548th Strategic Missile Squadron The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron ( 548 SMS ) is an inactive United States Air Force unit . It was last assigned to the 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing , stationed at Forbes AFB , Kansas . The 548 SMS was equipped with the SM - 65E Atlas Intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) , with a mission of nuclear deterrence . The squadron was inacivated as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM on 1 September 1964 . History . World War II . Activated in late 1942 as a B - 17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron , trained under Second Air Force . Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) during June 1943 , assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron . Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945 . Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States ; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and was programmed to be re - equipped with B - 29 Superfortress es for deployment to Pacific Theater . Japanese capitulation led to units inactivation in September 1945 , being neither manned or equipped . Effective 15 September 1947 , the squadron was activated at Selfridge Field , Michigan . Having been allotted to the organized reserves , with assignment to Second Air Force , Air Defense Command , it was redesigned as a very heavy bombardment unit on 25 August . In July 1948 , the squadron was assigned to the Tenth Air Force , which in December , became a part of the Continental Air Command . The squadron was inactivated on 27 June 1949 due to budget restrictions . Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron . Reactivated in 1960 as a Strategic Air Command SM - 65E Atlas ICBM launch squadron , stationed at Forbes AFB , Kansas and assigned to the 21st Air ( later Strategic Aerospace ) Division . Nearly 6 months later , on January 24 , 1961 , the first Atlas missile arrived at Forbes . By October , all nine sites had their Atlas E missiles . On October 16 , 1961 , Air Force Ballistic Missile Activation Chief , Maj . Gen . Gerrity turned over operational control of the sites to Second Air Force . The squadron was assigned nine missiles , based in a 1 x 9 configuration : nine independent launch sites comprised a missile squadron . The major enhancement in the Atlas E was the new all - inertial system that obviated the need for ground control facilities . Since the missiles were no longer tied to a central guidance control facility , the launchers could be dispersed widely . The missiles were housed in a " coffin launcher " style complexes . The missile was kept in a horizontal position . In order to launch , a 400 - ton overhead door was rolled back after which the " bird " was raised to a vertical position . Once upright , the rocket was fueled with RP - 1 and Liquid Oxygen after which it would then be made ready for launch . The Atlas E was equipped with a Mark IV re - entry vehicle developed by AVCO and carried a type W - 38 warhead which had a yield of approximately 4 megatons of TNT . It had a range of approximately 6 , 000 miles . ( see below for site details ) . Missiles were retired and removed during 1964 in favor of the more advanced LGM - 25C Titan II ; squadron was inactivated on 1 September . Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization . Reunion . During the 2003 Labor Day weekend , many of the members of the 548th SMS attended the first reunion ever held for this squadron . Many of these people had not seen each other since the inactivation of the unit in 1965 . During this reunion the 548th SMS Association was formed in order to continue the research for more members and to have a central organization for those who served to contact their fellow missileers . This information was obtained at http : / / www . 548sms . com / . A Members Only section of this web site allows those who served in the 548th to find the people with whom they served . Any squadron members who are not currently in the database are urged to contact the 548th Association so that they can be included .