17th Reconnaissance Squadron

17th Reconnaissance Squadron
Emblem of the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1942 - 1946 1951 - 1979 2008 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Reconnaissance
Engagements	World War II Cold War[1]
Disbanded	1946 1979

The 17th Reconnaissance Squadron (17 RS) is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada.

Contents 1 Overview 2 History 2.1 Lineage 2.2 Assignments 2.3 Stations 2.4 Aircraft 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links

Overview

The 17th RS conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operating the flies MQ-1 Predator UAV.

History

Established as a photo-reconnaissance squadron in mid-1942, trained under Second Air Force in Colorado, equipped with very-long range F-5 (P-38 Lightning) reconnaissance aircraft Deployed to the South Pacific Area, assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Flew hazardous unarmed reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory in Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomon Islands; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Central Burma and southeast China. Inactivated in the Philippines, April 1946.

Reactivated at Shaw AFB, South Carolina in 1951 as a photo-reconnaissance training squadron. Equipped with several reconnaissance aircraft during the 1950s, deploying to NATO in 1959 with the RF-101C Voodoo. Operated from France until 1966, moving to RAF Upper Heyford, England. Remained in England until 1970, moved to West Germany and re-equipped with RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. Remained at Zweibrücken AB until 1979 when inactivated due to budget reductions.

Lineage

• Constituted 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942.

Activated on 23 July 1942.

Redesignated: 17th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943.

Redesignated: 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943.

Inactivated on 19 April 1946.

• Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 April 1951.

Activated on 2 April 1951.

Re-designated: 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966.

Inactivated 1 January 1979.

• Redesignated 17th Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 March 2002.

Activated on 8 March 2002.

Assignments

• 4th Photographic (later, 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; 4th Photographic; 4th Reconnaissance) Group, 23 July 1942.
• Thirteenth Air Force, 5 December 1945.
• XIII Fighter Command, 10 December 1945.
• 85th Fighter Wing; 1 February 1946.
• Pacific Air Command, U. S. Army, 1–19 April 1946.
• 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 2 April 1951.
• 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958.
• 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 10 May 1959.
• 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 January 1970.
• 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 31 January 1973-1 January 1979.
• 57th Operations Group, 8 March 2002–present.

Stations

• Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 23 July-24 October 1942.
• Camp Deptha, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 2 December 1942.
• Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 16 January 1943.

Detachment operated from: Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, c. 13 October 1943-31 January 1944, 9 March-1 April 1944.

Detachment operated from: Buka Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, c. 11 December 1943-February 1945.

Detachment operated from: Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 8–23 October 1944.

Detachment operated from: Sansapor Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 13 October-4 November 1944.

• Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 4 November 1944

Detachment operated from: Dulag Airfield, Dulag, Leyte, Philippines, 9 February–October 1945.

• Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 11 May 1945-19 April 1946.
• Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 2 April 1951-10 May 1959.
• Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 10 May 1959.
• RAF Upper Heyford, England, September 1966.
• Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, 12 January 1970-1 January 1979.
• Indian Springs AFAF (later Cheech AFB), Nevada, 8 March 2002–present.

Aircraft

F-5 Lightning, 1942–1946 B-25 Mitchell, 1944–1946 F-6 Mustang, 1946 RF-80 Shooting Star, 1951–1955 RF-84F Thunderstreak, 1954–1958

RF-101C Voodoo, 1957–1969 RF-4C Phantom II, 1969-1978 MQ-1 Predator UAV 2002–present MQ-9 Reaper UAV 2006-present

Notes

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• 17th Reconnaissance Squadron Factsheet

External links

USAAF Thirteenth Air Force in World War II Airfields Pacific USAAF in the South Pacific · USAAF in the Southwest Pacific Units Commands XIII Bomber · XIII Fighter Groups Fighter 18th Fighter · 347th Fighter · 414th Fighter Bomber 5th Bombardment · 11th Bombardment · 42d Bomardment · 307th Bombardment Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier Squadrons Bombardment 100th Bombardment · 868th Bombardment Night Fighter 418th Night Fighter · 419th Night Fighter · 550th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 4th Photographic Charting · 17th Photographic Reconnaissance · 36th Photographic Reconnaissance · 38th Photographic Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 13th Troop Carrier United States Army Air Forces First · Second · Third · Fourth · Fifth · Sixth · Seventh · Eighth · Ninth · Tenth · Eleventh · Twelfth · Thirteenth · Fourteenth · Fifteenth · Twentieth