69th Bomb Squadron

69th Bomb Squadron
Emblem of the 69th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1940–1994 2009-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Bombardment
Part of	5th Bomb Wing Eighth Air Force Air Force Global Strike Command
Garrison/HQ	Minot Air Force Base
Nickname	Knighthawks
Colors	Gray/yellow

The 69th Bomb Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. After being inactivated on 1 September 1991, it was reactivated on 3 September 2009 at Minot Air Force Base, and assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. Initially the squadron will operate four B-52s, receiving further aircraft incrementally until it reaches full strength of 11 primary aircraft and two spares.

History

Established as a pre-World War II GHQAF bombardment squadron; equipped with B-18 Bolos and early-model B-26 Marauders. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, squadron was engaged in antisubmarine operations over the mid-Atlantic coast. Reassigned to Third Air Force and equipped with A-26 Invader light bombers; deployed to Fifth Air Force in Australia in 1942 as part of the re-equipping of that command after its withdraw to Australia after the 1941-1942 Battle of the Philippines.

Deployed to South Pacific Area (SPA); being assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and attacking enemy targets in the Solomon Islands; New Hebrides and other enemy locations north and east of Papua New Guinea. Became part of Mac Arthur's New Guinea campaign, supported Army ground forces with tactical bombing of enemy formations and targets along the northern coast of New Guinea and in the Dutch East Indies.

Attacked enemy forces in the Philippines during early 1945 as part of the liberation from Japanese control; continued combat missions until the Japanese capitulation in August 1945. Became part of the Fifth Air Force forces in Occupied Japan in 1946 before being demobilized and inactivated in May 1946.

Reactivated as a Strategic Air Command B-36 Peacemaker bombardment squadron in 1953. Engaged in worldwide training missions with the B-36 until 1956 when re-equipped with the jet B-52 Stratofortress. Deployed to Western Pacific during the Vietnam War and flew conventional Arc Light bombardment missions over enemy military and industrial targets in North Vietnam. Returned to the United States and maintained nuclear alert until the end of the Cold War; Inactivated in 1991 with the drawdown of US Strategic forces.

Notable members include: Charles Patrick Cary III, Christopher Abdullah, Emma Axtell, Maxswole Thomas Stabile, Alexander Jonathan Tyskowski, Daniel Burdin, and Aarya Sawant. Reactivated in 2009 as part of Air Force Global Strike Command.

Lineage

• Constituted 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940

Activated on 15 January 1941

Inactivated on 10 May 1946

• Redesignated 69th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 February 1953

Activated on 25 February 1953.

Inactivated on 1 September 1991

• Redesignated 69th Bomb Squadron

Activated in 3 September 2009

Assignments

• 38th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941
• 42d Bombardment Group, 26 February 1943 – 10 May 1946
• 42d Bombardment Wing, 25 February 1953 – 1 September 1991
• 5th Bombardment Wing, 3 September 2009–present

Stations

Aircraft

• B-52H Stratofortress (2009–present)
• B-52G Stratofortress (1959–1991)
• B-52D Stratofortress (1957–1959)
• B-52C Stratofortress (1956)
• B-36 Peacemaker, (1953–1956)
• A-26 Invader, (1942–1946)
• B-26 Marauder, (1941–1943)
• B-18 Bolo, (1941)

See also

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal

• United States Army Air Forces in Australia
• USAAF in the Battle of Midway
• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

External links

v t e Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) Bases Barksdale F. E. Warren Malmstrom Minot Whiteman Units Air Forces Eighth Air Force Twentieth Air Force Wings Bomb 2d Bomb 5th Bomb 509th Bomb Missile 90th Missile 91st Missile 341st Missile Squadrons Bomb 11th Bomb 13th Bomb 20th Bomb 23d Bomb 69th Bomb 93d Bomb 96th Bomb 343d Bomb 393d Bomb Flight test 576th Flight Test Squadron Missile 10th Missile 12th Missile 319th Missile 320th Missile 321st Missile 490th Missile 740th Missile 741st Missile 742d Missile Strategic Operations ‎ 625th Strategic Operations Squadron Weapon systems Bombers B-2 Spirit B-52 Stratofortress Command E-6B Mercury Helicopters UH-1N Iroquois Missiles LGM-30G Minuteman III Leadership Kowalski Klotz

v t e Strategic Air Command (SAC) Bases Active (MAJCOM) CONUS Altus (AETC) • Andersen (PACAF) • Andrews (AMC) • Barksdale (ACC) • Beale (ACC) • Bolling (AFDW) • Cannon (AFSOC) • Columbus (AETC) • Davis-Monthan (ACC) • Dyess (ACC) • Eielson (PACAF) • Ellsworth (ACC) • Eglin (AFMC) • F. E. Warren (AFSPC) • Fairchild (AMC) • Forbes (ANG) • Grand Forks (AMC) • Grissom (AFRC)  • Homestead (AFRC)  • Lincoln (ANG)  • Little Rock (AETC) • MacDill (AMC) • Malmstrom (AFSPC) • March (AFRC)  • McChord (AMC) • McConnell (AMC) • McGuire (AMC) • Minot (ACC) • Mountain Home (ACC) • Nellis (ACC)  • Offutt (ACC)  • Patrick (AFSPC) • Pease (ANG)  • Rickenbacker (ANG)  • Robins (AFMC) • Seymour Johnson (ACC)  • Sheppard (AETC) • Selfridge (ANG)  • Travis (AMC) • Vandenburg (AFSPC) • Westover (AFRC)  • Whiteman (ACC) • Wright-Patterson (AFMC) Overseas RAF Alconbury (USAFE) • Diego Garcia (RAF) • Kadena (PACAF) • RAF Fairford (USAFE) • RAF Lakenheath (USAFE) • RAF Mildenhall (USAFE) • Thule (AFSPC) Inactive CONUS Amarillo • Bergstrom • Biggs • Calumet Air Force Base • Carswell • Castle • Chennault • Clinton-Sherman • Dow • Eaker • Glasgow • Grand Island (AAF) • Griffiss • Hunter • K. I. Sawyer • Kearney • Kincheloe • Larson • Loring • Lowry • Mather • McCoy • Plattsburgh • Presque Isle • Ramey • R.I. Bong (unbuilt) • Shilling  • Stead  • Turner • Walker • Wurtsmith Overseas RAF Bassingbourn • Ben Guerir • Boulhaut • RAF Brize Norton • RAF Bruntingthorpe • RAF Burtonwood • RAF Chelveston • RAF Greenham Common • Goose Bay • Ernest Harmon • RAF High Wycombe • RAF Upper Heyford • Torrejón • RAF Manston • Morón • Nouasseur • RAF Scampton • RAF Sculthorpe • Sidi Slimane • RAF South Ruislip • U-Tapao • RAF Waddington • RAF Woodbridge • RAF Wyton • Zaragoza Units Air Forces Second Air Force • Eighth Air Force • Fifteenth Air Force • Sixteenth Air Force • Twentieth Air Force Divisions Air 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 12th • 14th • 17th • 19th • 21st • 36th • 40th • 42d • 45th • 47th • 57th • 100th • 311th • 801st • 802d • 806th • 817th • 822d • 823d • 4310th Strategic Aerospace 1st • 18th • 22d • 810th • 813th • 816th • 818th • 819th • 820th • 821st • 825th Strategic Missile 13th Wings Bombardment 2d • 5th • 7th • 9th • 17th • 19th • 22nd • 28th • 39th • 42d • 43rd • 68th • 70th • 72d • 92nd • 93d • 96th • 97th • 99th • 303d • 319th • 320th • 340th • 379th • 380th • 397th • 410th • 416th • 449th • 450th • 454th • 456th • 461st • 465th • 484th • 494th • 509th Fighter 1st • 4th • 12th • 27th • 31st • 33d • 56th • 71st Strategic Reconnaissance (Fighter) • 82d • 407th • 506th • 508th Missile 44th • 90th • 91st • 308th • 321st • 341st • 351st • 381st • 389th • 390th • 392d • 451st • 455th • 526th • 702d • 703d • 704th • 705th Reconnaissance 6th Strategic Reconnaissance • 26th Strategic Reconnaissance • 55th Strategic Reconnaissance • 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Refueling 11th • 100th • 301st • 305th • 384th • 452d • 497th • 499th • 500th Strategic Aerospace 310th • 385th • 462d AFCON 95th • 98th • 306th • 307th • 376th MAJCOM 3918th • 3920th • 3960th • 3970th • 3973d • 4026th • 4038th • 4039th • 4042d • 4043d • 4047th • 4080th • 4081st • 4082d • 4083d • 4123d • 4126th • 4128th • 4130th • 4133d • 4134th • 4135th • 4136th • 4137th • 4138th • 4141st • 4157th • 4158th • 4170th • 4228th • 4238th • 4239th • 4241st • 4245th • 4252nd • 4258th • 4321st Support 40th USAAF Groups *=Initial Assigned Unit Upon SAC's Activation Bombardment 2d (7/47) • 7th (10/46) • 28th (8/46) • 40th (3/46*) • 43rd (10/46) • 44th (3/46*) • 92nd (10/46) • 93d (3/46*) • 97th (8/46) • 98th (7/47) • 301st (8/46) • 307th (8/46) • 444th (3/46*) • 448th (3/46*) • 449th (3/46*) • 467th (3/46*) • 485th (3/46*) • 498th (3/46*) • 509th Composite (3/46*) Fighter 27th (6/47) • 55th (2/47) Reconnaissance 91st Strategic Reconnaissance (1/47) Major weapon systems Bombers B-1B • B-2 • B-17 • B-26 • B-29 • B-36 • B-45 • B-47 • B-50 • B-52 • B-57 • B-58 • FB-111 Command & Control DC-130 • E-4 • EC-135 • RC-135 Fighters F-51 • F-82 • F-84 • F-86 • F-102 • F-111 Missiles ADM-20 • AGM-28 • AGM-69 • AGM-84 • AGM-86 • AGM-129 • HGM-16 • LGM-30A/B • LGM-30F • LGM-30G • LGM-118A • SM-62 • PGM-17A • PGM-19A Reconnaissance SR-71 • TR-1 • U-2 Tankers KB-29 • KB-50 • KC-10 • KC-97 • HC-130 • KC-130 • KC-135 Transport C-45 • C-47 • C-54 • C-82 • C-97 • C-118 • C-119 • C-124 • C-131 • C-135 Commanders Kenney • Lemay • Power • Ryan • Nazzaro • Holloway • Meyer • Dougherty • Ellis • Davis • Welch • Chain • Butler Emblems Strategic Air Command Emblem Gallery (On Wikimedia Commons)

v t e USAAF Fifth Air Force in World War II Previously: Philippine Department Air Force (1941); Far East Air Force (1941-1942) Airfields Pacific USAAF in Australia · USAAF in the Southwest Pacific · USAAF in Okinawa Units Commands V Bomber  · V Fighter  · 5th Interceptor (Provisional) Wings 54th Troop Carrier · 85th Fighter · 86th Fighter · 91st Reconnaissance · 308th Bombardment · 309th Bombardment · 310th Bombardment Groups Air Commando 3d Air Commando Bombardment 3d Bombardment · 7th Bombardment · 19th Bombardment · 22d Bombardment · 27th Bombardment · 38th Bombardment · 43d Bombardment · 90th Bombardment · 312th Bombardment · 345th Bombardment · 380th Bombardment · 417th Bombardment Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo Fighter 8th Fighter · 24th Pursuit · 35th Fighter · 49th Fighter · 58th Fighter · 348th Fighter · 475th Fighter Reconnaissance 6th Reconnaissance · 71st Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 317th Troop Carrier · 374th Troop Carrier · 375th Troop Carrier · 433d Troop Carrier Squadrons Bombardment 31st Bombardment Night Fighter 418th Night Fighter · 421st Night Fighter · 547th Intelligence Reconnaissance 2d Observation · 8th Photographic Reconnaissance · 36th Photographic Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 21st Troop Carrier · 22d Troop Carrier · 65th Troop Carrier · 66th Troop Carrier United States Army Air Forces First · Second · Third · Fourth · Fifth · Sixth · Seventh · Eighth · Ninth · Tenth · Eleventh · Twelfth · Thirteenth · Fourteenth · Fifteenth · Twentieth