 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "328th Weapons Squadron" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| 328th Weapons Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron emblem | |
| Active | 1942–1994; 2003–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Spaceweapons school |
| Part of | Space Delta 1 |
| Headquarters | Nellis Air Force Base,Nevada, U.S. |
| Engagements | World War II
 1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)[1] |
| Decorations |  Distinguished Unit Citation (2)  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (9)[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lt Col Shaun Phipps |
The328th Weapons Squadron (328 WPS) is theUnited States Space Force'sweapons school. Assigned toSpace Training and Readiness Command'sSpace Delta 1 and located atNellis Air Force Base,Nevada, the squadron offers the Space Superiority Weapons Instructor Course and the Space Warfighter Advanced Instructor Course. Students undergo five to six months of rigorous advanced training, after which they become weapons officers, a reservoir of tactical and operational knowledge.[2]
The squadron's origins trace back to the328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) activated on 28 January 1942. The 328th Bombardment Squadron received aDistinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry during the raid on the Ploiești, Romania oil refineries in August 1943. The 328th flew theBoeing B-29 Superfortress,Boeing B-47 Stratojet,Boeing B-50 Superfortress, andBoeing B-52 Stratofortress during theCold War until its inactivation in 1994.
In 2003, the 328 WPS was turned into a weapon schools unit, offering weapons instructor courses on space superiority. With the establishment of theUnited States Space Force in 2019, it transferred into the new service and realigned under Space Delta 1.
The 328 WPS was one of the twenty-one squadrons at the United States Air Force Weapons School. The squadron is one of the largest squadrons within the USAF Weapons School and manages two separate syllabi: the Space Superiority Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) and the Space Warfighter Advanced Instructor Course (AIC). The squadron transferred to the United States Space Force in 2020.
To complete the 328 WPS courses, students must finish a curriculum, which includes 440 hours of academics, 10 hours of device training, 422 hours of mission planning, 48 hours of mission execution, and 24 hours of examination for a total of more than 940 hours. They also have to write a 15-20 page graduate-level paper addressing a current tactical issue and solution. After which, the course culminates in a block known as integration.[3]
The process of selecting weapons school students, at least prior to the establishment of the Space Force, starts from theAir Force Space Command, which calls for nominations from interested eligible officers. The nominations are filtered through the various wing commanders of the major command and a selection board is convened to process the applications.[3]
The328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) was established in early 1942 initially as aConsolidated B-24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron, flyingantisubmarine patrols. The squadron later trained underThird Air Force in Florida. After completing training in late 1942, the squadron deployed to theEuropean theater of operations as one of the initial heavy bomber squadrons assigned toVIII Bomber Command in England, September 1942.[citation needed]
The squadron engaged in long-range strategic bombardment operations overOccupied Europe. Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt in December 1942, it operated from airfields inLibya andTunisia. The squadron raided enemy military and industrial targets inItaly and in the southernBalkans, including theNazi-controlled oilfields atPloiești,Romania, receiving aDistinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry in that raid. The squadron also flew tactical bombing raids againstAfrika Korps defensive positions in Tunisia, supporting theBritish Eighth Army forces in their advance toTunis, in September and October 1943.[citation needed]
The squadron returned to England with the disestablishment ofIX Bomber Command in North Africa. From England, it resumed long-range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive. The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in theEighth Air Force, continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945.[citation needed]
.png)
In June 1945, the squadron returned to the United States, being remanned and re-equipped withBoeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. It was trained for deployment to the Central Pacific area to carry out very long-range strategic bombing raids overJapan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for deployment, it instead became a Continental Air Forces (laterStrategic Air Command) B-29 squadron.[citation needed]
During theCold War, the squadron was equipped with new weapons systems as they became available, performing strategic bombardment training with theBoeing B-50 Superfortress, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1950. The B-50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary.[citation needed]
By 1951, the emergence of the SovietMiG-15 interceptor in the skies over North Korea signaled the end of the propeller-driven B-50 as a first-line strategic bomber.[citation needed] The squadron receivedBoeing B-47 Stratojet jet bombers in 1954. In 1955, it began receiving an early model of theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress and upgraded to various models over the next 40 years. Taken off nuclear alert after the end of theCold War, the squadron was inactivated in 1994 with the inactivation of its parent unit and the closing ofCastle Air Force Base.[citation needed]
The squadron deployed aircraft and personnel to the 1708th Provisional Bombardment Wing atPrince Abdullah Air Base,Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 1990 and to the 4300th Provisional Bombardment Wing atDiego Garcia Air Base, British Indian Ocean Territories from January 1991 forOperation Desert Storm. Both deployments terminated in March 1991.[citation needed]
The Air Force Weapons School's Space Division was activated in July 1996. In 2003, the Weapons School restructured its units, turning their divisions into squadrons with lineages of a previously highly decorated notable inactivated unit. So, on 3 February 2003, the Space Division was replaced by the 328th Weapons Squadron on 3 February 2003. The unit has graduated over 350 weapons officers.[5]
In 2012, the 328 WPS stood up the cyber Weapons Instructor Course (cyber WIC) stood up, giving students the opportunity to enhance their cyber skills while under the mentorship of space weapons officers. In 2018, the cyber WIC separated to become their own squadron, the 32nd Weapons Squadron.[6]
TheUnited States Space Force was established in 2019 partly to integrate different space organizations into a space-specific service branch, including space education units in the Air Force. The 328 WPS was one of 23 Air Force units identified to transfer into the Space Force in March 2020.[7] On 24 July 2020, 328 WPS was transferred into the Space Force underSpace Operations Command'sSpace Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) (STAR Delta (P)), temporarily consolidating all space education units pending the establishment of theSpace Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).[8] STARCOM was activated on 23 August 2021 following the inactivation of STAR Delta (P), and the 319 CTS was realigned under the newly activatedSpace Delta 1 (DEL 1).[9]
|
|
 |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
| Air Forces |  | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centers | |||||||||||||
| Bases | |||||||||||||
| Stations | |||||||||||||
| Space wings | |||||||||||||
| Air Base groups |
| ||||||||||||
| Squadrons |
| ||||||||||||
_Streamer.jpg)
