9th Reconnaissance Wing
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| 9th Reconnaissance Wing | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing |
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| Active | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Motto | "Semper Paratus" Always Ready |
| Decorations | see "Lineage and Honors" section below |
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.
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[edit] 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 River 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).
In World War II, the 9th Bombardment Group fought in the Pacific Theater. 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 Honshu 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; 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 humanitarian and scientific missions for Department of Defense and other government agencies when requested. 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Service Streamers
[edit] Campaign Streamers
[edit] Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers
[edit] Decorations
[edit] Awards
[edit] 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 River 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.
