13th Bomb Squadron The 13th Bomb Squadron ( 13 BS ) is a squadron of the United States Air Force . It is assigned to the 509th Operations Group , Air Force Global Strike Command , stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base , Missouri . The squadron is equipped with the B - 2 Spirit Stealth Bomber . The 13 BS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force , first being organized as the 13th Aero Squadron on 14 June 1917 at Kelly Field , Texas . The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a pursuit squadron . The unit was demobilized after the war in 1919 . On 16 October 1936 , the squadron was consolidated with the 104th Aero Squadron , which was organized on 25 August 1917 , another AEF combat squadron on the Western Front . Re - organized in 1921 as part of the permanent United States Army Air Service , the squadron became part of Fifth Air Force in the Pacific Theater of Operations ( PTO ) of World War II flying B - 25 Mitchell medium bombers . During the Cold War , it fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War as a B - 57 Canberra tactical bomber squadron . History . The 13th Bomb Squadron traces its origins to two World War I Air Service , United States Army squadrons . World War I . The 13th Aero Squadron was formed at Kelly Field , Texas , on 14 June 1917 . The “ Devil ’ s Own Grim Reapers ” as they came to be known was a Pursuit ( Fighter ) squadron on the Western Front in France during 1918 , flying the French SPAD XIII . The 13th claimed several " aces " from this period of its history : Charles J Biddle , Murray K Guthrie , Frank K Hays , John J Seerly , and William H Stovall . Major Carl Spaatz . It returned to the United States in March 1919 when t was demobilized . It remained inactive until it was reconstituted in 1936 . The 104th Aero Squadron was organized on 25 August 1917 also at Kelly Field . As a Corps Observation ( Reconnaissance ) Squadron flying the French Salmson 2A2 observation aircraft , the 104th flew reconnaissance , directed Allied artillery fire and pinpointed troop movements on the Western Front . The demand for artillery fire adjustments through aerial observation was constant in spite of difficulties encountered in air - to - ground communications . It was largely due to the photos made by aerial reconnaissance that the Allied infantry knew where it was advancing . It returned to the United States in April 1919 and became part of the permanent United States Army Air Service in 1921 . Inter - War period . After its arrival at Roosevelt Field , Long Island , the 104th Aero Squadron demobilized and most of its men returned to civilian life . In May 1919 , the squadron was reassigned to neighboring Mitchell Field ; the squadron was down to one officer and one enlisted man and was carried by the Air Service as an administrative , unmanned unit . About 15 May , the 104th moved to Fort Bliss , Texas , and during June to Kelly Field , Texas , still manned in name only . On 25 May 1919 it was re - designated as the 104th Surveillance Squadron , and assigned to the Army Surveillance Group on 1 July along with the 8th , 12th , 13th and 90th Aero Squadron s . During August 1919 , nearly 200 men from Mitchell Field were moved to Kelly Field to bring the squadron up to strength . The 104th quickly adapted to peacetime soldiering in the nation ' s infant air organization It was also equipped with new Dayton - Wright DH - 4 aircraft , surplus from the World War . Mexican Border patrol . The mission of the Army Surveillance Group ( ASG ) was to carry out observation overflights along the Mexican Border . During this period , Mexico was enduring a period of revolution and unrest , which led to border violations and the deaths of American citizens . After being manned and equipped , in November 1919 the squadron split into three flights : Headquarters Flight and Flight A went to Fort Bliss , Texas , while Flight B deployed to Marfa Field , Texas . From 10 September to 4 November , Flight B was located at Post Field , Oklahoma , but it returned to Marfa Field on 17 November 1920 , and remained there until June 1921 flying observation flights along the Big Bend area of the Texas / Mexico border . 13th Squadron ( Attack ) . On 14 March 1921 with the establishment of the permanent Army Air Service , the 104th Surveillance Squadron was re - designed as the 13th Squadron ( Attack ) . In May the border patrol flights were ended and all of the flights were ordered to participate in maneuvers at Langley Field , Virginia . On 2 July the squadron was re - assembled at Kelly Field and on 25 January 1923 the squadron was re - designated the 13th Attack Squadron . The new mission of the squadron was to conduct a series of suitability tests of new types of aircraft . Initially tested was Dayton - Wright XB - 1A , an observation plane to be used for photography , bombardment and liaison work . The next aircraft was the GAX ( GA - l ) , a ground attack triplane . These tests were conducted to determine the capability of aircraft under hard service incurred during long cross - country flights . All squadron officers and enlisted personnel attended classes to learn everything they could about the aircraft . In 1923 , the 13th Attack Squadron returned to the Dayton - Wright DH - 4 and performed aerial demonstrations , formation flying , and normal training . Due to funding reductions , the squadron was inactivated on 27 June 1924 . Reserve status and re - activation . After its inactivation from the active forces , the 13th was designated an Active Associate reserve squadron . Remaining as the 13th Attack Squadron , it was allotted to the VIII Corps Area on 28 February 1927 . Organized about May 1928 with Organized Reserve personnel as a Regular Army Inactive ( RAI ) unit . Conducted summer training at Fort Crockett , with units of the 3d Attack Group . Returned to active status on 1 November 1929 , the 13th Attack Squadron again joined the 3d Attack Group at Langley Field , Virginia . Two weeks later the squadron moved to Fort Crockett , Texas . From 1929 to 1934 , the squadron flew the Curtiss A - 3 aircraft , and then converted to newer A - 12s . In February 1935 , the 13th moved to Barksdale Field , Louisiana . On 16 October 1936 , the War Department reconstituted the World War I 13th Aero Squadron and consolidated it with the 13th Attack Squadron , forming a single squadron with two separate origins , thus perpetuating the history and traditions of both . The 13th Attack Squadron designation was retained for the consolidated unit . Also in 1936 , the squadron received the Northrop A - 17 ground attack aircraft . It continued flying A - 17s through 1939 . On 15 September 1939 the squadron became the 13th Bombardment Squadron ( Light ) , while its parent became the 3d Bombardment Group ( Light ) . Douglas B - 18 Bolo medium bombers were gained about this same time , but some Martin B - 12s were also flown in the 1939 - 1941 period as the 13th developed into a proficient bombardment squadron . The 3d Bomb Group moved to Savannah Army Airfield , Georgia in October 1940 , and in 1941 they received A - 20A Havoc ground attack aircraft to replace their obsolete B - 18s and B - 12s . World War II . When war came to the nation in December 1941 , the Reapers embarked on an accelerated training program while also engaged in anti - submarine patrols against German U - boats along the Atlantic coast . Because every ranking and experienced man from the unit was pulled and assigned overseas to train other units , the Reapers were left without personnel and planes . When the unit arrived in Australia in January 1942 , they were still without airplanes . While waiting for aircraft , the Reapers learned there were 24 brand new B - 25s sitting on the ramp in nearby Melbourne , but the planes were earmarked for the Dutch . Soon after , 24 Reaper pilots arrived in Melbourne , presented a confused Officer of the Day with an authorization letter , and nonchalantly flew away with the airplanes before anyone realized the mistake . The Reapers used those planes , and later A - 20s , to attack bridges , transports , airfields , troop installations , seaplanes , docks , warehouses and enemy targets . At the end of the war , the squadron had earned four Distinguished Unit Citations for actions over the Philippine Island , Papua and New Guinea , and also took home the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation . From the end of World War II to 1950 , the 13 BS remained in Japan as part of the Army of Occupation . Korean War . When North Korea invaded the south in 1950 , the squadron , Flying A and B - 26s , conducted interdiction missions during daylight raids on enemy troops and lines . On June 25 , 1951 , the squadron was redesignated the 13th Bombardment Squadron ( Light - Night Intruders ) to reflect the unit ’ s “ Hoot Owl ” night missions . Following the end of the Korean War , the 13th remained forward deployed to Kunsan Air Base , Korea until ordered to Johnson Air Base , Japan , in 1954 to begin conversion to the B - 57 . On October 1 , 1955 , the unit was redesigned the 13th Bombardment Squadron Tactical . Vietnam War . The unit ’ s next move was to Clark Air Base , Philippines , on April 10 , 1964 . During the Vietnam War the Reapers took part in numerous campaigns flying the Canberra , a light twin engine jet bomber , and with the upgraded B - 57G model was one of the first units to fly with a targeting pod , which was used to release some of the first ever laser guided munitions . Deployed to Ton Son Nhut , South Vietnam , by June 1964 , the squadron had flown 119 combat sorties . In February 1965 , an enemy attack destroyed six 13 BS B - 57s at Ben Hoa and rendered the airfield unusable . Flying from Danang and Phan Rang , Vietnam , the unit continued to fly combat sorties until 1968 . The 13th BS was then inactivated . The squadron remained on the shelf until February 8 , 1969 , when it was activated at MacDill Air Force Base , Fla . , where the mission of the 13th trained members on B - 57G tactics , techniques , and state of the art computer systems . On 15 September 1970 , the 13th deployed to Ubon Royal Thailand Air Force Base , Thailand , and on October 17 , 1970 , flew its first combat mission in the B - 57G . The squadron flew combat missions until April 12 , 1972 , when personnel and equipment moved to Forbes Air Force Base , Kan . , as the squadron was reduced to paper status . The 13th was again inactivated on September 30 , 1973 . Modern era . On 14 June 2000 after more than 26 years in hibernation , the Grim Reapers returned to the active Air Force as part of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base , Texas . Shortly after September 11 , 2001 , the Reapers deployed with the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and performed notably in Operation Anaconda to Afghanistan in early 2002 . Upon returning the Reapers were named the 7th Bomb Wing ’ s executive agent for support of the B - 1 Test program . Additionally , the Reapers were responsible for supporting the B - 1 Weapons Instructor Course . This relationship put the 13th in the enviable position of being the first in the operational bomber community to train on the latest upgrades , and often with the Air Force ’ s premier instructors . The Reapers were deployed in early 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Andersen AFB , Guam . Upon returning from Guam , the 13th BS was charged with devising and running the first Iron Thunder , an audacious plan calling for the scheduling of 120 missions over three days with the stated objective of the execution of 75 sorties flying 90 % , or 108 sorties . The crews began flying sorties on October 7 , 2003 and continued round the clock until late on October 9 . Starting in the fall of 2003 , the B - 1 fleet initiated a transformation with major computer and software upgrades and the Reapers were at the forefront . The 13th BS was the first operational unit assigned to fly Block E B - 1s , a revolutionary upgrade which allowed a mixed load of GPS guided and unguided weapons , as well as a new air - to - air radar capability to increase the combatant commander ’ s options and flexibility . As the initial cadre , the Reapers were responsible for training the core of the wing ’ s bomber crews . The 13th Bomb Squadron was deployed in early 2004 , again flying missions over Afghanistan . Upon returning , the squadron was tasked with leading Iron Thunder 04 - 4 with the goal of delivering massive concentrated firepower in another bomber surge , which carefully integrated limited range space , jet availability , and realistic threat and target scenarios . The plan resulted in 77 effective sorties in less than 68 hours . More astounding was the fact that 47 of the sorties released a record 383 training weapons . In December 2004 , for the fourth time in less than four years , the B - 1s answered the call to war with all Reaper crew members and most enlisted support staff deployed as members of the 40th Air Expeditionary Group . In June 2005 , the Air Force announced the 13th Bomb Squadron would replace the 325th Bomb Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base , Missouri , and fly a new aircraft , the B - 2 Bomber . On September 23 , 2005 , the 13th Bomb Squadron passed the flag and time honored traditions of the unit to future Reapers at Whiteman AFB . Among its first assignments as a unit of the only stealth bomber wing in the United States Air Force , the 13th Bomb Squadron was deployed to Andersen AFB , Guam , in June 2006 , to take part in the ongoing rotation which provides the U . S . Pacific Command a continuous bomber presence necessary to maintain stability and security for the Asia - Pacific region . Notable squadron achievements during this period was the firstever B - 2 deployment on the continent of Australia . The historic event took place July 25 – 27 , 2006 and featured training sorties on Australia ’ s Delamere Air Weapons Range and a B - 2 Engine Running Crew Change at RAAF Darwin – the first time the B - 2 landed on Australian soil . The most recent four - month deployment by four B - 2s began in March 2009 .