The 93rd Bomb Squadron is part of the 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. In conjunction with the 11th BS, the 93rd BS serves as the Formal Training Unit for all B-52H Stratofortress aircrew. It's instructors provide initial and requalification training in the jet, ensuring readiness and lethality for all its students.
HISTORY
The lineage of the 93rd Bomb Squadron began Aug. 21, 1917, with the activation of the 93rd Aero Squadron assigned to the 3rd Pursuit Group, 1st Pursuit Wing, 1st Army, at Kelly Field, Texas.
During World War I, the 93rd Aero Squadron reached the Front on July 28, 1918, at Vaucouleurs, France, flying Spad XIII aircraft. The unit distinguished itself in combat during the Lorraine, St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse campaigns for taking part in 157 combat missions in World War I. The 93rd received official confirmation of having brought down 32 enemy planes during the war.
The 93rd Aero Squadron was demobilized on March 31, 1919. In 1936, the 93rd Aero Squadron was reconstituted and consolidated with the 93rd Bombardment Squadron. The unit was activated on Oct. 20, 1939, flying B-17 and B-18 aircraft with the 19th Bombardment Group from bases in Australia. During the initial stages of World War II, the squadron also flew L-30 aircraft in support of campaigns in the Philippine Islands, East Indies, Japan, Papua and Guadalcanal.
On Dec. 28, 1942, the unit rotated back to the United States and was assigned to Pocatello, Idaho. Due to its combat experience, the 93rd's mission was to train aircrew replacements for deployment to the European and Pacific theaters.
The 93rd Bomb Squadron returned to combat on Jan. 16, 1945, flying B-29s in the Western Pacific and Asiatic-Pacific theaters. When World War II ended, the unit remained in occupied Japan until 1954, when it was reassigned to Pinecastle Air Force Base, Fla., as part of the 19th Bombardment Wing.
The 93rd Bomb Squadron continued to fly the B-29 until 1956 when it moved with the 19th Bombardment Wing to Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., and began flying the B-47. In 1961, the 93rd was assigned to the 4239th Strategic Wing, Kincheloe Air Force Base, Mich., and flew the B-52 until the squadron's deactivation on Feb. 1, 1963.
The unit was reactivated Oct. 1, 1993, as the 93rd Bomb Squadron under the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. The 93rd is the first-ever B-52 unit in the Air Force Reserve, thus beginning a new chapter in Air Force history.
The squadron achieved combat-ready status July 1, 1995, and flew its first demonstration of worldwide strategic attack, with a Global Power mission to the United Kingdom July 18, 1995. The unit scored another first in December 1997 by successfully completing the first Reserve B-52 Conventional Operational Readiness Inspection. The 93rd Bomb Squadron was the only bomber unit in Air Combat Command to ever fly 113 percent of the IG tasked sorties.
In October 1995, the 93rd proved itself a true partner in the Total Air Force by edging out its active-duty competitors to win the B-52 competition at Gunsmoke '95. Gunsmoke is the Air Force's annual worldwide composite force competition. In August 2001, they dropped the first operational Block 1A Conventional Air Launch Cruise Missile.
In 1999, the 93rd participated in Operation Tandem Thrust and Cope Thunder, and then in 2001 they participated again in Operation Tandem Thrust. In September 2001, the 93rd received a war tasking order and deployed personnel and aircraft to a forward operating area in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. During this deployment they integrated with active duty personnel and made up the 20th Aerospace Expeditionary Forces.
In the first three months, the B-52s and other bombers flew more than 23 percent of the total combat missions over Afghanistan. They dropped nearly 7,000 tons of munitions - 75 percent of the total tonnage dropped in country, damaging or destroying nearly three-quarters of planned targets.
From September 2001- January 2002, the 93rd flew 88 combat missions for a total of 1,229 flying hours. During this time, they dropped 1,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 1,600 General Purpose Bombs and 800 Cluster Bombs.
The 93rd Bomb Squadron re-deployed to Barksdale in January 2002. In May 2002 they then deployed again to a forward operating area for four additional months. During this deployment they integrated with active duty personnel and made up the 40th Aerospace Expeditionary Forces. In September 2002, the 93rd Bomb Squadron returned home from a forward operating area, and activated reservists were demobilized.
In March 2003, the 93rd Bomb Squadron deployed approximately 200 aircrew and support personnel to Royal Air Force Fairford (integrating with the 16th Aerospace Expeditionary Wing) and to the British island of Diego Garcia (again as the 40th Aerospace Expeditionary Forces) with four B-52s. Flying the B-52s, the crews flew the initial "night one" strikes into Iraq. In April 2003, two B-52s were equipped and certified on the LITENING Pod targeting system; they both were deployed to RAF Fairford in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Later that month, the B-52s and the 917th Wing personnel assigned to Fairford relocated to Diego Garcia.
In this six month period (March-August 2003), they flew over 100 sorties and dropped over 1 million pounds of munitions consisting of 3,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 1,000 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers, 4,000-M117s, 1,000-N129s and 50 Conventional Air Launch Cruise Missiles. In August 2003, the 93rd returned to Barksdale.
In January 2005, the 93rd Bomb Squadron deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam for 60 days as part of an ongoing bomber rotation to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the Asian-Pacific region by the U.S. Pacific Command.
In May 2006, the 93rd Bomb Squadron participated in Red Flag- Alaska at Eielson Air Force Base, which provided joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air support and large-force employment training in a simulated combat environment. In July the 93 BS became the first B-52 squadron to complete the necessary training requirements for combat use of the LITENING AT targeting pod which uses high definition electro-optical sensors and airborne lasers to aid the aircrew with target detection, identification and weapons guidance precision.
November 2007 marked the completion of the new 93 BS operations facility, the event drew influential Louisiana politicians.
In January 2008, the 93rd Bomb Squadron put the total force initiative into practice by providing the initial qualification training with 2d Bomb Wing active-duty to get advanced targeting pod capability mainstreamed on the B-52 bomber. The training improved the integration of the jet, upgrading the pod controllers and display, writing/updating academics, training and lesson plans, along with developing tactics and techniques. From January - March 2008, the 93d Bomb Squadron instructors have qualified flyers from Barksdale's 49th Test Squadron, 340th Weapons Squadron and 2d Operations Support Squadron.
In December 2008, the 93rd Bomb Squadron won top honors at the five day Buff Smoke competition held at Barksdale. They won four out of the five top award; Best Squadron, Best Crew, Best Aircraft Maintenance Unit, and Best Crew Chief Awards.
On July 7, 2009, the 93 BS received and additional 11 B-52s, approximately 320 maintenance/40 operations personnel from Regular Air Force. The move placed the 93rd in a joint capacity with Regular Air Force in the nuclear mission under the total force initiative. At the same time the squadron transitioned from a combat-coded unit to the B-52 formal training schoolhouse, alongside the 11th Bomb Squadron.
On October 16, 2009, the 93rd BS graduated their first class of students after becoming the new B-52 formal training schoolhouse.
In July 2010, the 93rd displayed a B-52 Bomber at its first air show in Berlin and then September 2010, they took the first B-52 to the Czech Republic at an air show in Ostrava.
On January 1, 2011, with the deactivation of the 917th Wing and reactivation of the 307th Bomb Wing the 93rd was realigned under Air Force Global Strike Command with the B-52 as the only aircraft assigned.
During the Air Force Global Strike Challenge in November 2011, the 93rd Bomb Squadron was awarded the General Curtis LeMay Trophy for best bomber operations squadron. Again in November 2014 during the Air Force Global Strike Challenge the 93 BS won Best B-52 Squadron and was awarded the Linebacker Trophy and also was awarded the LeMay Trophy for Best Bomb Squadron.
In August and September 2016, the 93rd 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 they 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.
(Current as of March 2017)