87th Tactical Missile Squadron The 87th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive squadron of the United States Air Force last based at RAF Molesworth , England . The squadron was originally activated as the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron . The unit served on antisubmarine patrol early in World War II , then as a training unit until it was disbanded in 1944 . The 887th Tactical Missile Squadron was active as a Mace missile unit in Germany from 1962 to 1966 . In September 1985 the two squadrons were consolidated . However , the consolidated squadron remained inactive until August 1986 . In that month it was reactivated as a BGM - 109G Gryphon cruise missile squadron in the United Kingdom . It was inactivated in January 1989 as required by the Intermediate - Range Nuclear Forces Treaty . History . World War II . The squadron was first activated as the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron ( Light ) in early 1941 . It was one of the four original squadrons of the 46th Bombardment Group . In August the squadron changed its role to bombardment and was redesignated the 87th Bombardment Squadron . The 87th was equipped with Douglas A - 20 Havoc aircraft at Hunter Field , Georgia . The 51st participated in maneuvers , including desert maneuvers , and flew anti - submarine warfare patrol and search missions over the Gulf of Mexico in early 1942 . The squadron later served as an operational training unit , which involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres for " satellite groups . " In late 1943 the squadron mission changed to replacement training of individual pilots and aircrew s . Just before disbanding , it began to convert to North American B - 25 Mitchell s . However , the Army Air Forces found that standard military units , based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission . Accordingly a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit . This resulted in the squadron , along with other units at Morris Field , being disbanded and its personnel , equipment and functions transferred to the 333d AAF Base Unit ( Replacement Training Unit , Light Bombardment ) . 887th Tactical Missile Squadron . The 887th Tactical Missile Squadron was organized in September 1962 at Sembach AB , Germany and assigned to the 38th Tactical Missile Wing . At Sembach the squadron operated the TM - 76A Mace missile from Site III " Hacksaw " - ENE of Sembach AB . The squadron was discontinued and inactivated on 25 September 1966 along with its parent wing as United States Air Forces Europe reduced its tactical missile force . From 1975 - 1978 , Site III " Hacksaw " was used by Det B , 502nd Army Security Agency ( ASA ) Bn for the Guardrail I , II , and IIa Integrated Processing Facility ( IPF ) site . The unit was redesignated as the 330th Electronic Warfare Aviation Company ( Forward ) ( 330th EW Avn Co ( FWD ) ) , and resubordinated to the 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion ( Aerial Exploitation ) in 1978 . It appears that this unit used the RC - 12 Guardrail aircraft . From 1979 - 1985 , Site III " Hacksaw " was upgraded to the Guardrail V ( GRV ) IPF , and in the fall of 1985 the unit moved to Echterdingen Army Airfield ( Stuttgart International Airport ) . The site was subsequently used by various and sundry communications units on deployment before being closed and turned over to the German government . In September 1985 , the 887th TMS was consolidated with the 87th Bombardment Squadron but it remained inactive . Ground Launched Cruise Missile . The consolidated squadron was redesignated 87th Tactical Missile Squadron and reactivated at RAF Molesworth as a BGM - 109G Gryphon cruise missile squadron in August 1986 . It maintained 64 operational cruise missiles at combat readiness . The squadron was inactivated in January 1989 as a result of the Intermediate - Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which resulted in the elimination of the BGM - 109G missile from service . Lineage . 87th Bombardment Squadron 887th Tactical Missile Squadron 87th Tactical Missile Squadron References . Bibliography . Further reading