The 345th Bomb Squadron operates in a classic association with the 9th Bomb Squadron providing deployable combat aviators supporting the Air Force Global Strike Commands’ B-1 deployable combat operations.
HISTORY
Constituted as a B-24 Liberator (Heavy) bomb squadron 28 Jan 1942 and trained by Third Air Force and subsequently activated on 3 Feb 1942. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean on to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Finally the group reformed with its’ ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.
Assigned to the newly formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. They staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily, Italy and the Southern Balkans; including attacking the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Ploiești, Romania. During this time the unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation twice: North Africa and Sicily, Aug 1942-17 Aug 1943; Ploesti, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.
Re-assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy they continued strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France, Southern Germany, Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.
The squadron returned to the United States; 23 May 1945 unit was redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress, (Very Heavy) bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area to conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese home islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated on the 5 Jul 1946, its equipment and personnel were merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.
The unit was reactivated on 1 July 1947 and then redesiganted as a Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress (Medium) bomb squadron on 28 May 1948. The squadron performed strategic bombardment training missions throughout the postwar era. In 1950 the squadron deployed to the Far East Air Forces at Yokota Air Base, Japan and flew strategic bombardment missions over North Korea after the breakout of the Korean War. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 7 August, striking marshalling yards at Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. Attacked enemy communication lines and supported United Nations ground forces. Targets included rail facilities, oil centers, bridges, roads, troop concentrations, airfields, and military installations. During this time the unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, Korea 1 Dec 1952-30 Apr 1953 and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 7 Aug 1950-27 Jul 1953. Engaged in combat operations until the 1953 armistice; the squadron remained in Japan until July 1954 when reassigned administratively to Lincoln AFB, Nebraska and its B-29s sent to storage and reclamation.
Once at Lincoln, the unit was re-equipped with new B-47E Stratojets. The unit engaged in strategic bombardment training with the B-47 throughout the rest of the 1950s and into the early 1960s. During this time the unit was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jul 1964-1 Jun 1965. Unit was inactivated on the 25 June 1966 with the phase-out of the B-47 and closure of Lincoln AFB.
The 345th Bombardment Squadron was reactivated on 17 October 2015 as an Air Force Reserve Command B-1B Lancer bomb squadron and redesignated as the 345th Bomb Squadron at Dyess AFB, Texas; assigned to the 489th Bomb Group, headquartered at the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB La.
In August and September 2016, the 345th Bomb Squadron supported and participated in Exercise AMPLE STRIKE, which was a NATO lead exercise that included multiple European countries. The exercise was under the auspices of Operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE which is the United States’ assurance and deterrence operation in the European Command.
In September 2016 the 345th Bomb Squadron also participated in a multi-national community event called NATO Days. This event provided a forum for outreach with civilian and military leadership from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and populations from surrounding nations.
The 345 BS participated in Operation Titan in March 2017. This operation was part of a Joint Interagency Task Force South drug interdiction mission flown out of Boca Chica NAS, Fla., to combat illegal drugs coming from Central America to Mexico. They covered 3.2 million square miles of ocean and confiscated 4,500 kgs of cocaine valued at $360 million.
(Current as of March 2017)