It also performed strategic reconnaissance over enemy-controlled territory, and tactical bombing attacks on enemy forces in support of Army offensive operations.

[3] At Kelly Field, the squadron was thoroughly drilled every day in the lessons of soldiering, and given considerable fatigue duty to indoctrinate the men into Army service.

The squadron was threatened by a severe attack of ptomaine poisoning, which put half of the personnel in the hospital, but which did not result in any deaths.

On 9 October, the squadron was ordered to the Aviation Concentration and Supply Depot at Mineola, New York, to be outfitted for overseas duty.

[3] The squadron was allowed to embark on 27 October at New York Harbor pier 61 on the former White Star Liner RMS Adriatic.

Moved to Southampton, the squadron embarked on a cross-channel ferry to Le Havre, Upper Normandy, France.

[3] As a pioneer squadron in the new school of bombardment instruction, the 96th was given complete control of the hangars, transportation and armament, and assisted in organizing the systems of management still in force.

The experience thus gained by assisting in the construction of the planes, and assembling the Renault motors in the factory, proved of immense value when the squadron was sent to the Zone of Advance.

[3] The 96th Aero Squadron was ordered to Amanty Airdrome in the Toul Sector and became established as a bombing unit in active service against the enemy.

The flying equipment of the squadron consisted of ten Breguet 14B.2 aircraft, which had been transferred by the 7th Aviation Instruction Center.

[3] Just before embarking upon its first aerial warfare, the squadron decided upon its insignia, a black triangle outlined by a white strip enclosing the profile of a red devil thumbing his nose at the ground with his right hand.

[7] Initial operations consisted of several practice patrols covering the rear area of the sector and giving the Pilots the opportunity of flying together.

Late afternoon of 12 June found eight planes loaded with bombs and ready for the long anticipated raid to a hostile objective.

The other three arrived at the airdrome at 20:00. that night, the entire squadron joined in a camp jubilee to celebrate the unqualified success of the first American bombing raid.

A wireless message was intercepted that night, stating that five American bombing planes attempting a raid on Koblenz, had been captured.

[3][7] During the third week of July, eleven new Breguets, including two Corps d' Armee type, with photographic equipment, were delivered to the squadron as replacements.

Many practice formations and bomb tests were held on flying days, while the engineering department prepared the planes for over-the-lines duty.

[3][7] The first raid with the new equipment was carried out 1 August when eight planes, in a double V formation, bombed the warehouses and the railroad yards at Conflans.

960 kilograms of bombs were dropped; the exposure, although unsuccessful on this raid, valuable information regarding railroad activities was brought back by the observers.

[3][7] Adverse weather, high winds and formidable low clouds prevented extensive flying until 11 August 11, when Captain Cecil G. Sellers led a formation to Montmedy and dropped 1120 kilos of bombs, cutting the railroad track at the outskirts.

Upon approaching the objective, the pilots and observers flew the enemy planes taking off from their field, and watched them gain altitude in remarkable short time.

[3][7] Two raids were carried out the following day, one to Dommary-Baroncourt, on which good hits were scored, and the second to Conflans which was hotly attacked by 11 enemy scouts after releasing the bombs.

The end of the first day found the squadron badly crippled having lost three of the personnel, killed, and eight planes wrecked or put out of commission.

A favorable opening permitted the formation to descend below the clouds and the squadron scored a perfect hit at the neck of the railroad yards.

One Fokker attacked the leader from off the right wing, a blind spot on the Breguet, and managed to escape by diving under the right side of the formation line.

On 11 November, the signing of the armistice put an end to the alert, but the squadron continued to fly on patrol and practice aerial maneuvers while waiting for further orders.

On 10 January 1919 orders were received for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot, Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF.

[9] Personnel were subsequently assigned to the commanding general, services of supply, and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France.

Without aircraft, it traveled by train to Saint-Denis-de-Pile, near Bordeaux, where the squadron spent a pleasant spring awaiting transport home to the United States.

DSC: Distinguished Service Cross; SSC: Silver Star Citation; KIA: Killed in Action; CO: Commanding Officer[13] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency