Bitburg AB, Germany – NEW

The 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron--the first USAF missile squadron deployed overseas--arrived at this base in early 1954. Two years later the 1 PBS was redesignated the 1st Tactical Missile Squadron (TMS), and two years after that (1958), the tactical unit became the 71 TMS, which continued missile operations at Bitburg until they were ended there in 1969. Because there was no missile group or wing at the base during the first couple years, the 1 PBS was initially supported by the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing, which became the 36th Fighter-Day Wing and eventually the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing. The missile squadron was attached to the flying wings early on, but from 1965 through 1969 it was assigned to the 36 TFW. The component squadrons of the flying wings supported Matador and Mace operations at Bitburg. Here are the patches and emblems of all these different organizations.