squadron being reassigned to the Philippines where it's B-24s were sent to reclamation and it became a paper unit. The squadron was redesignated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadron on Okinawa in 1946, receiving former Eighth Air Force B-29s originally deployed from the United States for the planned Air Offensive as part of the Japanese Campaign. Became part of Twentieth Air Force, and flew training missions in and around Okinawa until being made non-operational in 1948. Cold War bombardment Assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1948, receiving B-29s and operating from Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas; later from March Air Force Base, California. Took part in SAC deployments and exercises. In 1950 was part of the Fifteenth Air Force SAC contingent of non-nuclear-capable B-29 units deployed to Okinawa due to the breakout of the Korean War. Flew combat missions over North Korea during 1950, returning to the United States in October. Upon return to the United States, trained with second-line B-29s for training and organization. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new Boeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1962; Inactivated in early 1963 when the last aircraft was retired. Pilot training The squadron was reactivated under Air Training Command as a flying training unit in 1990. Inactivated in 1992; Reactivated in 1998 as part of Air Education and Training Command. As Vance AFB is a Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) location, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps aviators as well as Air Force and Air National Guard pilots train there. The 33 FTS currently flies the Beechcraft T-6A Texan II which has 1100 shaft horsepower and a maximum speed of 316 knots indicated airspeed. The 33 FTS mascot is the dragon and students use callsigns starting with "DRAGN" when on station and "Hook" when off station. Lineage Constituted as the 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 December 1939 Activated on 1 February 1940 Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 3 February 1944 Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 30 April 1946 Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 July 1948 Discontinued and inactivated on