| 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing | |
|---|---|
70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Insignia |
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| Active | 1 September 1941 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Intelligence |
| Part of | Air Force ISR Agency |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort George G. Meade, Md. |
| Motto | Strength Through Unity |
| Decorations | AFOUA |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel John D Bansemer |
The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (70th ISR Wing) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. It is stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Md..
Known as "America's Cryptologic Wing", is the only Air Force wing that supports the National Security Agency, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency and the entire United States Air Force with cryptologic intelligence.
The 70th ISR Wing predecessor World War II unit, the 70th Reconnaissance Group conducted observation, artillery adjustment and fighter and bomber support training with United States Army ground forces. During the Cold War, the 70th was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force as a strategic reconnaissance organization and heavy bombardment wing. It is commanded by Colonel John D. Bansemer; its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Eddie J. Compton.
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Provide multi-source, multi-service intelligence products for Department of Defense by gaining and exploiting information as a major component of the Air Force and DoD global intelligence mission.
The wing has six groups, 19 squadrons, 10 detachments and 26 operating locations spanning four continents. The wing falls under the Air Force ISR Agency at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The 70th ISR Wing trains and equips cryptologic and information operations specialists to carry out AF ISR Agency and National Security Agency tri-service operations.
The 70th ISR Wing has its origins in the World War II 70th Reconnaissance Group, which was activated at Gray Army Airfield, Washington in September 1941. The 70th Recon Group was primarily a Fourth Air Force training unit in observation and artillery adjustment, supporting Army ground units at Fort Lewis. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the unit began antisubmarine patrols along the Pacific Coast, and provided support to II Bomber Command heavy bomber training units. It was largely unmanned after August 1943 when the United States Navy took over antisubmarine duty.
The group was reassigned to Will Rogers Field, Okla. under Third Air Force in November 1943, and was programmed for training as a photo-reconnaissance unit, but the unit was never manned or equipped and was inactivated 30 Nov. 1943.
The group was reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947 as a reconnaissance group at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It was assigned to Fourth Air Force, but it is unclear whether or not the unit had any assigned aircraft of personnel. It was inactivated in 1949 due to budgetary reductions.
The 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was established by Strategic Air Command on 23 March 1953, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; however, Little Rock AFB was still under construction at the time, so the unit was temporarily stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio until October. Few wing components were manned until October when Little Rock was ready for operational use.
The 70th SRW's mission was to gather intelligence on a global scale as part of the strategic reconnaissance force of SAC. Equipped with RB-47E Stratojets, the wing conducted a variety of spectacular overflights of the Soviet Union during the 1950s, including overflying Murmansk. RB-47s had a fairly low operational ceiling of 40,000 feet and relied on speed, as opposed to altitude, to evade interception. Some of these flights were mounted from Thule, Greenland, and probed deep into the heart of the Soviet Union, taking a photographic and radar recording of the route attacking SAC bombers would follow to reach their targets. The risks involved in mounting these dangerous sorties speaks volumes for the courage and skill of the crews involved. Flights that involved penetrating mainland Russia were termed SENSINT (Sensitive Intelligence) missions. One RB-47 even managed to fly 450 miles inland and photograph the city of Igarka in Siberia.
The 70th SRW also assumed an air refueling mission in 1955 and was deployed at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco, from 26 Oct. to 17 Dec. 1956.
Beginning in February 1958, operations with the RB-47 were reduced, primarily as the aircraft was determined to be vulnerable to Soviet air defenses, but also its mission was being taken over by the Lockheed U-2. From June 1958 to September 1961, the wing became a B-47 bombardment and reconnaissance organization, providing B/RB-47 combat crew training for other SAC units, while undertaking RB-47 and KC-97 operations. The refueling squadron transferred in August 1961, and the final RB-47 class graduated in October 1961. It converted to B-47s in late 1961 but inactivated prior to becoming combat ready.
On 10 Dec. 1957, Strategic Air Command established the 4123d Strategic Wing at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base, Okla. as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 98th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Es, and the KC-135-equipped 902d Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC strategic wings were considered provisional units by Headquarters Air Force and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its four-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters Air Force to discontinue its strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Headquarters Air Force Controlled, or AFCON, units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4123rd Strategic Wing was redesignated as the 70th Bombardment Wing (70th BW) 1 Feb. 1963, in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 816th Air Division. The 70th BW was placed on operational status upon activation with the 98th Bombardment Squadron being redesignated as the 6th Bombardment Squadron, the wing's former RB-47 squadron. The 902nd ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 70th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated.
The 70th BW conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling missions from February 1963 to December 1969. It was upgraded to the B-52D in 1968 by SAC along with receiving some older B-52Cs, which had limited use for training new aircrews. For several months in both 1968 and 1969, all of the 70th BW aircraft, most of the aircrew and maintenance personnel and some of its support people were loaned to other SAC units engaged in combat operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia. It was one of 11 SAC bomb wings that rotated such combat duty under the program known as Arc Light.
By 1969, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina. The 70th Bombardment Wing was inactivated 31 Dec. 1969, and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Clinton-Sherman AFB was closed.
The 70th Air Base Wing operated and maintained Brooks Air Force Base, Texas from October 1994 through September 1998. Since August 2000, the 70th Intelligence Wing, then later the 70th ISR Wing, has managed the Air Force portion of the Defense Department's cryptology mission, exploiting intelligence, integrating it into air and space operations, and assisting commanders and others with intelligence requirements.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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