| abstract | - Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron; trained under Second Air Force primarily in New Mexico. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in December, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy. Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment missions against enemy strategic targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans until April 1945. Bombed aircraft factories, assembly plants, oil refineries, storage areas, marshalling yards, airdromes, and other objectives until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Most of squadron was demobilized in Italy in May 1945; returning to United States with skeleton staff. Re-equipped and redesignated a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomb squadron, and received new personnel. Began training under Second Air Force for planned deployment to the Western Pacific Area (WPA), however Japanese Capitulation in August led to inactivation of squadron in October. Reactivated under Alaskan Air Command in 1954 as an F-86D Sabre air defense interceptor squadron. Inactivated in 1955; reactivated under Tactical Air Command in 1957 as an F-100 Super Sabre day fighter squadron in Texas, being redesignated Tactical Fighter squadron in 1958. Only active briefly as budget cuts forced inactivation in 1958 with the closure of Foster AFB. Reactivated under Strategic Air Command in 1963, replacing provisional B-52H Stratofortess squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota. Performed intercontinental training and deployments, also standing nuclear alert. Beginning in 1966, squadron deployed personnel to forward bases in the Western Pacific, where they engaged in combat missions over Indochina as part of Operation Arc Light. Inactivated in 1968 when SAC pulled out of Travis AFB, California and the 5th Bombardment Wing moved to Minot. Personnel and equipment redesignated as 23d Bombardment Squadron due to seniority precedence of older wing.
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