12th Reconnaissance Squadron

12th Reconnaissance Squadron
12th Reconnaissance Squadron RQ-4 Global Hawk
Active	2 June 1917–March 31, 1946 29 July 1946-March 28, 1949 25 February 1951-March 8, 1960 3 November 1965-September 30, 1992 8 November 2001 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Aerial reconnaissance
Size	Squadron
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota
Motto(s)	Know Your Enemy
Engagements	World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lewis H. Brereton Robert Merrill Lee
Insignia
12th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	RQ-4 Global Hawk

The 12th Reconnaissance Squadron (12 RS) is a United States Air Force squadron, assigned to the 69th Reconnaissance Group at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota

The squadron traces its lineage to the Air Service, United States Army 12th Aero Squadron, activated on 2 June 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. It earned seven Campaign Streamers in World War I flying the French Salmson 2A2 aircraft as a Corps Observation squadron. The squadron again flew tactical reconnaissance missions in France and Northern Europe during World War II as part of Ninth Air Force. As a United States Air Force squadron, it flew reconnaissance missions in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. It continues its history of reconnaissance today, now equipped with the RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Reconnaissance Vehicle (UAV).

History

Lineage

• Organized as 12th Aero Squadron on 2 June 1917

Re-designated: 12th Squadron (Observation) on 14 March 1921

Re-designated: 12th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923

Re-designated: 12th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942

Re-designated: 12th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942

Re-designated: 12th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 31 May 1943

Re-designated: 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943

Inactivated on 31 March 1946

• Re-designated 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic (Jet Propelled) on 9 July 1946

Activated on 29 July 1946

Re-designated 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet on 14 June 1948

Inactivated on 28 March 1949

• Re-designated 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic on 5 February 1951

Activated on 25 February 1951

Re-designated 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic-Jet on 23 February 1959

Discontinued on 8 March 1960

• Re-designated 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet, and activated on 3 November 1965

Organized on 1 July 1966

Re-designated: 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966

Re-designated: 12th Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 November 1991

Inactivated on 30 September 1992

• Activated on 8 November 2001

Assignments

• Unknown, 2 June 1917-May 1918
• I Corps Observation Group, May-Nov 1918
• Unknown, Nov 1918-1 October 1919
• 1st Army Observation Group, 1 October 1919

Attached to 1st Surveillance Group from 13 October 1919

• 1st Surveillance Group, 24 March 1920
• Eighth Corps Area, 27 June 1921

Divisional aviation for 1 Cavalry Division, Sep 1921-Jun 1926, and for 2 Division, Jun 1924-c. Oct 1931

Detachment at Field Artillery School, 1 July 1927 – 1 June 1928

• 12th Observation Group, 1 October 1930
• Eighth Corps Area, 1 June 1937
• Fifth Corps Area

Attached to: 7 Cavalry Brigade (later, 1 Armored Division), 20 June 1937

Attached to: Armored Force, 2 October 1940

• 73d Observation Group, 1 September 1941
• V Air Support Command, 21 January 1942
• 67th Observation (later, 67 Reconnaissance; 67 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 29 March 1942
• 10 Photographic (later, 10 Reconnaissance) Group, 13 June 1944

Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to c. 11 August 1944

• Continental Air Forces (later, Strategic Air Command), 15 February-31 Mar 1946
• 363d Reconnaissance Group (attached to Twelfth Air Force), 29 July 1946
• 67th Reconnaissance (later, 67 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 24 July 1947 – 28 March 1949
• 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 25 February 1951

Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 June-24 Nov 1954 and 1 July-30 Sep 1957

• 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 October 1957 – 8 March 1960
• Tactical Air Command, 3 November 1965
• 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 July 1966
• 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 9 September 1966
• 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 31 August 1971 – 30 September 1992

Under operational control of 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 5 May-4 Jun 1974, 7 July-7 Aug 1981, 15 May-11 Jun 1984, and 27 August-24 Sep 1987

Flight attached to Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional 35, 14 January-10 May 1991

• 9th Operations Group, 8 November 2001 – 28 February 2013
• 69th Reconnaissance Group, 1 March 2013 - Present

Stations

World War I

• San Antonio (probably Kelly Field), Texas, 2 June 1917
• Wilbur Wright Field, Ohio, 8 July 1917
• Garden City, New York, 2 November-3 Dec 1917
• St. Maixent Aerodrome, France, 1 January 1918
• Chaumont Aerodrome, France, 16 January 1918
• Amanty Airdrome, France, 2 February 1918
• Ourches Aerodrome, France, 3 May 1918
• Flin Aerodrome, France, 13 June 1918
• Saints Aerodrome, France, 29 June 1918
• Francheville Aerodrome, France, c. 6 July 1918
• Moras Ferme Aerodrome, France, 22 July 1918
• May-en-Multien Aerodrome, France, 3 August 1918

• Coincy Aerodrome, France, 10 August 1918
• Chailly-en-Brie Aerodrome, France, 12 August 1918
• Gengault Aerodrome, France, 22 August 1918
• Remicourt Aerodrome, France, 20 September 1918
• Julvecourt Airdrome, France, 3 November 1918
• Mercy-le-Haut, France, 21 November 1918
• Trier Airdrome, Germany, 6 December 1918
• Koblenz, Germany, 30 December 1918
• Colombey-les-Belles, France, 16 April 1919
• Le Mans Airdrome, France, 5 May 1919
• Brest, France, 20 May-2 Jun 1919

Inter-War Period

• Mitchel Field, New York, 17 June 1919
• Scott Field, Illinois, 6 July 1919
• Kelly Field, Texas, 13 October 1919
• Fort Bliss, Texas, 9 January 1920

Flight operated from Douglas Field, Arizona, from 10 January 1920

• Nogales Field, Arizona

Flight operated from Douglas Field, Arizona. from 12 April 1920

• Douglas Field, Arizona

Flight operated from Nogales Field, Arizona from c. Feb 1921

• Fort Bliss, Texas, 28 September 1921

Detachment at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, after 26 June 1924

• Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 22 June 1926

Detachment at Post Field, Oklahoma, 1 July 1927 – 1 June 1928

Detachment operated from Fort Huachuca, Arizona, 6 April-10 May 1929

• Brooks Field, Texas, 31 October 1931
• Godman Field (Fort Campbell), Kentucky, 20 June 1937

Flight at Post Field (Fort Sill), Oklahoma, 1 June 1937 – 30 November 1940

World War II

• Esler Field, Louisiana, 20 March-12 Aug 1942
• RAF Membury (AAF-466), England, 7 September 1942
• RAF Greenham Common (AAF-486), England, 16 December 1943
• RAF Aldermaston (AAF-467), England, 9 January 1944
• RAF Chilbolton (AAF-404), England, 1 March 1944
• RAF Middle Wallop (AAF-449), England, 14 March 1944
• Le Molay Airfield (A-9), France, c. 5 July 1944

• Rennes Airfield (A-27), France, 11 August 1944
• Châteaudun Airfield (A-39), France, 24 August 1944
• Saint-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 12 September 1944
• Conflans Airfield (Y-94), France, 30 November 1944
• Trier Airfield (Y-57), Germany, 29 May 1945
• Ober Olm Airfield (Y-64), Germany, 2 April 1945
• Fürth Airfield (R-28), Germany, 28 April 1945 – 15 February 1946

United States Air Force

• Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 15 February-31 Mar 1946
• March Field (later, AFB), California, 29 July 1946 – 28 March 1949
• Komaki AB, Japan, 25 February 1951
• Taegu AB (K-2), South Korea, 15 March 1951
• Kimpo AB (K-14), South Korea, 21 August 1951
• Itami AB, Japan, 8 November 1954
• Yokota AB, Japan, 14 August 1956 – 8 March 1960
• Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 1 July-2 Sep 1966
• Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 9 September 1966 – 31 August 1971

• Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 31 August 1971 – 30 September 1992

Deployed at: Ramstein AB and Zweibrücken AB, West Germany, 5 May-4 Jun 1974

Deployed at: Zweibrücken AB, West Germany, 7 July-7 Aug 1981, 15 May-11 Jun 1984, and 27 August-24 Sep 1987

Flight deployed at: Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain, 14 January-10 May 1991

• Beale AFB, California, 8 November 2001–28 February 2013
• Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 March 2013-Present

Aircraft

• Dorand AR-2, 1918
• Salmson 2, 1918–1919
• Airco DH.4, 1919-c. 1926
• Douglas O-2, C. 1926-1930
• JN-6 Jenny JNS-1, Curtis O-11, during period 1919-1930
• Thomas-Morse O-19, 1930–1933, 1935
• Fokker O-27, 1933–1935
• Douglas O-43, 1935–1941
• North American O-47, 1938–1942
• Stinson YO-54, 1940–1942
• O-52 Owl and O-57 Grasshopper, 1941–1942
• O-59 Grasshopper, 1942
• Douglas O-31, O-46; Curtiss O-40 Raven; Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly during period 1935-1941

• Douglas O-38 and 0-49 during period 1941-1942
• A-20 Havoc, 1942
• P-51/F-6C Mustang, 1942
• Spitfire PR Mk XI, 1942–1944
• L-4 Grasshopper, 1942–1943
• DB-7 and A-20 Havoc, 1943
• P-51/F-6D Mustang, 1943–1946
• FP-80A Shooting Star, 1946–1949
• RB-26B Invader, 1951–1956
• RB-66B Destroyer, 1956–1960
• RF-4C Phantom II, 1966–1992
• RQ-4 Global Hawk, 2001 – present

See also=

• List of American Aero Squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

• Official factsheet
• Short history and patches
• 12th TRS Korean War page
• July 14, 2008 - 90th anniversary Commemoration of 1st aero squadron and 12th aero squadron in France during World War I