| 9th Reconnaissance Wing | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing |
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| Active | 1949–Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Reconnaissance |
| Size | 3,000 personnel |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Beale Air Force Base |
| Motto | "Semper Paratus" Always Ready |
| Engagements | World War
IIAmerican Campaign (1941–1943) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign 1944–1945) Tokyo firebombing, 9 March 1945 Kawasaki, DUC 15 April 1945 Mining campaign, DUC May 1945 71 combat missions |
| Decorations |
    PUC AFOUA
w/ V Device |
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The wing is also the host unit at Beale.
Its mission is to organize, train and equip U-2R Dragonlady and RQ-4 Global Hawk combat elements for peacetime intelligence gathering, contingency operations, conventional war fighting and Emergency War Order support.
The wing has a long and distinguished history. Its 9th Operations Group is a descendant organization of the 9th Group (Observation), one of the 13 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.
During World War II, the 9th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces. Active for over 60 years, the 9 RW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force throughout the Cold War, performing strategic reconnaissance on a worldwide basis.
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is commanded by Brigadier General Robert P. "Bob" Otto. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant James E. Parkhill, Jr..
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The 9 RW is responsible for providing national and theater command authorities with timely, reliable, high-quality, high-altitude reconnaissance products. To accomplish this mission, the wing is equipped with the nation's fleet of U-2 and RQ-4 reconnaissance aircraft and associated support equipment. The wing also maintains a high state of readiness in its expeditionary combat support forces for potential deployment in response to theater contingencies.
The wing is composed of more than 3,000 personnel in four groups at Beale and multiple overseas operating locations:
The crest and motto were approved for the 9th Reconnaissance Wing on 1 July 1952 upon its inherited lineage of the 9th Bombardment Group. The shield, in black and green, represents the old colors of the Air Service parted by a wavy line representing the Rio Grande 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. The crest recalls the service in Mexico of the 1st Aero Squadron.
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On 1 May 1949 the group was activated as 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and activated at Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, California,
The 9th Group not only conducted photoreconnaissance missions for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), using B-29, RB-29, and RB-17 aircraft, but also trained with several B-36s assigned during 1949–1950. It also performed its mission with components of 5th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, from November 1949 – February 1951.
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing became a bomber unit again on 1 April 1950, re designated the 9th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, and after it converted to the B-29 Flying Fortress, was re designated the 9th Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 2 October 1950. In February 1951 the three bomb squadrons of the group were attached to the Wing in preparation for a phase-out by SAC of its groups. The 9th also participated in strategic bombardment training from February 1951 to December 1965.
Throughout the 1960s, the wing did many things for the Air Force. This included the conducting of Strategic Air Command (SAC) airborne communications relay missions from December 1962 to March 1965. They also controlled a Titan missile complex from June 1961– June 1965.
The wing phased down operations at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho from January to June 1966, and moved to their present home of Beale Air Force Base in California.
The wing was then equipped with the SR-71 Blackbird in 1966, absorbing resources of the inactivating 4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. This allowed it to stay with the same higher formation, the 14th Strategic Aerospace Division. The wing performed strategic reconnaissance in Southeast Asia beginning in 1968. It also provided photographic intelligence for the Son Tay prison camp raid named Operation Ivory Coast, in North Vietnam, November 1970.
After the Vietnam War, the 9th conducted photographic reconnaissance mission’s worldwide supporting Department of Defense objectives.
The wing added U-2R Dragon Lady spy planes in 1976 and specialized KC-135Q Stratotanker aircraft in 1983. This made it the only USAF wing equipped with these aircraft. It then used these aircraft to participate in USAF operations worldwide, including Grenada in October–November 1983, and Libya in April 1986.
Following the 1990 retirement of SR-71, the U-2 flew intelligence-gathering missions from August 1990 to March of 1991. These flights occurred over Southwest Asia, particularly during the Gulf War buildup and subsequent combat operations.
On 1 September 1991, the 9th Group was activated as the 9th Operations Group, as part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California. The 9th Operations Group has five squadrons and one detachment totaling more than 500 personnel.
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is the "single-point manager" for the U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance fleets. During U.S. military operations in Afghanistan in late 2001 and Iraq in early 2003, the wing also flew the unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft.
On 19 July 2007 the first operational Global Hawk deployment from Beale began at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where the Global Hawk is scheduled to be stationed permanently starting in 2009.
Air
Force Outstanding Unit Award
This article incorporates public
domain material from websites or documents of
the Air Force Historical
Research Agency.
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   | Official fact sheet - Factsheets : 9th Reconnaissance Wing |
| | United States Air Service interactive Google Map of bases, etc. at www.usaww1.com - American WWI Air Force OOB |
| | United States Air Service overview, history and 90th Anniversary celebration photos at www.usaww1.com - USAF, American, Air Force, World War I - France |
| | Air Force Historical Research Agency fact sheet - Fact Sheets : 9 Operations Group (ACC) : 9 Operations Group (ACC) |
| | ''9th Bombardment Group (VH) HISTORY'' on-line book - 9th Bombardment Group HISTORY: Welcome |
| | Beale AFB/9 Reconnaissance Wing site - Beale Air Force Base - Home |
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