The26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing operated under the direction ofStrategic Air Command from 1952 until 1958. The two units were consolidated in 1965 as the26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and served for the next twenty-six years withUnited States Air Forces Europe. Thewing was inactivated on 31 July 1991.
The wing was activated again as the26th Intelligence Wing in late 1991, redesignated 26th Information Operations Wing in August 2000, and inactivated in July 2006.
The wing's first predecessor was activated in July 1942 as the5th Photographic Group at what would becomePeterson Field, Colorado with the21st,22d,23d and24th Photographic Mapping Squadrons assigned, although neither the group nor any of its squadrons would become operational until January 1943.[2][3][4][5][6][7] However, by the time thegroup moved overseas in August 1943, only the 23d and 24th Squadrons remained assigned.[3][6][7]
The group remained in Italy afterVE Day until October 1945, when it returned to the United States and was inactivated on arrival at the port of embarkation.[3]
In May 1952 the26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was activated underStrategic Air Command as one of twoBoeing B-47 Stratojet wings atLockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, but was not fully manned until January 1953. The wing performed strategic reconnaissance andair refueling missions. The wing became non-operational in April 1958 and was inactivated in July.[2]
The 5th Group and 26th Wing were consolidated in 1965 as the26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and served for the next twenty-six years withUnited States Air Forces Europe. Exercising control of a deployedAerospace Defense Command squadron, it also performedelectronic countermeasure training through the late 1960s. From 1968 to 1973, it added anair defense responsibility. It performed day and night visual and photographic reconnaissance. From the fall of 1972 to spring of 1973 the wing also had aspecial operations mission.[2]
With the end of the Cold War in 1990, thewing was gradually phased down. In addition, the 1960s-eraMcDonnell RF-4C Phantoms were increasingly costing more and more to maintain. Tactical reconnaissance was being handled by other means, and the need for the wing was becoming less critical to USAFE planners. As a result, the RF-4Cs of the wing were sent toAMARC on 1 April 1991 and the wing's remaining tactical squadron was inactivated. The wing was inactivated on 31 July 1991.
12th Photographic Squadron (later 12th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron): attached 27 October – 21 November 1943
15th Photographic Squadron (later 15th Combat Mapping Squadron, 15th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron): attached 21 November 1943 – 20 January 1944, assigned 21 January 1944 – 28 October 1945
21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (later 21st Photographic Squadron): 2 September 1942 – 28 April 1943 (not operational until c. 12 January 1943)
22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (later 22d Photographic Squadron): 2 September 1942 – 7 July 1943 (not operational until c. 12 January 1943; detached after 18 May 1943)
23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (later 23d Photographic Squadron, 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron): 2 September 1942 – 15 November 1944 (not operational until c. 12 January 1943; detached c. 15 July – 8 September 1943, 9 February – 9 March 1944, after 23 August 1944)
24th Photographic Mapping Squadron (later 24th Photographic Squadron, 24th Combat Mapping Squadron): 2 September 1942 – 9 October 1943 (not operational until c. 12 January 1943; detached after c. 8 August 1943)
United States
United States Air Force
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