338th Combat Crew Training Squadron

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338th Combat Crew Training Squadron
B-1 Lancer from Dyess AFB
Active	1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1953–1963; 1986–1993
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bomber crew training
Engagements	European Theater of Operations[1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
Patch with 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron emblem
338th Bombardment Squadron emblem[note 1][1]
World War II fuselage code[2]	BX

The 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron is a currently inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 96th Operations Group, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on October 1, 1993.

History[]

World War II[]

Established as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, Flew combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945.

Postwar reserve[]

Activated as a reserve B-29 Superfortress squadron, 1947. Not equipped or manned; inactivated due to budget reductions, 1949.

Strategic Air Command[]

Reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojet squadron. Performed global deployments and training until inactivated in 1963. With the phaseout of the B-47 the training aircraft sent to storage at Davis-Monthan and the squadron was inactivated.

Training unit[]

Reactivated in 1986 as a B-1B Lancer training squadron, assuming assets of 4018th Combat Crew Training Squadron which was assigned to the 96th Wing on 15 March 1985^[3] when B-1s first arrived at Dyess.

On September 28, 1987, a squadron B-1B Lancer 84-52 suffered a bird strike during a Radar Bomb Scoring training mission to the Strategic Training Range Complex serviced by the La Junta, Colorado radar bomb scoring site. An American White Pelican struck the Rockwell B-1 Lancer traveling at 600 ft (180 m) and about 645 mph (1,038 km/h) with 6 military aboard, and the damage caused a fire. The instructor pilot took control and flew the B-1B to 3,500 ft after which the crash occurred.^[4]

The copilot's ejection seat failed and 2 others in jump seats were unable to successfully bail out, killing Maj. James T. Acklin (instructor pilot, age 37), 1st Lt. Ricky M. Bean (student pilot, 27), and Maj. Wayne D. Whitlock (instructor defensive systems officer, 39). The student defensive systems officer, student aircraft commander, and instructor offensive systems officer successfully ejected and were treated for minor injuries at the USAF Academy hospital. A 5,000 ft (1,500 m) low-level restriction was temporarily enacted,^[4] and modifications to increase the aircraft design from 6 pounds to withstand a 10-pound strike were complete by December 1988.

The squadron was inactivated in October 1993 along with the 96th Bomb Wing, which was replaced at Dyess by the 7th Bomb Wing. The 7th moved to Dyess from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas without personnel or equipment. In this reflagging of units, the 338th's equipment and personnel were transferred to the 337th Bomb Squadron.

Lineage[]

• Constituted as the 338th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 July 1942

Redesignated 338th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 19 December 1945

• Redesignated 338th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 338th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 6 November 1953

Activated on 18 November 1953

Inactivated on 15 March 1963^[5]

• Redesignated 338th Strategic Bombardment Training Squadron

Activated on 1 July 1986^[6]

Redesignated 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron on 1 June 1987

Inactivated on 1 October 1993^[7]

Assignments[]

• 96th Bombardment Group, 15 July 1942 – 15 December 1945
• 96th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1947
• 384th Bombardment Group, 8 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 96th Bombardment Wing (later 96th Strategic Aerospace Wing, 18 November 1953 – 15 March 1963^[5]
• 96th Bombardment Wing, 1 July 1986^[3]
• 96th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – 1 October 1993^[8]

Stations[]

Aircraft[]

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955–1963^[5]
• Rockwell B-1B Lancer, 1986–1993

References[]

Notes[]

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography[]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
• Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-1987-7. |volume= has extra text (help)