74th Bombardment Squadron

74th Bombardment Squadron
106th Bombardment Wing B-29 Superfortresses 1951
Active	1919–1919; 1933–1946; 1951–1952
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Strategic Air Command
Engagements	American Theater of World War II
Insignia
74th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 23 August 1934)

The 74th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first active during World War II as the 74th Aero Squadron. In 1933 it was consolidated with the 74th Pursuit Squadron, which had been organized as a reserve training organization in 1927, activating in the Panama Canal Zone, where it served during World War II as the 74th Bombardment Squadron.

During the Korean War, the squadron was redesignated the 135th Bombardment Squadron and assigned to the 106th Bombardment Wing, a federalized Air National Guard unit at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 December 1952 when the 106th Wing was returned to the National Guard and replaced by the regular 320th Bombardment Wing

The first predecessor of the squadron was established at Waco, Texas in February 1918 as the 74th Aero Squadron, In July 1918, the 74th moved to the New York City area, where it served, probably with Airco DH.4 aircraft as a tactical defense unit until it was demobilized in January 1919. It was again organized at Langley Field, Virginia in June, but was again demobilized on 25 September 1919

The second predecessor of the unit was constituted as the 74th Attack Squadron in October 1927 as a Regular Army Inactive unit and allotted to the Eighth Corps Area. Although inactive as a regular unit, it was partially organized with reserve personnel at Fort Crockett, Texas. Organized Reserve officers assigned to the unit participated in summer training at Fort Crockett with elements of the 3d Attack Group. In May 1929, it was redesignated the 74th Pursuit Squadron and administratively assigned to the 18th, then to the 20th Pursuit Group.