World War II The
squadron was first activated as the
8th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) in early 1941. It was one of the four original squadrons of the
46th Bombardment Group. In August the squadron changed its role to
bombardment and was redesignated the
87th Bombardment Squadron. The 87th was equipped with
Douglas A-20 Havoc aircraft at
Hunter Field, Georgia. The 51st participated in
maneuvers, including desert maneuvers, and flew
anti-submarine warfare patrol and search missions over the
Gulf of Mexico in early 1942. In late 1943 the
squadron mission changed to replacement training of individual
pilots and
aircrews. This resulted in the squadron, along with other units at
Morris Field, being disbanded and its personnel, equipment and functions transferred to the
333d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment).
887th Tactical Missile Squadron The
887th Tactical Missile Squadron was organized in September 1962 at
Sembach AB, Germany and assigned to the
38th Tactical Missile Wing. At Sembach the squadron operated the
TM-76A Mace missile from Site III "Hacksaw" – ENE of
Sembach AB . The squadron was discontinued and inactivated on 25 September 1966 along with its parent wing as
United States Air Forces Europe reduced its tactical missile force. From 1975 – 1978, Site III "Hacksaw" was used by Det B, 502nd Army Security Agency (ASA) Bn for the Guardrail I, II, and IIa Integrated Processing Facility (IPF) site. The unit was redesignated as the 330th Electronic Warfare Aviation Company (Forward) (330th EW Avn Co (FWD)), and resubordinated to the 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) in 1978. It appears that this unit used the
RC-12 Guardrail aircraft. From 1979 – 1985, Site III "Hacksaw" was upgraded to the Guardrail V (GRV) IPF, and in the fall of 1985 the unit moved to
Echterdingen Army Airfield (Stuttgart International Airport). The site was subsequently used by various and sundry communications units on deployment before being closed and turned over to the German government. In September 1985, the 887th TMS was consolidated with the
87th Bombardment Squadron but it remained inactive.
Ground Launched Cruise Missile The consolidated squadron was redesignated
87th Tactical Missile Squadron and reactivated at
RAF Molesworth as a
BGM-109G Gryphon cruise missile squadron in August 1986. It maintained 64 operational
cruise missiles at
combat readiness. The squadron was inactivated in January 1989 as a result of the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which resulted in the elimination of the BGM-109G missile from service. ==Lineage==