571st Strategic Missile Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 571st Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 390th Strategic Missile Wing
, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, Arizona
. It was inactivated on 31 July 1984.
. Deployed to England
in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during July 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 August 1945, being neither manned or equipped.
Reactivated and redesignated as a Strategic Air Command
LGM-25C Titan II ICBM Strategic Missile Squadron in 1961. Operated nine Titan II underground silos constructed beginning in 1960. The first missile silo (571-9) went on operational alert on 6 Apr 1963. The 9 missile silos controlled by the 571st Strategic Missile Squadron remained on alert for over 20 years during the Cold War
.
In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan
announced that as part of the strategic modernization program, Titan II systems were to be retired by October 1, 1987. Inactivation of the sites (571-7) began on 12 Nov 1982; the last (571-8) being inactivated on 8 Feb 1984. The squadron was inactivated on 31 July.
After removal from service, the silos had reusable equipment removed by Air Force personnel, and contractors retrieved salvageable metals before destroying the silos with explosives and filling them in. Access to the vacated control centers was blocked off.
Local aviation enthusiasts associated with the Pima Air Museum won Defense Department approval in 1984 to set aside one silo for permanent display. The silo at Green Valley (571-7) was retained by the Air Force and leased to local government for use as the "Titan Missile Museum." With a training Titan II missile in place, the silo is maintained by a dedicated organization of volunteers from nearby retirement communities. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only surviving sample of a Titan II installation. In addition to the launch complex and missile, the museum obtained auxiliary support equipment for display.
Some of the properties were then sold; other sites are retained by the Bureau of Land Management
.
. Organized on 1 May 1962
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 390th Strategic Missile Wing
390th Strategic Missile Wing
The 390th Strategic Missile Wing was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command organization. Its mission was to maintain and operationally control intercontinental ballistic missiles ....
, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It was inactivated on 31 July 1984.
History
Activated in early 1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
. Deployed to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during July 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
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
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
and was programmed to be re-equipped with B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
es for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation led to units inactivation in August 1945, being neither manned or equipped.
Reactivated and redesignated as a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
LGM-25C Titan II ICBM Strategic Missile Squadron in 1961. Operated nine Titan II underground silos constructed beginning in 1960. The first missile silo (571-9) went on operational alert on 6 Apr 1963. The 9 missile silos controlled by the 571st Strategic Missile Squadron remained on alert for over 20 years during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
announced that as part of the strategic modernization program, Titan II systems were to be retired by October 1, 1987. Inactivation of the sites (571-7) began on 12 Nov 1982; the last (571-8) being inactivated on 8 Feb 1984. The squadron was inactivated on 31 July.
After removal from service, the silos had reusable equipment removed by Air Force personnel, and contractors retrieved salvageable metals before destroying the silos with explosives and filling them in. Access to the vacated control centers was blocked off.
Local aviation enthusiasts associated with the Pima Air Museum won Defense Department approval in 1984 to set aside one silo for permanent display. The silo at Green Valley (571-7) was retained by the Air Force and leased to local government for use as the "Titan Missile Museum." With a training Titan II missile in place, the silo is maintained by a dedicated organization of volunteers from nearby retirement communities. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only surviving sample of a Titan II installation. In addition to the launch complex and missile, the museum obtained auxiliary support equipment for display.
Some of the properties were then sold; other sites are retained by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
.
Lineage
- Constituted 571st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 January 1943
- Activated on 26 January 1943
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945
- Redesignated 571st Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 28 November 1961
. Organized on 1 May 1962
- Inactivated on 31 July 1984
Assignments
- 390th Bombardment Group, 26 January 1943-28 August 1945
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 28 November 1961 - 390th Strategic Missile Wing390th Strategic Missile WingThe 390th Strategic Missile Wing was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command organization. Its mission was to maintain and operationally control intercontinental ballistic missiles ....
, 1 May 1962-31 July 1984
Stations
- Geiger Field, Washington, 26 January 1943
- Great Falls Army Air Base, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 6 June-4 July 1943 - RAF FramlinghamRAF FramlinghamRAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
(AAF-153), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 26 July 1943-6 August 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 14–28 August 1945 - Davis-Monthan AFB, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
e, 1 May 1962-31 July 1984
Aircraft and missiles
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
- LGM-25C Titan II Missile, 1965–1984
- Operated nine missile sites:
- 571-1 (18 Jul 1963-2 Aug 1983), 6.4 mi E of Benson, AZ 31°58′56"N 110°11′08"W
- 571-2 (17 Sep 1963-21 Nov 1983), 4.7 mi W of Benson, AZ 31°57′33"N 110°22′26"W
- 571-3 (10 Oct 1963-4 Oct 1983), 4.6 mi ESE of Pantano, AZ 31°58′17"N 110°30′29"W
- 571-4 (24 Oct 1963-10 Aug 1983), 5.7 mi WSW of Pantano, AZ 31°57′25"N 110°39′46"W
- 571-5 (24 Jul 1963-3 Mar 1983), 8.4 mi SE of Continental, AZ 31°45′13"N 110°53′25"W
- 571-6 (2 Jul 1963-29 Sep 1982), 5.4 mi S of Amado, AZ 31°38′39"N 111°04′14"W
- 571-7 (15 Jul 1963-12 Nov 1982), 3.8 mi NNW of Continental, AZ 31°54′12"N 110°59′57"W
- 571-8 (15 Apr 1963-8 Feb 1984), 10.3 mi W of Keystone Peak, AZ 31°53′17"N 111°23′21"W
- 571-9 (6 Apr 1963-4 Jan 1984), 5.6 mi WSW of Three Points, AZ 32°00′16"N 111°21′16"W