543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group

543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group

Active 1942–1945; 1950–1951; 1997–present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Intelligence
Size Over 800 personnel[1]
Part of Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
Garrison/HQ Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Nickname(s) Warrior Scouts[1]
Motto(s) Archez Bien French Shoot Well (WW II)
Engagements Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Korean War
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Commanders
Current
commander		 Col Thomas E. Barnett[1]
Insignia
543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group emblem (approved 5 October 2010)[2]
3d Reconnaissance Group Emblem (approved 29 October 1942)[3]

The United States Air Force's 543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. It has been located there since 1997, when it was activated as the 543d Intelligence Group. It focuses on cryptologic operations and signals intelligence.

The group's earliest predecessor was established in June 1942 as the 3d Photographic Group. After training in the United States, the group deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it performed reconnaissance missions, primarily for Twelfth Air Force, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its support of Operation Dragoon. After the surrender of Germany, the group was inactivated in Italy in September 1945.

The second ancestor of the group is the 543d Tactical Support Group, a United States Air Force unit that fought in the Korean War under Fifth Air Force. The 543d was established in September 1950 to control tactical reconnaissance units operating in Korea. In February 1951, the group was inactivated and replaced by the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and its subordinate units transferred or replaced by units of the 67th Wing.

Mission

The 543rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is a force provider for national cryptologic operations and serves as Twenty-Fifth Air Force's primary service cryptologic component for the Department of Homeland Security. The group provides air signals intelligence analysts for the National Security Agency as well as Air Force national and tactical intelligence integration for Air Forces Southern and Air Forces Northern's air operations centers. The group also supports cryptologic missions within North American Air Defense Command and United States Southern Command.[4]

History

World War II

3d Reconnaissance Group F-4

The group was first activated in June 1942 as the 3d Photographic Group and assigned directly to Headquarters, Army Air Forces. The group's initial components were the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons.[5][6][7][8] It trained at Peterson Field, Colorado until September 1942, when it moved (less its 14th Squadron and B and C Flights of the 15th) to England, where it flew missions with Eighth Air Force as it prepared for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa.[3][7]

In December 1942, the group moved to North Africa along with its 12th and 15th Squadrons. The 15th's A Flight preceded other group elements, arriving at Tafaroui, Algeria on 18 November, ten days after the initial Torch landings.[8] Although the 13th Photographic Squadron continued to be assigned to the 3d Group until July 1943, the squadron remained in England where it was attached to elements of Eighth Air Force.[6]

The group provided photographic intelligence that assisted the campaign for Tunisia, Operation Corkscrew, the neutralization of Pantelleria, the Sardinia campaign, and Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. It reconnoitered airfields, roads, marshalling yards and harbors both before and after Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings at Salerno. It provided coverage for the Battle of Anzio early in 1944 and continued to support the United States Fifth Army in its drive through Italy by determining troop movements, gun positions, and terrain. In Italy, the 23d Photographic Squadron filled out the group again. The squadron was attached to the 3d Group several times in 1943 and 1944, before finally being assigned in November 1944.[9]

Flying from Corsica, the 3d flew reconnaissance missions supporting Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 28 August 1944 when it provided photographic intelligence that assisted the rapid advance of Allied ground forces. The group also mapped areas in France and the Balkans. The group was inactivated in Italy in September 1945 and disbanded in 1947.[3]

Korean War

RB-26 Invader at Komaki Air Base during the Korean War[note 1]

When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, Far East Air Forces reconnaissance assets included the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which began flying missions with its Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Stars from Itazuke Air Base.[10] In August, the 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Itazuke from Langley Air Force Base. Virginia with its Douglas RB-26 Invaders to augment Fifth Air Force night reconnaissance operations in Korea.[11] However, because of the demand for photographic reconnaissance products, the 162d Squadron flew mostly daylight missions.[12]

When the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was activated on 26 September,[13] the 543d Tactical Support Group was organized as the headquarters for Fifth Air Force's tactical reconnaissance units operating in Korea. The 45th was activated to fill the gap in visual reconnaissance, which was being performed by a handful of North American T-6 Texans.[12] The 543d and two of its squadrons moved to Korea three days after it was activated.[2] The move was already planned as Fifth Air Force moved units to Korea following the Inchon Landings.[14]

The shortage of photographic interpreters in United States Eighth Army, required the group's 363d Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, which had moved from Langley along with the 162d, to reproduce materials on behalf of the Army.[12] In early November, when reports were received that People's Liberation Army forces were advancing under cover of night, the group's 162d Squadron to begin flying the night missions it had been organized to perform.[12] Until December, the lack of air opposition permitted group aircraft to operate over Korea without fighter cover. However, the increased presence of Chinese MiG-15s resulted in a requirement for high altitude cover, while group reconnaissance aircraft were flying at low level near the Yalu River.[15]

As the Chinese advanced southward through the Korean Peninsula through December 1950, the quality of photographic interpretation provided by the group diminished as other intelligence sources from ground and air dried up, leaving interpreters without context for their work, This lessened the effectiveness of a push during the last ten days of December in which the reconnaissance squadrons mapped the area in front of Eighth Army's lines to a depth of forty miles.[16] In early 1951, as enemy forces continued their southward advance, group headquarters returned to Japan, where its mission, personnel and equipment was absorbed by the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which was simultaneously activated at Komaki Air Base. The 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 67th, while the other squadrons of the 543d Group were replaced by newly activated squadrons of the 67th Wing.[17][18] In 2005, the 543d was consolidated with the 543d Intelligence Group.[2]

Intelligence operations

The 3d Reconnaissance Group was reconstituted in July 1985 and redesignated the 543d Tactical Intelligence Group on the inactive list. In 1997, the "Tactical" was dropped from its name and it was activated as an element of the 67th Intelligence Wing at the Medina Annex of Kelly Air Force Base. Three years later, the group transferred to the 70th Intelligence Wing.[2]

Lineage

543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
Activated on 20 June 1942
Inactivated on 12 September 1945
Activated on 1 March 1997
543d Tactical Control Group
Activated on 26 September 1950
Inactivated on 25 February 1951

Assignments

Components

World War II
Flight further attached to 5th Reconnaissance Group, 10 March – 5 May 1944[19]
Korean War
Intelligence since 1997

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation28 August 19443d Photographic Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device1 June 2001 – 31 May 2003543d Intelligence Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 1997 – 30 September 1998543d Intelligence Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 1999 – 30 September 2000543d Intelligence Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2004 – 31 May 2005543d Intelligence Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2006 – 31 December 2007543d Intelligence Group[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2008 – 31 May 2009543d Intelligence Group
(later 543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group)[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2010 – 31 December 2010543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2011 – 31 December 2011543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2012 – 31 December 2012543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2014 – 31 December 2014543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group[27]
Korean Presidential Unit Citation10 February 1951 – 25 February 1951543d Tactical Support Group[2]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Tunisia12 November 1942 – 13 May 19433d Photographic Group[2]
Sicily14 May 1943 – 17 August 19433d Photographic Group
(later 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group)[2]
Naples-Foggia18 August 1943 – 21 January 19443rd Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group
(later 3d Photographic Group)[2]
Anzio22 January 1944 – 24 May 19443d Photographic Group[2]
Rome-Arno22 January 1944 – 9 September 19443d Photographic Group[2]
Southern France15 August 1944 – 14 September 19443d Photographic Group[2]
North Apennines10 September 1944 – 4 April 19453d Photographic Group[2]
Po Valley3 April 1945 – 8 May 19453d Photographic Group[2]
Rhineland15 September 1944 – 21 March 19453d Photographic Group[2]
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 19453d Photographic Group (later 3d Reconnaissance Group)[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater8 September 1942 – 11 May 19453d Photographic Group (also 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group)[2]
UN Offensive 26 September 1950 – 2 November 1950 543d Tactical Support Group[2]
CCF Intervention 3 November 1950 – 24 January 1951543d Tactical Support Group[2]
1st UN Counteroffensive25 January 1951 – 25 February 1951543d Tactical Support Group[2]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Aircraft is Douglas RB-26 serial 44-35686 of the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. The 12th absorbed the aircraft of the 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in February 1951 when the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing replaced the 543d. Endicott, p. 80.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Michael, TSG (13 August 2015). "Col. Thomas Barnett Takes over 543 ISRG". Twenty-Fifth Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 13 November 2015. (as of 13 August 2015)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Robertson, Patsy (20 April 2012). "Factsheet 543 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (AFISRA)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 33–34
  4. 1 2 3 "70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing". 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  5. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 67
  6. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 73–74
  7. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 79–80
  8. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 84–85
  9. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 123–124
  10. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 48
  11. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 362–363
  12. 1 2 3 4 Futrell, p. 229
  13. 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp 355–356
  14. ↑ Futrell, pp. 177–178
  15. ↑ Futrell, p.247
  16. ↑ Futrell, pp. 272–273
  17. 1 2 Endicott, p. 80
  18. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 134
  19. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 36–37
  20. ↑ Futrell, p. 71
  21. ↑ Lent, pp. 27–28
  22. 1 2 3 "70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Heritage Pamphlet" (PDF). Twenty-Fifth Air Force Public Affairs. July 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  23. ↑ See 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Heritage Pamphlet (not listed as assigned)
  24. ↑ "743d Intelligence Support Squadron". RallyPoint.com. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  25. 1 2 Station number in Anderson
  26. ↑ Bailey, Carl E. (16 March 2005). "Lineage and Honors History of the 543 Intelligence Group (ACC)" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 19 November 2015. (search)

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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