On April 21, Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa Wilcox became the first woman to take command of a B-52 bomber squadron for the US Air Force (USAF). The military is now leader of the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead this historic squadron,” Lieutenant Colonel Wilcox told the newspaper Shreveport Times. “I am proud to serve alongside the men and women of the 96th BS to build a legacy left by so many great aviators throughout their 105 years in office. – First to bomb!”
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Duff handed over command to the pioneer officer during a ceremony at Barksdale base. Change of command ceremonies serve as the official transfer of command duties and responsibilities between the incoming and outgoing commanders, the paper explains.
Wilcox is not a pilot but a Weapons Systems Officer on the B-52H Stratofortress, with over 1500 flight hours in the aircraft which is the USAF's flagship bomber.
More recently, she served as deputy commander of the 2nd Mission Group and director of operations for the 20th Bomb Squadron. She also served as a radio navigator aboard the B-52, which this month marks the 70th anniversary of its first flight in 1952.
Called the Red Devils and with the rallying cry “First to Bomb”, the 96th BS was formed in 1917 as the 96th Aero Squadron in the US Army Air Service, the first bombing squadron in the United States. The unit fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the American Expeditionary Forces.
Over its 105-year history, the Red Devils have operated nearly 20 different aircraft, including the Italian Caproni Ca.3 during World War I and the legendary B-1 Mitchell and B-25 Flying Fortress during World War II. The unit was deactivated twice throughout its history, but “reborn” in 17 operating the B-1993H.
The 96th BS is subordinate to the 2nd Operations Group, one of the branches of the US Air Force's Global Strike Command.
