginia, 30 June 1922

World War II

United States Air Force

• Andrews Field, Maryland, 1 Jul 1947
• Davis-Monthan Field (later Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Arizona, 24 Sep 1947
• Chatham Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 May 1949
• Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, 29 September 1950 – 1 April 1963

Deployed at: RAF Bassingbourn, England, 4 May-24 September 1951

Deployed at: RAF Upper Heyford, England, 4 September-3 December 1952

Deployed at: Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, 11 August-20 September 1954 and 6 July-24 August 1956

• Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1 October 1993 – present

Aircraft

• Breguet 14, 1918
• Airco DH.4, 1918
• Dayton-Wright DH-4, 1919-1928
• Caproni Ca.3, 1919-1928
• Handley Page 0/400, 1919-1928
• Martin NBS-1, 1919-1928
• Keystone LB-5, 1928-1932
• Keystone LB-7, 1928-1932
• Keystone B-3, 1928-1932
• Keystone B-5, 1928-1932
• Keystone B-6, 1932-1936
• Martin B-10, 1936-1942
• Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1936-1942
• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1936-1942
• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1936-1945
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1947-1950
• Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1949-1954
• Boeing B-47E Stratojet, 1954-1963
• Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 1993–present

See also

• List of American Aero Squadrons
• Robert D. Knapp
• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
• List of B-29 Superfortress operators
• List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

Notes

1. Aircraft is Boeing B-52H-145-BW Stratofortress serial 60-28.
2. "On a disc vert, a caricatured devil proper facing dexter, grasping in his dexter hand a bomb argent inside a triangle of the second and filled sable, all within a narrow border yellow. Attached below the disc, a blue scroll edged with a narrow yellow border and inscribed "96TH BOMB SQ" in Yellow letters. The emblem is symbolic of the "Daredevil" qualities of fearlessness and boldness, the devil characterizes the spirit of the Squadron and its past and present personnel. The bomb represents the historic mission of the unit, which it has performed since the beginning of aerial warfare in World War I.""Uniformed Services, U.S. Air Force Heraldry, 96th Bomb Squadron". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

References

Citations

1. ^ Robertson, Patsy (20 February 2015). "Factsheet 96 Bomb Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 320-321
3. ^ "Barksdale Air Force Base Library: Factsheet 2nd Bomb Wing". 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
4. ^ Correll, John T. (2008). "Billy Mitchell and the Battleships". Air Force Magazine. 91 (6). Air Force Association. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
5. Baugher, Joe (16 July 1999). "Boeing B-17B Fortress". joebaugher.com. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
6. "Twentieth anniversary of record-setting flight around the world". Retrieved 28 September 2019.
7. "Record flight proved B-52's endurance". Retrieved 28 September 2019.
8. "USSTRATCOM Commander Announces 2020 Omaha Trophy Winners". U.S. Strategic Command. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
9. Assignment information in Robertson, except as noted.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) . Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

Further reading

• Gorrell, Col. Edgar S. (1974). History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919. Series E: Squadron Histories. Vol. 14 History of the 96th Aero Squadron. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. OCLC 215070705.

v t e United States Air Force
Leadership	Department of the Air Force Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force Air Staff Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff Director of Staff Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Four-star generals Three-star generals 1940–1959 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present House Armed Services Committee House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services Senate Subcommittee on Airland Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Structure	Commands Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations Direct Reporting Units District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy Major commands ACC AETC AFGSC AFMC AFRC AFSOC AMC PACAF USAFE–AFAFRICA Numbered Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Expeditionary Fifteenth Sixteenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Wings ANG Groups ANG Squadrons ANG Security Forces Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol
Personnel and training	Personnel Rank officers cadets enlisted Specialty Code Aeronautical ratings Judge Advocate General's Corps RED HORSE Security Forces Medical Service Chief of Chaplains Chief Scientist Training: Air Force Academy Officer Training School Reserve Officer Training Corps Basic Training Airman Leadership School SERE Fitness Assessment
Uniforms and equipment	Awards and decorations Badges Equipment Aircraft Uniforms
History and traditions	History Aeronautical Division / Aviation Section / Division of Military Aeronautics / Army Air Service / Army Air Corps / Army Air Forces "The U.S. Air Force" Air Force Band Airman's Creed Core Values Flag Symbol Memorial National Museum Women Airforce Service Pilots Air Force One / Air Force Two Honor Guard Thunderbirds Service numbers Air & Space Forces Association
Category

v t e Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
Bases	Barksdale Dyess Ellsworth F. E. Warren Kirtland Malmstrom Minot Whiteman
Units	Air Forces Eighth (Strategic) Twentieth (Strategic) Wings Air Base 377th Bomb 2d 5th 7th 28th 509th Missile 90th 91st 341st Nuclear Systems 498th Groups Helicopter 582d Operations 2d 5th 7th 28th 90th 91st 341st 509th Squadrons Bomb 9th 11th 13th 20th 23rd 28th 34th 37th 69th 93rd 96th 343d 393rd Combat Training 394th Flight test 576th Missile 10th 12th 319th 320th 321st 490th 740th 741st 742d Helicopter 37th 40th 54th Strategic Operations 625th Training 436th
Weapon systems	Bombers B-1B Lancer B-2 Spirit B-52H Stratofortress Command E-6B Mercury Helicopters UH-1N Iroquois Missiles LGM-30G Minuteman III
Leadership	Kowalski Klotz Wilson Rand Ray Cotton Bussiere

v t e Air Combat Command (ACC)
Air Forces	First (Northern) Ninth (Central) Twelfth (Southern) Fifteenth Sixteenth (Cyber)
Centers	601st Air Operations 609th Air Operations 612th Air Operations 616th Operations Air Force Technical Applications Cyberspace Capabilities United States Air Force Warfare
Bases	Beale Creech Davis–Monthan Grand Forks Langley–Eustis (Langley) Moody Mountain Home Nellis Offutt Seymour Johnson Shaw Tonopah Tyndall
Wings	Composite 23rd 53rd 55th 57th 355th 432nd Fighter 1st 4th 20th 325th 366th 388th Cyberspace 67th 688th Other 9th Reconnaissance 70th ISR 93rd Air Ground Operations 99th Air Base 319th Reconnaissance 363rd ISR 461st Air Control 480th ISR 505th Command and Control 552nd Air Control 557th Weather 633rd Air Base

v t e Strategic Air Command (SAC)
Bases	active (MAJCOM) CONUS Altus (AETC) Andersen (PACAF) Andrews (AMC) Barksdale (ACC) Beale (ACC) Bolling (AFDW) Cannon (AFSOC) Cape Cod (USSF) Columbus (AETC) Davis-Monthan (ACC) Dyess (ACC) Eielson (PACAF) Ellsworth (ACC) Eglin (AFMC) F. E. Warren (AFGSC) Fairchild (AMC) Forbes (ANG) Grand Forks (AMC) Grissom (AFRC) Homestead (AFRC) Lincoln (ANG) Little Rock (AETC) MacDill (AMC) Malmstrom (AFGSC) March (AFRC) McChord (AMC) McConnell (AMC) McGuire (AMC) Minot (ACC) Mountain Home (ACC) Nellis (ACC) Offutt (ACC) Patrick (USSF) Pease (ANG) Rickenbacker (ANG) Robins (AFMC) Seymour Johnson (ACC) Sheppard (AETC) Selfridge (ANG) Travis (AMC) Vandenberg (USSF) Westover (AFRC) Whiteman (ACC) Wright-Patterson (AFMC) overseas RAF Alconbury (USAFE) Diego Garcia (USN) Kadena (PACAF) RAF Fairford (USAFE) RAF Lakenheath (USAFE) RAF Mildenhall (USAFE) Thule (USSF) former / inactive CONUS Amarillo Bergstrom Biggs Calumet Air Force Station Carswell Castle Chennault Clinton-Sherman Dow Eaker Glasgow Grand Island (AAF) Griffiss Hunter K. I. Sawyer Kearney Kincheloe Larson Loring Lowry Mather McCoy Plattsburgh Presque Isle Ramey R.I. Bong (unbuilt) Schilling Stead Turner Walker Wurtsmith overseas Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom RAF Bassingbourn Ben Guerir Boulhaut RAF Brize Norton RAF Bruntingthorpe RAF Burtonwood RAF Chelveston RAF Greenham Common Goose Ernest Harmon RAF High Wycombe RAF Upper Heyford Torrejón RAF Manston Morón Nouasseur Rabat-Salé RAF Scampton RAF Sculthorpe Sidi Slimane RAF South Ruislip U-Tapao RAF Waddington RAF Woodbridge RAF Wyton Zaragoza
Units	Air Forces Second Air Force Eighth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force Sixteenth Air Force Twentieth Air Force Divisions Air 3d 4th 5th 6th 7th 12th 14th 17th 19th 21st 36th 40th 42d 45th 47th 57th 100th 311th 801st 802d 806th 817th 822d 823d 4310th Strategic aerospace 1st 18th 22d 810th 813th 816th 818th 819th 820th 821st 825th Strategic missile 13th Wings Bombardment 2d 5th 7th 9th 17th 19th 22d 28th 39th 40th 42d 43d 68th 70th 72d 92d 93d 96th 97th 99th 303d 319th 320th 340th 379th 380th 397th 410th 416th 449th 450th 454th 456th 461st 465th 484th 494th 509th Fighter 1st 4th 12th 27th 31st 33d 56th 71st Strategic Reconnaissance (Fighter) 82d 407th 506th 508th Missile 44th 90th 91st 308th 321st 341st 351st 381st 389th 390th 392d 451st 455th 702d 703d 704th 705th 706th 4320th Strategic Wing (Missile) Reconnaissance 6th Strategic Reconnaissance 26th Strategic Reconnaissance 55th Strategic Reconnaissance 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Refueling 11th 100th 301st 305th 384th 452d 497th 499th 500th Strategic Aerospace 310th 385th 462d AFCON 95th 98th 306th 307th 376th MAJCOM 3918th 3920th 3960th 3970th 3973d 4026th 4038th 4039th 4042d 4043d 4047th 4080th 4081st 4082d 4083d 4123d 4126th 4128th 4130th 4133d 4134th 4135th 4136th 4137th 4138th 4141st 4157th 4158th 4170th 4228th 4238th 4239th 4241st 4245th 4252nd 4258th 4321st USAAF Groups *= initial assigned unit upon SAC's activation Bombardment 2d (7/47) 7th (10/46) 28th (8/46) 40th (3/46*) 43rd (10/46) 44th (3/46*) 92nd (10/46) 93d (3/46*) 97th (8/46) 98th (7/47) 301st (8/46) 307th (8/46) 444th (3/46*) 448th (3/46*) 449th (3/46*) 467th (3/46*) 485th (3/46*) 498th (3/46*) 509th Composite (3/46*) Fighter 27th (6/47) 55th (2/47) Reconnaissance 91st Strategic Reconnaissance (1/47)
Major weapon systems	Bombers Rockwell B-1 Lancer Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Boeing B-29 Superfortress Convair B-36 Peacemaker North American B-45 Tornado Boeing B-47 Stratojet Boeing B-50 Superfortress Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Convair B-58 Hustler General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark Command & Control Lockheed DC-130 Boeing E-4 Boeing EC-135 Boeing RC-135 Fighters North American F-2 Mustang North American F-82 Twin Mustang Republic F-84F Thunderstreak North American F-86 Sabre Convair F-102 Delta Dagger General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark Missiles ADM-20 AGM-28 AGM-69 AGM-84 AGM-86 AGM-129 HGM-16 LGM-30A/B LGM-30F LGM-30G LGM-118A SM-62 PGM-17A PGM-19A Reconnaissance Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Lockheed TR-1 Lockheed U-2 Martin RB-57D Canberra Boeing RB-17 Boeing RB-29 Tankers Boeing KB-29 Superfortress Boeing KB-50 McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter Lockheed HC-130 Lockheed Martin KC-130 Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker Transport Beechcraft C-45 Douglas C-47 Skytrain Douglas C-54 Skymaster Fairchild C-82 Packet Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter Douglas C-118 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar Douglas C-124 Globemaster II Convair C-131 Samaritan Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
Commanders	George Kenney Curtis LeMay Power Ryan Joseph J. Nazzaro Bruce K. Holloway John C. Meyer Russell E. Dougherty Richard H. Ellis Bennie L. Davis Larry D. Welch John T. Chain, Jr, George Lee Butler
Emblems	Strategic Air Command Emblem Gallery
United States military aircraft designation systems

• Military units and formations in Louisiana
• Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force