9th Reconnaissance Wing, US Air Force
9TH RECONNAISSANCE WING, US AIR FORCE
History: Established as 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 April 1949. Activated on 1 May 1949. Redesignated as: 9 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 1 April 1950; 9 Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 2 October 1950; 9 Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 April 1962; 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 June 1966; 9 Wing on 1 September 1991; 9 Reconnaissance Wing on 1 October 1993. Conducted strategic reconnaissance with assigned components, May 1949-March 1950, and with components of 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, November 1949-February 1951. Conducted strategic bombardment training, February 1951-1965. Performed air refueling, May-July 1953, September 1954-December 1965, and March 1983-October 1993. Conducted Strategic Air Command (SAC) airborne communications relay missions, December 1962-March 1965. Deployed to Fairford RAF Station, England, May-July 1955; at Kadena AB, Okinawa, 3-22 October 1955; at Eielson AFB, AK, 18-22 January 1965; and at Andersen AFB, Guam, October 1957-January 1958. Controlled a Titan missile complex, June 1961-June 1965. Phased down operations at Mountain Home AFB, ID, January-June 1966; then moved to Beale AFB, CA. Equipped with 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, November 1970. Conducted humanitarian and scientific missions for Department of Defense (DOD) and other government agencies when requested. Added U-2 and 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, October-November 1983; and Libya, April 1986. Following the 1990 retirement of SR-71 aircraft, U-2 aircraft flew intelligence-gathering missions, August 1990-March 1991, in Southwest Asia, particularly during the Gulf War buildup and subsequent combat operations. Continued to provide worldwide reconnaissance as directed. In 1993, lost its air refueling capacity and specialized in global high altitude manned surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the National Command Authorities, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and theater commanders. While flying U-2s as its primary aircraft, it also flew SR-71s, the world’s fastest aircraft, from 1995 to 1999. Although the wing headquarters remained at Beale AFB, CA, it also operated components at several locations around the world. After the terrorist attack on the United States on 11 September, 2001, wing elements took part in reconnaissance missions in support of U. S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, flying both the manned U-2 and the unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. As the Air Force’s only U-2 training center, provided initial, requalification and proficiency training for all U-2 pilots and mission planners and all RQ-4 crewmembers, 2004-.
 (Historical - 9th Bombardment Group) |
 (Modern) |
| English | (wanted) |
Origin/meaning
Approved on 1 Jul 1952.
Literature: Air Force Combat Units of World War II, https://www.afhra.af.mil/