443d Air Expeditionary Squadron


The 443d Air Expeditionary Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment as a regular Air Force unit was to the 320th Bombardment Wing at March Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 15 September 1960.
The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 443d Bombardment Squadron. It served in combat in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States for inactivation.
Although briefly active in the reserve from 1947-1949, the squadron was primarily a Strategic Air Command bomber unit with Boeing B-47 Stratojets. The squadron was inactivated in 1960, in connection with the phasing out of the B-47.

History

World War II

Established in mid-1942 as a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. Trained under Third Air Force in Florida, deployed to England under the VIII Air Support Command, 3d Bombardment Wing.
Operated against targets on the continent during early fall of 1942; deployed to North Africa as part of Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch landings in Algeria in November. Flew tactical bombing missions against Axis forces in North Africa until the end of the Tunisian Campaign in May 1943. Participated in the Sicilian and Italian Campaigns; liberation of Corsica and Sardinia and the Invasion of Southern France. Supported Allied ground forces in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, spring 1945 and becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe Army of Occupation in Germany, fall 1945. Personnel demobilized in Germany and the squadron inactivated as a paper unit in December 1945.

Reserves

Reactivated in the reserves in 1947. Never manned or equipped.

Strategic Air Command

Reactivated in 1952 as a B-47 Stratojet squadron,. Initially equipped with prototypes of the Boeing RB-47B Stratojet to perform long-range photo-reconnaissance with a flight of B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned. In November 1953 began to receive production B-47E medium bomber aircraft; prototype reconnaissance aircraft already received exchanged for medium bomber versions. Participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to Europe and North Africa throughout the 1950s. Inactivated in 1960 as part of the phaseout of the B-47, aircraft sent to storage at Davis-Monthan.

Twenty-first century

The U.S. Air Force said in November 2018 that "..As the fight against ISIS continues in the border region between Iraq and Syria, Security Forces Defenders from the 443rd Air Expeditionary Squadron integrated with Iraqi Security Forces and other coalition partners to launch the first joint base defense exercise at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The exercise increased cooperation and fortified critical defense capabilities. The 443 AES Airmen serve on the forefront of the fight against ISIS as they deliver agile combat support through airfield management, cargo processing and personnel movement."

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