9th Reconnaissance Wing
Emblem of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing
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. Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ... ACC bases and deploments The Air Combat Command (ACC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force whose mission is to provide air combat forces (mostly aircraft), to other commands, including both commands within the Air Force as well as the United States Unified Combatant Commands that... Wing is a term used by different air forces for a unit of command. ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ... Beale Air Force Base is a base located in Yuba County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The U-2 is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude reconnaissance airplane flown by the United States Air Force. ... The Northrop Grumman (formerly Ryan Aeronautical) RQ-4 Global Hawk (known as Tier II+ during development) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the US Air Force as a surveillance aircraft. ...

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). The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron is the oldest squadron in the United States Air Force, and the first organization to be established as a U.S. military flying unit. ... John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... The Pancho Villa Expedition was an abortive punitive expedition conducted by the United States against the military forces of Mexican Revolutionary General Pancho Villa in retaliation for Villas invasion of the United States and attack on the village of Columbus, New Mexico. ... Columbus is a village located in Luna County, New Mexico. ...

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). Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow... Combatants United States German Empire Commanders John J. Pershing Georg von der Marwitz Strength American Expeditionary Force German Fifth Army Casualties 7,000 2000 dead and 5500 wounded The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12 - 15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force... The Meuse-Argonne offensive was a major battle of World War I. It was the biggest operation and victory of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in that war. ...

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. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... The 9th Bomb Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 9th Operations Group, a current unit of the United States Air Force. ... A symbol of Kawasaki-shi Temple at Kawasaki. ... The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy. ...

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. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eielson Air Force Base is located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mountain Home Air Force Base (Mountain Home AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located near Mountain Home, Idaho in Elmore County, about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Boise. ...

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.

April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

Service Streamers

Service streamers of the United States Air Force represent noncombat service in the various theaters of military operations and bear no embroidery. ...

Campaign Streamers

Verified combat credit entitles an organization to the appropriate campaign streamers representing the named campaign in which it participated. ...

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

Decorations

Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force are military decorations which are issued by the Department of the Air Force to Air Force service members and members of other military branches serving under Air Force commands. ...

Awards

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). This is an article about Heraldry. ...

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. Combatants United States German Empire Commanders John J. Pershing Georg von der Marwitz Strength American Expeditionary Force German Fifth Army Casualties 26,277 killed 95,786 wounded 122,066 total 28,000 killed 92,250 wounded 120,250 total The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the final offensive of World War... Combatants United States German Empire Commanders John J. Pershing Georg von der Marwitz Strength American Expeditionary Force German Fifth Army Casualties 7,000 2000 dead and 5500 wounded The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12 - 15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force...

Emblem approved on 1 July 1952. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Assignments

Components

• 9th Operations Group

The 9th Bomb Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 9th Operations Group, a current unit of the United States Air Force. ...

Stations

Commanders

Aircraft / Missiles / Space Vehicles

References

External links

• Official fact sheet