12th Missile Squadron
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's 12th Missile Squadron is a missile unit located at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
.
, on February 1, 1940, as a member of the Twenty Fifth Bombardment Group (Heavy). The unit moved from Langley where it trained initially, to Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico
. On 1 November 1940 it was redesignated as the 12th Bombardment Squadron (Medium). The Squadron participated in various training and familiarization flights with its small complement of B-18 Bolo
medium bombers, until 8 November 1941 when it was ordered to deploy to Benedict Field, St. Croix, temporarily until September 1942, then at St. Nicholas, and Antigua
. Using at first B-18 Bolo
s and later B-25s in an anti-submarine role, the 12th protected vulnerable shipping lanes in the Caribbean
area, allowing strategic materials to pass safely through to European destinations. On 20 June 1944, the 12th Bombardment Squadron was disbanded.
Reactivated on 1 December 1961 as an ICBM squadron assigned to the 341st Missile Wing
at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
. Initially equipped with 50 LGM-30A Minuteman Is in early 1962. Upon organization, it became the second Minuteman ICBM squadron in the Air Force. During the mid-1960s the 12th replaced it’s 50 Minuteman I missiles with Minuteman IIs. The 12th SMS was the first squadron at Malmstrom to undergo weapon system upgrade to Minuteman Mod; and on 22 April 1967, it was the first squadron to become fully operational with the new Minuteman II missiles under this program. The 12th SMS was also the first squadron in the wing to undergo silo upgrade. By 1978, the Improved Launch Control System (ILCS) had replaced the Minuteman Mod system and the 12th SMS once again had the state-of-the-art weapon system.
The 12th Missile Squadron (MS) led the way in removing Minuteman II missiles and replacing them with LGM-30G Minuteman III silos from inactivating 321st Strategic Missile Wing at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
in 1996; Minuteman IIs being retired. The new missile enhances capability, increases flexibility, and marks yet another system upgrade.
12th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 12th Missile Squadron is a missile unit located at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Mission
The mission of the 341st Missile Wing is to keep America free and strong by providing combat-ready people and aerospace forces.Heraldry
On a disc of Light Blue sky spattered with White stars, the top of the globe issuing from base, Black, grid lines White; over all a Dark Gray mailed hand issuing from sinister chief, outlines and highlights White, details Light Blue, grasping a sword in pale, point to base, hilt and pommel AF Golden Yellow, blade White, shaded Light Blue, outlines and details Dark Gray, a Red oval spot on pommel, all between a Red lightning flash edged White and a Green Olive branch, details AF Golden Yellow, pilewise. Approved on 5 August 1957 (K 2568).World War II
The 12th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) was organized and activated at Langley Field, VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, on February 1, 1940, as a member of the Twenty Fifth Bombardment Group (Heavy). The unit moved from Langley where it trained initially, to Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. On 1 November 1940 it was redesignated as the 12th Bombardment Squadron (Medium). The Squadron participated in various training and familiarization flights with its small complement of B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
medium bombers, until 8 November 1941 when it was ordered to deploy to Benedict Field, St. Croix, temporarily until September 1942, then at St. Nicholas, and Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
. Using at first B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
s and later B-25s in an anti-submarine role, the 12th protected vulnerable shipping lanes in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
area, allowing strategic materials to pass safely through to European destinations. On 20 June 1944, the 12th Bombardment Squadron was disbanded.
Cold War
Eleven years later, on 1 September 1955, the 12th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, was activated at Abilene Air Force Base, Texas. Before being disbanded once more in 1961, the 12th’s B-47s engaged in training that made it a powerful element of the nation’s strategic air power.Reactivated on 1 December 1961 as an ICBM squadron assigned to the 341st Missile Wing
341st Missile Wing
The United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Initially equipped with 50 LGM-30A Minuteman Is in early 1962. Upon organization, it became the second Minuteman ICBM squadron in the Air Force. During the mid-1960s the 12th replaced it’s 50 Minuteman I missiles with Minuteman IIs. The 12th SMS was the first squadron at Malmstrom to undergo weapon system upgrade to Minuteman Mod; and on 22 April 1967, it was the first squadron to become fully operational with the new Minuteman II missiles under this program. The 12th SMS was also the first squadron in the wing to undergo silo upgrade. By 1978, the Improved Launch Control System (ILCS) had replaced the Minuteman Mod system and the 12th SMS once again had the state-of-the-art weapon system.
Later
In 1994, the 12 MS reorganized under the objective squadron concept. This reorganization took the three combat disciplines, ICBM Operations, Security Police, and Electro- mechanical Maintenance, and combined them under the "one hat" of the missile squadron commander. In early June 1995, Electro-mechanical Maintenance returned to the Logistics Group. In February 1996, Missile Field Chefs became part of the 12 MS team.The 12th Missile Squadron (MS) led the way in removing Minuteman II missiles and replacing them with LGM-30G Minuteman III silos from inactivating 321st Strategic Missile Wing at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
in 1996; Minuteman IIs being retired. The new missile enhances capability, increases flexibility, and marks yet another system upgrade.
Lineage
- Constituted 12th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 December 1939
- Activated on 1 February 1940
- Redesignated: 12th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 7 May 1942
- Redesignated: 12th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 21 September 1943
- Disbanded on 20 June 1944
- Reconstituted, and redesignated 12th Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 10 March 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on 24 July 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated 12th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 7 June 1955
- Activated on 1 September 1955
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 June 1961
- Redesignated 12th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Minuteman), and activated, on 22 September 1961
- Organized on 1 March 1962
- Redesignated 12th Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991.
Assignments
- 25th Bombardment Group25th Tactical Reconnaissance WingThe 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
, 1 February 1940 – 20 June 1944
- Under operational control of Antilles Air Task ForceAntilles Air CommandThe Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico...
and VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber CommandThe VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
, 1 November 1942 – 20 June 1944- 341st Bombardment Group341st Missile WingThe United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 24 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 341st Bombardment Wing341st Missile WingThe United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 1 September 1955 – 25 June 1961 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 22 September 1961 - 341st Strategic Missile Wing341st Missile WingThe United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 1 March 1962 - 341st Operations Group341st Missile WingThe United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 1 September 1991–present
- 341st Bombardment Group
Stations
- Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 1 February-26 October 1940 - Borinquen Field, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, 1 November 1940 - Benedict Field, St Croix, c. 8 November 1941
- Dakota FieldQueen Beatrix International AirportQueen Beatrix International Airport , in Oranjestad, Aruba, is an aviation facility. It has flight services to the United States, most countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America, Canada and some parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands...
, ArubaArubaAruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, c. 10 October 1942
- Detachment operated from Borinquen Field, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, c. November 1942-23 November 1943- Coolidge FieldVC Bird International AirportV. C. Bird International Airport is located on the island of Antigua, northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.- History :...
, AntiguaAntiguaAntigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, 23 November 1943 – 24 March 1944 - Alamogordo AAF, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 6 April-20 June 1944 - Westover Field (later, AFB), MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 24 July 1947 - Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, 24 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 - Abilene (later, Dyess) AFB, Texas, 1 September 1955 – 25 June 1961
- Coolidge Field
- Deployed at: Andersen AFB, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 9 January-c. 4 April 1958- Malmstrom AFB, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 1 March 1962–present
- Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Aircraft and Missiles
- B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
, 1940–1944 - B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1943–1944 - AT-6 Texan, 1947–1949
- AT-11 KansanBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
, 1947–1949 - B-47 StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, 1956–1961 - LGM-30A/B Minuteman ILGM-30 MinutemanThe LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
, 1962–1968 - LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1968–1991
- LGM-30G Minuteman III, 1996 – Present
12th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities
- Missile Alert Facilities (F-J flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
- F-01 8.6 mi NxNE of Augusta MT, 47°36′17"N 112°18′38"W
- G-01 13.8 mi SW of Simms MT, 47°19′32"N 112°05′39"W
- H-01 5.9 mi NxNE of Fairfield MT,47°41′48"N 111°56′33"W
- I-01 11.0 mi ExNE of Cascade MT, 47°18′45"N 111°28′25"W
- J-01 7.0 mi ExNE of Power MT, 47°45′06"N 111°32′46"W