93d Bomb Squadron The 93d Bomb Squadron ( 93 RS ) is a squadron of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is assigned to the 307th Operations Group , Air Force Reserve Command , stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana . The squadron is equipped with the Boeing B - 52 Stratofortress . It is one of two reserve bomber units in the United States Air Force . The 93 BS is one of the oldest and most decorated units in the United States Air Force , being organized as the 93d Aero Squadron on 21 August 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 . Re - organized in 1921 as part of the permanent United States Army Air Service , the squadron deployed to the Philippines in 1941 , engaging in combat during the 1941 - 42 Battle of the Philippines at the beginning of World War II . Withdrawn to Australia , it fought in the Dutch East Indies campaign before returning to the United States and being re - equipped with B - 29 Superfortress bombers . It returned to the Pacific Theater of Operations ( PTO ) in early 1945 to carry out strategic bombing missions over the Japanese Home Islands . During the Cold War it carried out B - 29 bombardment missions over North Korea during the Korean War , later being a B - 47 Stratojet and B - 52 Stratofortress squadron as part of Strategic Air Command . Mission . Employ the bomber in support of Air Force worldwide conventional commitments . History . World War I . Established as the 93d Aero Squadron in the Air Service during the summer of 1917 in Texas during World War I . Deployed to France in October 1917 and trained for aerial combat with the French Air Force . Deployed to the Western Front and the squadron flew combat missions in France as a pursuit unit from 11 August 1918 – 10 November 1918 . Remained in France until March 1919 when the squadron returned to the United States and inactivated . Was reactivated in 1939 as part of the General Headquarters Air Force as the 93d Bombardment Squadron , assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group at March Field , California . Initially equipped with Martin B - 10s , later B - 18 Bolos , receiving early model B - 17C Flying Fortresses in 1939 . Battle of the Philippines ( 1942 ) . Deployed to the Philippines Air Force at Clark Field , Philippine Commonwealth in October 1941 as a reinforcement unit when tensions were escalating between the United States and the Japanese Empire . On 8 December 1941 many of the squadrons aircraft were destroyed during an air raid at Clark in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor Attack ; the survivors engaging on combat from secondary airfields against the invading Japanese forces until the situation in the Philippines became untenable and withdrew to Australia . The survivors of the ground echelon fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender , were subjected to the Bataan Death March , although some did escape to Australia and some presumably fought on as unorganized guerrilla forces during the Japanese occupation . In Australia , the escaped airmen and aircraft of the squadron reformed into a combat unit ; engaging in combat during the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea Campaigns flying heavy bomber combat missions from Australia . In late 1942 , the B - 17C / D and a few F models in Australia were replaced by long - range B - 24 Liberator s , and the unit was returned to the United States and became an operational training unit with Second Air Force for replacement B - 17 personnel . B - 29 Superfortress operations against Japan . Re - designated on 1 April 1944 as a B - 29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron . When training was completed moved to North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command , Twentieth Air Force . It ' s mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war - making capability . Its groups flew " shakedown " missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island , Truk , and other points in the Carolines and Marianas . The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo . The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack , but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs . Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs . The squadron continued attacking urban areas until the end of the war in August 1945 , its subordinate units conducted raids against strategic objectives , bombing aircraft factories , chemical plants , oil refineries , and other targets in Japan . The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended . Afterwards , its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria . Remained on Guam after the war conducted sea - search , photographic mapping , and training missions in the western Pacific . Korean War . Deployed to Kadena AB , Okinawa in June 1950 as a result of the Korean War . Flew strategic bombing missions over North Korea ; targets included an oil refinery and port facilities at Wonsan , a railroad bridge at Pyongyang , and Yonpo Airfield . After United Nations ground forces pushed the communists out of South Korea , the squadron turned to strategic objectives in North Korea , including industrial and hydroelectric facilities . It also continued to attack bridges , marshalling yards , supply centers , artillery and troop positions , barracks , port facilities , and airfields . Continued bombardment operations until the June 1953 armistice in Korea ; returned to the United States in May 1954 ; the squadrons B - 29s being sent to reclamation . Strategic Air Command . Re - equipped with B - 47 Stratojet s in 1954 as part of Strategic Air Command . Flew strategic bombardment training missions until 1962 when B - 47s were being phased out of the inventory . In 1960 was reassigned to SAC provisional 4133d Strategic Wing , being re - equipped with B - 52H Stratofortress intercontinental heavy bombers . Was reassigned to Grand Forks AFB , North Dakota by SAC to disperse its heavy bomber force . Conducted worldwide strategic bombardment training missions and providing nuclear deterrent . Was inactivated in 1963 when SAC inactivated its provisional Strategic Wings , redesignating them permanent Air Force Wings . Squadron was inactivated with aircraft / personnel / equipment being redesignated 46th Bombardment Squadron in an in - place , name - only transfer . Modern era . Reactivated in the Air Force Reserve in 1993 , conducting bombardment training . It won the B - 52 category of the 1995 Gunsmoke competition and participated in training exercises through the 1990s . In September 2001 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where it flew 88 combat missions before redeploying to Barskdale AFB in January 2002 . It deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan again from May – September 2002 . In March 2003 the 93d deployed to RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Between March and August 2003 the 93d flew more than 100 combat sorties and dropped over 1 million pounds of munitions . From January – March 2005 the squadron deployed to Anderson Air Force Base , Guam as part of an ongoing bomber rotation to demonstrate the U . S . commitment to the Asian - Pacific region by the U . S . Pacific Command .