405th Bombardment Squadron
(Need patch)
Constituted 15th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 405th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 Apr 1942; 405th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 6 May 1946. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1949. Activated on 1 Jan 1953. Redesignated: 405th Bombardment Squadron (Tactical) on 1 Oct 1955; 405th Tactical Missile Squadron on 18 Jun 1958.
Assignments. 38th Bombardment Group, attached on 15 Jan 1941, and assigned 25 Feb 1942-1 Apr 1949. 38th Bombardment Group, 1 Jan 1953; 38th Bombardment Wing, 8 Dec 1957; 586th Tactical Missile Group, 18 Jun 1958; 38th Tactical Missile Wing, 25 Sep 1962--.
Stations. Langley Field, Va, 15 Jan 1941; Jackson AAB, Miss, c. 5 Jun 1941-19 Jan 1942; Doomben Field, Australia, 25 Feb 1942; Ballarat, Australia, 8 Mar 1942; Breddan Field, Australia, 7 Aug 1942; Townsville, Australia, c. 30 Sep 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, c. 25 Oct 1942; Nadzab, New Guinea, 6 Mar 1944; Biak, c. 5 Sep 1944; Morotai, c. 15 Oct 1944; Lingayen, Luzon, 30 Jan 1945; Okinawa, 21 Jul 1945; Itazuke, Japan, c. 21 Nov 1945; Itami, Japan, 26 Oct 1946; Itazuke, Japan, 14 Jan 1947; Itami, Japan, 1 Sep 1947-1 Apr 1949. Laon AB, France, 1 Jan 1953; Hahn AB, Germany, 18 Jun 1958--.
Aircraft and Missiles. B-18, 1941; PT-13, 1941; B-26, 1941-1942; B-25, 1942-1946, 1947-1948; A-26 (later B-26), 1946, 1947-1949. B-26, 1953-1955; B-57, 1955-1958; Matador, 1958-1962; Mace, 1962--.
Operations. Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 17 Sep 1942-13 Aug 1945. Not operational, 1 Nov 1946-1 Dec 1947: basic military training unit, 14 Jan-May 1947; provided labor for various tasks, May-1 Sep 1947; not manned, 1 Nov 1946-14 Jan 1947, 1 Sep-10 Dec 1947.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua,[17 Sep] 1942-23 Jan 1943; New Britain, 24-26 Dec 1943; New Guinea, 16-17 Jun 1943; Leyte, 10 Nov 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Apr 1956-1 Mar 1958; 1 Apr 1959-30 Jan 1961. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
Emblem. On a white disc with a dark red border, a head and neck of a mythical dragon, green with yellow highlights. Yellow and red flames issuing from his nostril, dark red mouth with white fangs and a medium red barbed tongue, dark red eye with black pupil and white highlight, spines on back yellow and dark red; the monster outlined in black. (Approved 17 Jun 1954.)