564th Missile Squadron

564th Missile Squadron
564th Missile Squadron emblem
Active	1943-15 August 2008
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Missile Operations
Role	Nuclear Deterrence
Part of	341st Missile Wing
Garrison/HQ	Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
Nickname	Deuce
Engagements	World War II *Ploesti Oil Field Raid, Ploesti, Romania

Coordinates: 47°30′17″N 111°11′14″W / 47.50472°N 111.18722°W / 47.50472; -111.18722 (Malmstrom AFB)

564th Missile Squadron Morale Patch

564th Missile Squadron Deuce Warrior patch

"Dorothy" B-24D-15-CF Liberator 42-63960 564th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. on raid over Congac France. Photo date: 8 February 1944

The 564th Missile Squadron (564 MS, nicknamed "Deuce") was a unit of the United States Air Force at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. It was inactivated on 19 August 2008

Mission

The missileers of the 564th were responsible for five Missile Alert Facilities and 50 Minuteman III ICBMs. The squadron had five missile combat crews on alert duty, 24 hours a day, every day, with the support of facility managers and chefs, and security forces from the 341st Security Forces Group.

History

World War II

Emblem of the World War II 564th Bombardment Squadron

Activated as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadron in December 1942; assigned to II Bomber Command for training. Primarily trained in Texas and Colorado. Received deployment orders for the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in April 1943.

Deployed to England in May 1943, being assigned to the VIII Bomber Command and stationed at RAF Hethel. Upon its arrival at Hethel, was sent almost immediately to Libya, where it began operations on July 9, 1943. The detachment flew missions to Crete, Sicily, Italy, Austria, and Romania. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the detachment's participation in the famed low-level attack against oil refineries at Ploesti on August 1, 1943. Returned to England in August and the squadron flew several missions against airfields in France and Holland.

The squadron deployed again temporarily to Tunisia during September and October 1943 with the group supporting Allied operations at Salerno and hit targets in Corsica, Italy, and Austria.

Resumed operations from RAF Hethel in October 1943 the squadron engaged in very long range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. Targets included industrial facilities; oil production facilities and refineries, rail and other transportation centers, enemy military airfields and garrisons. The squadron participated in the intensive air campaign against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, February 20–25, 1944.

Continued attacks on enemy targets until the German Capitulation in May 1945; returning to the United States later that month and reforming at Charleston Army Airfield, South Carolina. Unit personnel were demobilized throughout the summer of 1945. Inactivated on 13 September 1945.

Effective 15 September 1947, the squadron was activated at Fairfax Field, Kansas. Having been allotted to the organized reserves, with assignment to Second Air Force, Air Defense Command, it was redesigned as a very heavy bombardment unit on 25 August. In July 1948, the squadron was assigned to the Tenth Air Force, which in December, became a part of the Continental Air Command. The squadron was inactivated on 27 June 1949 due to budget restrictions.

Atlas-D ICBM era

Emblem of the 564th SMS (SM-65D Atlas era)

Reactivated on 1 July 1958 as a Strategic Air Command SM-65D Atlas ICBM launch squadron, stationed at FE Warren AFB, Wyoming and assigned to the 706th Strategic Missile Wing. The 706th SMW was the first United States Air Force ICBM wing to be activated, and the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron became the first missile unit constructed solely for operational purposes.

The 564th was programmed for the above-ground Atlas D ICBM launch and control facilities. Construction delays of the Atlas launch sites led to delays in its operational activation. With General Power (the Commander in Chief of SAC) present, the first Atlas D complex was turned over to the 564th SMS and declared operational on August 9, 1960.

The squadron was assigned six Atlas D missiles. Six launch pads were grouped together, controlled by two launch operations buildings, and clustered around a central guidance control facility. This was called the 3 x 2 configuration: two launch complexes of three missiles each constituted a squadron. The missiles were housed in a "coffin launcher" style complexes. The missile was kept in semi-hard facilities in which the missile was stored above ground horizontally above ground. In order to launch, a 400-ton overhead door was rolled back after which the "bird" was raised to a vertical position. Once upright, the rocket was fueled with RP-1 and Liquid Oxygen after which it would then be made ready for launch. (see below for site details).

Was reassigned to the 389th Strategic Missile Wing on 1 July 1961, replacing the 706th in a name-only re-designation. The Atlas missiles were retired and removed in the summer of 1964 in favor of the more advanced LGM-25C Titan II; squadron was inactivated on 1 September. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization, although in current aerial imagery both the "A" and "B" sites are very much still intact.

Minuteman ICBM era

On December 14, 1965, the 564th MS was reactivated in its current role as an ICBM squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. Equipped with the then-new Minuteman II missile, it earned its nickname as the "Deuce" squadron and was declared fully operational May 3, 1967.

As a result of the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review, the 341st Missile Wing deactivated the Minuteman III WS-133B missile system and subsequent inactivation of the 564th Missile Squadron.

"The Minuteman III has served the United States exceptionally during its deployment and will continue to do so," said Col. Sandra Finan, former commander, 341st MW.

Malmstrom AFB currently operates, maintains and secures two types of Minuteman III Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting (REACT) weapons systems; the REACT-A and REACT-B configurations. The wing will deactivate its Minuteman III REACT-B command and control systems, operated by the 564th Missile Squadron. The Minuteman III missiles removed during deactivation will return to the weapon system's flight test and operation programs, extending the system's viable service life.

"The men and women of the 564th Missile Squadron have a distinguished history serving our country and we are proud of the great work they have done to accomplish our strategic deterrence mission," Colonel Finan said.

The 341st Missile Wing will continue to operate, maintain and secure 150 Minuteman III ICBMs and 15 Launch Control Centers providing safe and secure strategic deterrence just like the other two missile wings at FE Warren AFB, Wyo., and Minot AFB, N.D.

The official inactivation ceremony was held on August 19, 2008.[1]

Lineage

• Constituted 564th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942

Activated on 24 December 1942

Redesignated 564th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 4 January 1944

Inactivated on 13 September 1945

• Redesignated 564th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 28 January 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 27 February 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 564th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas) on 1 May 1958

Activated on 1 July 1958

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 September 1964

• Redesignated 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 14 December 1965

Organized on 1 April 1966

Redesignated 564th Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991.

Inactivated on 19 August 2008

Assignments

• 389th Bombardment Group, 24 December 1942-13 September 1945
• Second Air Force, 15 September 1947
• Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1948-27 June 1949
• Second Air Force, 15 August 1959
• 706th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 December 1958
• 389th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1961-1 September 1964
• Strategic Air Command, 14 December 1965
• 341st Strategic Missile Wing, 1 April 1966
• 341st Operations Group, 1 September 1991-19 August 2008

Stations

Aircraft and missiles

SM-65D Atlas missile sites northwest of Warren AFB, Wyoming

LGM-30 Minuteman Missile Alert and Launch Facilities northwest of Malmstrom AFB, Montana

• B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1947–1949
• SM-65D Atlas Missile, 1960–1964

Operated two missile sites (Site "A", Site "B") of three missiles at each site (6 total) (Sites are adjacent to each other) This was the nations first ICBM base outside Vandenberg AFB. Because the Atlas D was radio controlled above ground, the launchers had to be clustered close to the radio transmitters. Together the two sites were referred to as "Warren I":

564-A, 10.6 mi NW of Federal WY 41°22′44″N 104°58′25″W / 41.37889°N 104.97361°W / 41.37889; -104.97361 (564-A)

564-B, 10.6 mi NW of Federal WY 41°22′43″N 104°58′07″W / 41.37861°N 104.96861°W / 41.37861; -104.96861 (564-B)

• LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1967–1975
• LGM-30G Minuteman III, 1975–2008

Missile Alert Facilities (P-T flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:

P-00 2.9 mi NE of Conrad MT, 48°12′18″N 111°54′31″W / 48.205°N 111.90861°W / 48.205; -111.90861 (P-00)

Q-00 9.0 mi E of Ledger MT, 48°15′37″N 111°37′33″W / 48.26028°N 111.62583°W / 48.26028; -111.62583 (Q-00)

R-00 12.8 mi ExNE of Brady MT, 48°05′42″N 111°34′36″W / 48.095°N 111.57667°W / 48.095; -111.57667 (R-00)

S-00 2.2 mi E of Brady MT, 48°02′14″N 111°47′30″W / 48.03722°N 111.79167°W / 48.03722; -111.79167 (S-00)

T-00 4.0 mi SxSW of Valier MT, 48°15′09″N 112°16′32″W / 48.2525°N 112.27556°W / 48.2525; -112.27556 (T-00)

564th Minuteman Missile Squadron Launch Facilities

Emblem description

Azure, between flaunches Or bearing fleures-de-lis of the first a "sky sword" Yellow charged on the grip with a spring of laurel Blue; all within a diminished bordure Celeste. Approved 15 September 1967 (K 11275), modified on 28 February 1995; replaced emblem approved on 9 July 1959 (10416 A.C.).

Decorations

• Distinguished Unit Citation: Ploesti, Romania, 1 August 1943.
• Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 July 1975–30 June 1976; 1 July 1976–30 June 1977; 1 July 1978–30 June 1980; 1 July 1980–30 June 1981; 1 July 1989–30 June 1991; 1 September 1991-31 August 1993.
• 341st Operations Group Squadron of the Year 2005

See also

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal
	World War II portal

• List of United States Air Force missile squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.