Country United States Part of USAF Weapons School | Type Squadron | |
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Active 1942–1994; 2003–Present Branch United States Air Force Role Advanced Space Superiority and Cyberspace Warfare Operations Training | ||
The United States Air Force's 328th Weapons Squadron (328 WPS) is an USAF Weapons School training unit located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Contents
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.
World War II
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.