49th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit . Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing , based at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana . Mission . The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is home to several bomber operational test programs . Primary among these are the Nuclear Weapon System Evaluation Program , the bomber portion of the Air to Ground Weapon System Evaluation Program , and initial operational test of the Joint Direct Attack Munition and the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser . The squadron is an Air Combat Command ( ACC ) unit tasked to support and conduct operational testing from all three Air Force bombers . The squadron ’ s main focus is on the B - 52 with additional testing being conducted on the B - 1 and B - 2 . To accomplish its mission , the squadron must use operational bombers as there are no test coded bombers in ACC . History . World War I . 49th Aero Squadron . Formed at Kelly Field # 1 , San Antonio , Texas on 6 August 1917 . During its initial indoctrination training at Kelly Field , many squadron members were re - assigned to other squadrons , however on 25 August , personnel from the 68th Aero Squadron were assigned to the 49th . After about a month of basic training as soldiers , the squadron was moved to the newly opened Kelly Field # 2 where they began training with Curtiss JN - 4 Jennys as a school squadron . Deployed to England in late November 1917 , spent six months training with the Royal Flying Corps , then an additional month of training at the Third Air Instructional Center at Issoudun Aerodrome , France for combat training . Equipped with new Spad XIII s , the 49th began flying operations with the First Army and was credited with participation in the Lorraine , St Mihiel , and the Meuse - Argonne campaigns . During its time in combat , the 49th Aero Squadron downed 25 enemy aircraft , losing six pilots killed , wounded , or missing . 166th Aero Squadron . The squadron was organized at Kelly Field , San Antonio , Texas on 18 December 1917 . After several days , the squadron was moved to Wilbur Wright Field , Dayton Ohio where it received its first training in the handling of Curtiss JN - 4 and Standard J - 1 aircraft . Moved to England in March 1919 , spent several months with the Royal Flying Corps being trained . Transferred to the American Expeditionary Forces in France during August 1918 . Assigned to the 1st Day Bombardment Group , First Army . Equipped with De Havilland DH - 4 and became a Day Bombardment squadron . In combat during the Meuse - Argonne Offensive , 18 October - 11 November 1918 . After the 1918 Armistice with Germany , was assigned to the US Third Army , became part of the occupation forces in the German Rhineland , November 1918 - April 1919 . Returned to the United States , most squadron personnel demobilized in New York . Inter - War period . Remained as part of the Air Service , moved to Ellington Field , Texas in July 1919 and was reformed with new personnel . Participated in demonstrations of effectiveness of aerial bombardment on warships , June – September 1921 ; mercy mission in relief of marooned inhabitants of islands in the frozen Chesapeake , 9 – 11 February 1936 . Began its association with testing when it received the first of the five Boeing YB - 9 , first all - metal monoplane bomber aircraft designed for the United States Army Air Corps , on 14 September 1932 . The new bomber proved impossible to intercept during air exercises in May 1932 , strengthening calls for improved air defense warning systems . Received the first of 12 B - 17 Flying Fortress es delivered to the U . S . Army Air Corps . Participated in good - will flights to Argentina , 15 – 27 February 1938 , Colombia , 3 – 12 August 1938 , Mexico , 9 – 15 June 1939 , and Brazil , 10 – 28 November 1939 . The trip to Buenos Aires represented the longest distance performance of its kind on record and won the 2nd Bombardment Group the Mackay Trophy in 1938 . Following the 24 January 1939 Chillán earthquake in Chile , the XB - 15 , a prototype aircraft that had been assigned to the squadron to test the feasibility of operating very heavy bombers , flew a relief mission carrying medical supplies . Commanded by Major Caleb V . Haynes , the aircraft carried of American Red Cross emergency supplies to Santiago , making only two stops along the way , at France Field in the Panama Canal Zone , and at Lima , Peru . Haynes was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Order of the Merit of Chile , and the whole crew earned the MacKay Trophy . The squadron also achieved a well - publicized success on 12 May 1938 , when three squadron B - 17s , led by group commander Lt . Col . Robert Olds and navigated by 1st Lt . Curtis E . LeMay , a member of the 49th , intercepted the Italian ocean liner " Rex " over 600 miles at sea during a training exercise . World War II . During the early stages of the Second World War ( WWII ) , the 49th conducted anti - submarine operations on both the Pacific and Atlantic coast prior to being sent to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) . From 28 April 1943 to 1 May 1945 , the 49th conducted air operations in both the Mediterranean and European theaters as part of the 2nd Bombardment Group ( BG ) , 5th Combat Wing , 15th Air Force stationed at Navarin , Algeria , flying the B - 17 Flying Fortress . During 1943 , the group moved five times : to Chateaudun - du - Rhumel , Algeria ; Ain M ' lilia , Algeria ; Massicault , Tunisia ; Bizerte , Tunisia ; Amendola , Italy . Some of the important missions the 49th participated in were : the monastery at Cassino , Italy , on 15 February 1944 ; enemy troop concentrations at Anzio beach - head on 2 March 1944 ; and the oil refineries at Ploesti , Romania , throughout the spring of 1944 . The last mission was flown on 1 May 1945 against marshalling yards at Salzburg , Austria . On 29 October 1945 , the group finally moved to Foggia , Italy , where it remained as part of the occupational forces and was inactivated on 28 February 1946 . By the time the 49th was inactivated , it participated in 412 combat missions flown with the 2nd BG over Africa , France , Germany , Italy , Austria , Bulgaria , Yugoslavia , Romania , and Hungary . Strategic Air Command . The 49th was reactivated on 1 July 1947 at Andrews Field , Maryland . The squadron soon moved to Davis - Monthan Field , Arizona , and received training on the Boeing B - 29 Superfortress as part of the new SAC long - range strike force . The 49th ' s first deployment came on 9 August through 16 November 1948 to Lakenheath RAF Station , England . Upon returning home , the 49th moved to Chatham AFB , Georgia , and added the B - 50 to their inventory . In September 1950 , the squadron moved to Hunter AFB , GA and began flying training missions over the eastern half of the United States . For the next three years the 49th deployed to Mildenhall RAF Station and Upper Heyford RAF Station , England , in support of NATO exercises and RAF bombing competitions . Then in February 1954 , the squadron entered the " jet age " by receiving the Boeing B - 47 Stratojet . Shortly after achieving combat - ready status , aircrews began performing alert and deploying abroad . Overseas deployments included : Sidi Slimane AB and Nouasseur AB , Morocco ; Brize Norton RAF Station , England ; and three different bases throughout Spain . Not only were crews and aircraft performing alert at home , but at various overseas deployment bases also . The alert commitment at home was discontinued with the increase of deployed aircrews and aircraft . Most overseas alert tours would last from three to four weeks compared to the one week tour alert crews performed during the height of the Cold War . The 49th returned home to perform alert duties during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 before moving to Barksdale AFB . On 1 April 1963 , the squadron was inactivated until 1986 . In July 1972 , the cadre was formed temporarily into the 4201st Test Squadron with a new mission to conduct operational test and evaluation ( OT & E ) of the Short Range Attack Missile AGM - 69 SRAM . To establish continuing capability for conducting MAJCOM - directed OT & E of strategic airborne weapon systems , the 4201st was designated as a permanent organization in July 1974 . At this time , the present location of Barksdale AFB , Louisiana , was established for the squadron to conduct its mission . As part of SAC ' s initiative to provide combat - rich histories to relatively new organizations , the 4201st was re - designated the 49th Test Squadron ( 49 TESTS ) in July 1986 . Assignments . 49th Aero Squadron 166th Aero ( later 49th Bombardment ) Squadron Consolidated Squadron