822d Tactical Missile Squadron

History

It was activated in early 1941 by the Army Air Corps, as a medium bomber squadron during the pre-war mobilization by the United States. It performed coastal patrols as part of the First Air Force, with B-18 Bolos and early-model B-26 Marauders.

The unit was deployed to Australia in early 1942, to reinforce the Fifth Air Force after its withdrawal to Australia. It was then re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, and flew missions from Northern Queensland over New Guinea. It then moved to forward airfields in New Guinea and followed MacArthur's advance along the northern coast of the island into the Netherlands East Indies, flying tactical bombardment missions against Japanese strong points and airfields. It moved to Luzon, Philippines, as part of the United States liberation forces in 1945, and then moved to Okinawa during the summer in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. It moved to Japan and became part of the Occupation Forces but was inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

The unit was reactivated in France in 1953, as a NATO B-57 light bombardment squadron, equipped for night bombardment with nuclear weapons. It was moved to West Germany in 1958 as a MGM-1 Matador tactical missile squadron when the unit was ordered out of France.

It then remained as a tactical missile unit until 1966 when the Mace was retired.

Lineage

Constituted 822d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 29 March 1943

Activated on 20 April 1943 Inactivated on 12 April 1946

Redesignated 822d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 15 November 1952

Activated on 1 January 1953 Redesignated: 822d Bombardment Squadron (Tactical) on 1 October 1955 Redesignated: 822d Tactical Missile Squadron on 18 June 1958 Organized by re-designation of 11th Tactical Missile Squadron Inactivated on 25 September 1966

Assignments

38th Bombardment Group, 20 April 1943 – 12 April 1946; 1 January 1953

38th Bombardment Wing, 8 December 1957

587th Tactical Missile Group, 18 June 1958

38th Tactical Missile Wing, 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966

Stations

Dispersed Matador/Mace missile location

Site I "Chargirl" – 2.6 miles (4.2 km) SSW of Sembach AB 49°28′16″N 007°50′56″E

Closed 1966. Redeveloped into a training facility of the local Kaiserslautern soccer club. The launch pads have been completely overbuilt with soccer fields.