569th Strategic Missile Squadron

World War II

Activated in early 1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadron, it trained under the Second Air Force. It deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during July 1943 where it was assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. It participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Squadron personnel were demobilized in England and returned to the United States; the squadron was reassigned to the Second Air Force and was planned to be re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses for deployment to the Pacific Theater. The Japanese capitulation led to the units' inactivation in August 1945, being neither manned or equipped.

It was re-activated in the postwar Air Force Reserve as a B-29 squadron in 1947 and inactivated due to budget reductions in 1949.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron

It was re-activated once more in 1961 as a HGM-25A Titan I ICBM launch squadron, the last such activation of a Titan I squadron within the Strategic Air Command. The squadron was deployed in a 3x3 configuration, which meant a total of nine missiles were divided into three bases. Each base had three ICBMs ready to launch at any given time.

On 19 November 1964, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara announced the phasing-out of the remaining first-generation SM-65 Atlas and Titan I missiles by the end of June 1965. Consequently, the Titan Is of the 569th SMS were removed from alert status on 17 February 1965. The last missile was shipped out on 1 April. The US Air Force subsequently inactivated the squadron.

Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization. Today the remains of the sites are still visible in aerial imagery, in various states of use or abandonment.

Lineage

Constituted as the 569th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 January 1943

Activated on 26 January 1943 Inactivated on 28 August 1945

Re-designated as the 569th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 3 July 1947

Activated in the reserve on 24 June 1947 Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Re-designated as the 569th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 12 December 1960

Organized on 1 June 1961 Inactivated on 1 April 1965

Assignments

390th Bombardment Group, 26 January 1943 – 28 August 1945

Second Air Force, 24 July 1947

Tenth Air Force, 1 Ju1 1948-27 June 1949

Strategic Air Command, 12 December 1960

9th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 1 June 1961 – 31 July 1984

Stations

Geiger Field, Washington, 26 January 1943

Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana, 6 June-4 July 1943

RAF Framlingham (AAF-153), England, 26 July 1943 – 6 August 1945

Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 14–28 August 1945

Lowry Field, Colorado, 24 July 1947 – 27 June 1949

Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 1 May 1962 – 31 July 1984

Aircraft and missiles

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945

B-29 Superfortress, 1947–1949

SM-68 Titan I Missile 1962-1964

Operated three missile sites: (1 Jun 1961-25 Jun 1965)