9th Reconnaissance Wing

9th Reconnaissance Wing
Emblem of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing
Active	(Origins, March 1916) Authorized 19 Jul 1922 - Present)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Combat Command
Motto(s)	"Semper Paratus" Always Ready
Engagements	World War II American Campaign (1941-1943) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1944-1945)
Decorations	PUC AFOUA w/ V Device

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW) is a wing of the United States Air Force. It is located at Beale Air Force Base, California and operates the U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk.

History

Lineage

• Established as 9 Group (Observation) on 19 Jul 1922

Organized on 1 Aug 1922

Operational components of unit predate group establishment (1913)

Redesignated: 9 Observation Group on 25 Jan 1923

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group on 1 Mar 1935

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 6 Dec 1939

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 28 Mar 1944

Inactivated on 20 Oct 1948

• Established as 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 Apr 1949

Activated on 1 May 1949

9 Strategic Reconnaissance Group activated and assigned as subordinate unit

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 1 Apr 1950

Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 2 Oct 1950

9 Strategic Reconnaissance Group inactivated on 16 Jun 1952

Redesignated: 9 Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 Apr 1962

Redesignated: 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 Jun 1966

Redesignated: 9 Wing on 1 Sep 1991

9th Operations Group activated and assigned as subordinate unit

Redesignated: 9 Reconnaissance Wing on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments

• II Corps Area, 1 Aug 1922
• 19 Composite Wing, 1 Apr 1931
• II Corps Area, c. 25 Jan 1933
• 2 Wing, 1 Mar 1935
• 19 Bombardment Wing, 12 Nov 1940
• Sixth Air Force

VI Bomber Command, 25 Oct 1941

Attached to VI Interceptor [later, VI Fighter] Command, 28 Jan 1942-unkn 1942

• AAF Training Command

Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics (later, AAF Tactical Center), 31 Oct 1942

• Second Air Force, 9 Mar 1944
• Twentieth Air Force

XXI Bomber Command

313 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, c. 28 Dec 1944

• Twentieth Air Force, 9 Jun 1947-20 Oct 1948

• Strategic Air Command

311th Air Division, 1 May 1949

Second Air Force, 1 Nov 1949

Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1950

14th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951

Fifteenth Air Force, 1 May 1953

Attached to: 7th Air Division, 23 May-11 Jul 1955

Attached to: 3d Air Division, 3-22 Oct 1955 and 1 Oct 1957-c. 10 Jan 1958

813 Air (later, 813 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 15 Jul 1959

14 Strategic Aerospace (later, 14 Air) Division, 5 Jun 1966

Second Air Force, 1 Sep 1991

• Air Combat Command

Second Air Force, 1 Jun 1992

Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jul 1993

Eighth Air Force, 1 Oct 2002-Present

Components

Wings

• 5 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 12 Nov 1949-10 Feb 1951.

Groups

• 5 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 9 Nov 1949-10 Feb 1951
• 9 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 9 Bombardment; 9 Operations): 1 May 1949-16 Jun 1952; 1 Sep 1991-Present

Squadrons

• 1 (later, 1 Observation; 1 Bombardment; 1 Strategic Reconnaissance; 1 Bombardment; 1 Reconnaissance): 1 Aug 1922; 15 Feb 1929-10 Oct 1948; 1 Jun 1949-10 Feb 1951; 16 Jun 1952-Present

Attached 24 Mar 1923; 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952

Detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952

Not operational, 15 Mar-30 Apr 1946, and Apr 1947-10 Oct 1948

• 5 (later, 5 Observation; 5 Bombardment; 5 Strategic Reconnaissance; 5 Bombardment; 5 Reconnaissance): 1 Aug 1922; 15 Feb 1929-20 Oct 1948; 1 May 1949-25 Jun 1966; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1990; 1 Oct 1994-Present

Attached 24 Mar 1923; 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952

Detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952

Not operational 16 May-c. 16 Sep 1946 and Apr 1947-10 Oct 1948

• 9 Air Refueling: 16 Jun 1952-15 Dec 1965
• 12 Reconnaissance: 8 Nov 2001-Present
• 14 Bombardment: attached 1 Mar 1935-c. 8 May 1936
• 18 Reconnaissance: attached 1 Sep 1936-c. Sep 1940; 3 Apr 2006-
• 38 Reconnaissance: attached 26 May-1 Jun 1949
• 44 Reconnaissance (later, 430 Bombardment): 25 Feb 1942-10 May 1944

Attached 20 Nov 1940,

Not operational Nov 1942-Mar 1943

• 59 Bombardment: attached 6 Jan 1941-21 Jul 1942
• 95 Reconnaissance: 30 Jun 1991-15 Sep 1993
• 97 Air Refueling: 15 Jul 1961-1 Jul 1962 (detached).
• 99 Observation (later, 99 Bombardment; 99 Strategic Reconnaissance; 99 Bombardment; 99 Reconnaissance): 15 Feb 1929-20 Oct 1948; 1 May 1949-1 Apr 1971; 30 Jun 1976-Present

Attached 9 Nov 1928; Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952

Not operational Nov 1942-Feb 1943, c. 15 Mar-27 Sep 1946, and Apr 1947-20 Oct 1948; 1-31 May 1949

Detached 5 Aug-23 Sep 1950 and 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952

• 349 Air Refueling: 15 Mar 1983-1 Jun 1992
• 350 Air Refueling: 15 Mar 1983-1 Oct 1993
• 569 Strategic Missile: 1 Jun 1961-25 Jun 1965
• 658 Bombardment: 1 Oct 1958-1 Jan 1962
• 4029 Strategic Reconnaissance Training: 1 Aug 1981- 1 Jul 1986
• 4364 Support (later, 4364th Post Attack Command and Control): 20 Jul 1962-25 Mar 1965

Operational History

In March 1916, the 1st Aero Squadron, with Captain Benjamin D. Foulois as commander, supported General "Black Jack" Pershing's punitive expeditions into Mexico. Pancho Villa had raided Columbus, New Mexico, and Pershing pursued and hoped to capture him. On March 16, 1916, Captain T.F. Dodd, with Captain Foulois as observer, flew the first American aerial reconnaissance mission in combat. (The wavy line in the middle of the wing's emblem represents the Rio Grande and the 1st Aero Squadron's operations in 1916).

Both the 1st and the 99th Aero Squadrons flew in World War I. Between 12 and 15 September 1918, they joined the great air armada of 1,481 airplanes in a massive air offensive in the St. Mihiel sector of France. The squadrons also participated in the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne combat operations. (The four black crosses on the wing's emblem commemorate these air battles).

Unit was reorganized and established as 9th Group (Observation) on 19 Jul 1922. Trained, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows, 1922-1940.

Performed antisubmarine patrols and reconnaissance of the Vichy French fleet at Martinique, Dec 1941-Oct 1942, using B-18 aircraft from a base in Trinidad. Returned without personnel or equipment to the United States on 31 Oct 1942.

The group trained cadres for heavy and medium bombardment units that had received ground instruction at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics at Orlando, Florida. Developed operational bombardment tactics and tested special devices and equipment.

After Mar 1944, prepared for combat. Moved to the Pacific theater at the end of the year and commenced operations late in Jan 1945 with attacks against Japanese-held Maug Island in the northern Marianas. On April 15-16, 1945, 339th Group B-29s flew 1,500 miles, low-level to avoid detection, over water, at night, to attack heavily-defended Kawasaki, Japan. Enemy searchlight, anti-aircraft guns, and flak boats destroyed four of the group's 33 bombers and damaged six others. But the attack demolished Kawasaki's strategic industrial district. The group earned a Distinguished Unit Emblem (DUE) for its actions. The unit won another DUE the following month for mining the Shimonoseki Straits and the waters around Honshū and Kyushu blocking Inland Sea traffic and isolating important Japanese ports.

Conducted strategic reconnaissance with assigned components, May 1949- Mar 1950, and with components of 5th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Nov 1949-Feb 1951. Conducted strategic bombardment training, Feb 1951-Dec 1965. Performed air refueling, May-Jul 1953, Sep 1954-Dec 1965, and Mar 1983-Oct 1993. Conducted Strategic Air Command (SAC) airborne communications relay missions, Dec 1962- Mar 1965. Deployed at Fairford RAF Station, England, May-Jul 1955, at Kadena AB, Okinawa, 3-22 October 1955, at Eielson AFB, AK, 18-22 January 1956, and at Andersen AFB, Guam, Oct 1957-Jan 1958. Controlled a Titan missile complex, Jun 1961-Jun 1965. Phased down operations at Mountain Home AFB, ID, Jan-Jun 1966, then moved to Beale AFB, CA. Equipped with the SR-71 aircraft in 1966, absorbing resources of the inactivating 4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, and staying with the same higher formation, the 14th Strategic Aerospace Division. The wing performed strategic reconnaissance in Southeast Asia beginning in 1968; provided photographic intelligence for the Son Tay prison camp raid in North Vietnam, Nov 1970. Conducted photographic reconnaissance missions worldwide supporting Department of Defense objectives. Added U-2 & U-2R aircraft in 1976 and specialized KC-135Q tankers in 1983 to become the only USAF wing so equipped. Participated in USAF operations worldwide, including Grenada, Oct-Nov 1983, and Libya, Apr 1986. Following the 1990 retirement of SR-71 aircraft, U-2 aircraft flew intelligence-gathering missions, Aug 1990- Mar 1991, in Southwest Asia, particularly during the Gulf War buildup and subsequent combat operations.

Lineage and Honors

• Redesignated on: 1 April 1950.
• At: Fairfield Suisun AFB, CA.
• Assigned to: Fifteenth Air Force.
• Equipment: B-17s, RB-17s, B-29s, RB-29s, RB-36s.
• Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 14th Air Division on 10 February 1951.
• Changed equipment in: 1951 to B-29s, RB-29s, RB-36s.
• Changed equipment in: 1952 to B-29s.
• Moved to: Mountain Home AFB, ID on 1 May 1953.
• Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force on 1 May 1953. (Attached to 7th Air Division from 23 May to 11 July 1955.)(Attached to the 3d Air Division from 3 October to 22 October 1955 and from 1 October 1957 to 10 January 1958.)
• Changed equipment in: 1953 to B-29s, KB-29s.
• Changed equipment in: 1954 to B-47s, KC-97s.
• Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 813th Air Division on 15 July 1959.
• Redesignated as: 9th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 31 March 1962.

Emblem

Blazon: Per pale vert and sable a pallet wavy argent fimbriated, Or, over all on a fess of four crosses patee of the second (sable).

The shield, in black and green, represents the old colors of the Air Service parted by a wavy line representing the Rio Grande and the 1st Aero Squadron's operations in 1916. On the gold band are four black crosses representing four WWI offensives, Aisne-Marne, Champagne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and St. Mihiel, in which squadrons later assigned to the 9th Wing fought.

Emblem approved on 1 July 1952.

Subordinate Units

• 9th Mission Support Group
• 9th Medical Group
• 9th Maintenance Group
  • 9th Munitions Squadron (Air Force Ammunition Center)
• 9th Operations Group
  • 9th Operations Support Squadron
  • 1st Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 99th Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 5th Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 12th Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 18th Reconnaissance Squadron

See also

• 313th Air Division

External links

• Official fact sheet