30th Reconnaissance Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron (30 RS) is reconnaissance
test squadron assigned to the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing (432 AEW) at Creech Air Force Base
, Nevada
. The 30 RS flies the RQ-170 Sentinel UAV
out of the Tonopah Test Range Airport
in Tonopah
.
The squadron was previously assigned to the 57th Operations Group
, 57th Wing
, at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada.
.
Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in England
, being assigned to Ninth Air Force
. Initially stationed at the Royal Air Force
reconnaissance training school at RAF Chalgrove, later moved to RAF Middle Wallop where the squadron became operational in the ETO. The squadron arrived in Chalgrove in late February of 1944 and began operations in March. Engaged in unarmed and extremely hazardous combat operations over Occupied Europe, mapping 6000 square miles (15,539.9 km²) of the Netherlands and flew bomb-damage assessment missions over marshalling yards and gun emplacements in Belgium, Holland, and France, in Apr 1944.
Earned DUC for participation with 10th Photographic Group, 7–20 May 1944, in photo reconnaissance of Utah beach for Normandy invasion. The citation read, in part: "Employing specially modified equipment installed in unarmed P-38 type aircraft, the intrepid pilots of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group undertook the most hazardous missions. Flying unarmed and unescorted and at altitudes as low as twenty-five feet, they fearlessly piloted their aircraft over the difficult photographic runs in the face of intense fire from some of the strongest anti-aircraft installations in western Europe." Dicing, was the term used when referring to these extremely low-altitude flights over Utah Beach.
Flew sorties over France
on D-Day
making visual and photographic reconnaissance of bridges, artillery, road and rail junctions, traffic centers, airfields, and other targets. Moved into liberated area of France in early July, flying weather missions, made visual reconnaissance for ground forces, and photographed enemy positions to assist the First and Third Armies; Twelfth Army Group, and other Allied forces in the drive to Germany. Flew its first mission over Germany on 24 Aug 1944. Took part in the offensive against the Siegfried Line
, Sep-Dec 1944, and in the Battle of the Bulge
(Ardennes-Alsace), Dec 1944-Jan 1945.
From then until the close of the war in Europe, the squadron photographed dams and bridges on the Roer River in preparation for the ground offensive to cross the river, and aided the Allied assault across the Rhine River and into Germany. Flew its 2,000th operational mission on 22 Mar 1945. Flew missions to Berlin
on 8 April and to Dresden
on 10 Apr 1945. Returned to the United States in July 1945, being assigned to Third Air Force
, Continental Air Command
at Drew Field, Florida
. Squadron demobilized without becoming fully operational during the fall of 1945, inactivating on 7 November.
Re-established at Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey
in 1947 as a Tenth Air Force
Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units at McGuire AFB in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel. Primarily operated F-6 (later RF-51D Mustangs. Moved to McGuire AFB from Newark in 1949 when consolidated due to budget restrictions. Was brought to active service in 1951 due to manpower needs during the Korean War
, personnel and aircraft being reassigned as fillers to various active-duty units. Inactivated as a paper unit in May 1951.
Reactivated under Tactical Air Command
at Shaw AFB, South Carolina
on 1 January 1953. Performed training of photo-reconnaissance pilots with RB-26B Invader aircraft. Deployed to NATO in July 1953, being assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
at Sembach AB, West Germany
; it's host 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the initial unit based at the new air base. Trained in night reconnaissance with RB-26s; replaced with RB-57A Canberra jet aircraft in 1955. Was reassigned to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Spangdahlem AB in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization. Upgraded to RB-66C Destroyers and continued night reconnaissance training. Moved to England
in 1959 when Spangdahlem became a Tactical Fighter base. Operated from RAF Alconbury
, however rotated frequently to Toul-Rosieres AB, France
where the 10th TRW operated a forward detachment until 1965.
Re-equipped with the RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft in 1966; operated the day/night capable Phantom for 10 years until 1976 when inactivated due to budget reductions and the need for tactical reconnaissance aircraft was reduced to the increasing use of space reconnaissance assets.
Reactivated in 2005 and equipped with unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
test squadron assigned to the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing (432 AEW) at Creech Air Force Base
Creech Air Force Base
Creech Air Force Base , formerly known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, is a United States Air Force base located one mile north of the central business district of Indian Springs, in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is about northwest of Las Vegas and northwest of Nellis Air...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The 30 RS flies the RQ-170 Sentinel UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
out of the Tonopah Test Range Airport
Tonopah Test Range Airport
Tonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
in Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
.
The squadron was previously assigned to the 57th Operations Group
57th Operations Group
The 57th Operations Group is a non-flying component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
, 57th Wing
57th Wing
The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
, at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Nevada.
Operations
Activated on September 1, 2005, at Tonopah Test Range Airport; and on July 17, 2007 it was assigned a new patch: the patch displays a black bird standing astride Asia and East AfricaEast Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
History
Established in May 1, 1943 as a Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, initially trained under Second Air Force in Colorado; reassigned to Third Air Force in Oklahoma where the squadron received P-38E/F-4 Lightning reconnaissance aircraft.Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, being assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
. Initially stationed at the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
reconnaissance training school at RAF Chalgrove, later moved to RAF Middle Wallop where the squadron became operational in the ETO. The squadron arrived in Chalgrove in late February of 1944 and began operations in March. Engaged in unarmed and extremely hazardous combat operations over Occupied Europe, mapping 6000 square miles (15,539.9 km²) of the Netherlands and flew bomb-damage assessment missions over marshalling yards and gun emplacements in Belgium, Holland, and France, in Apr 1944.
Earned DUC for participation with 10th Photographic Group, 7–20 May 1944, in photo reconnaissance of Utah beach for Normandy invasion. The citation read, in part: "Employing specially modified equipment installed in unarmed P-38 type aircraft, the intrepid pilots of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group undertook the most hazardous missions. Flying unarmed and unescorted and at altitudes as low as twenty-five feet, they fearlessly piloted their aircraft over the difficult photographic runs in the face of intense fire from some of the strongest anti-aircraft installations in western Europe." Dicing, was the term used when referring to these extremely low-altitude flights over Utah Beach.
Flew sorties over France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
making visual and photographic reconnaissance of bridges, artillery, road and rail junctions, traffic centers, airfields, and other targets. Moved into liberated area of France in early July, flying weather missions, made visual reconnaissance for ground forces, and photographed enemy positions to assist the First and Third Armies; Twelfth Army Group, and other Allied forces in the drive to Germany. Flew its first mission over Germany on 24 Aug 1944. Took part in the offensive against the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
, Sep-Dec 1944, and in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(Ardennes-Alsace), Dec 1944-Jan 1945.
From then until the close of the war in Europe, the squadron photographed dams and bridges on the Roer River in preparation for the ground offensive to cross the river, and aided the Allied assault across the Rhine River and into Germany. Flew its 2,000th operational mission on 22 Mar 1945. Flew missions to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 8 April and to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
on 10 Apr 1945. Returned to the United States in July 1945, being assigned to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
at Drew Field, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Squadron demobilized without becoming fully operational during the fall of 1945, inactivating on 7 November.
Re-established at Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1947 as a Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units at McGuire AFB in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel. Primarily operated F-6 (later RF-51D Mustangs. Moved to McGuire AFB from Newark in 1949 when consolidated due to budget restrictions. Was brought to active service in 1951 due to manpower needs during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, personnel and aircraft being reassigned as fillers to various active-duty units. Inactivated as a paper unit in May 1951.
Reactivated under Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
at Shaw AFB, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on 1 January 1953. Performed training of photo-reconnaissance pilots with RB-26B Invader aircraft. Deployed to NATO in July 1953, being assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
at Sembach AB, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
; it's host 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the initial unit based at the new air base. Trained in night reconnaissance with RB-26s; replaced with RB-57A Canberra jet aircraft in 1955. Was reassigned to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Spangdahlem AB in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization. Upgraded to RB-66C Destroyers and continued night reconnaissance training. Moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1959 when Spangdahlem became a Tactical Fighter base. Operated from RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, however rotated frequently to Toul-Rosieres AB, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where the 10th TRW operated a forward detachment until 1965.
Re-equipped with the RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft in 1966; operated the day/night capable Phantom for 10 years until 1976 when inactivated due to budget reductions and the need for tactical reconnaissance aircraft was reduced to the increasing use of space reconnaissance assets.
Reactivated in 2005 and equipped with unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.
Lineage
- Constituted 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 5 Feb 1943
- Redesignated 30th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943
- Activated on 1 May 1943
- Redesignated 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 Aug 1943
- Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945
- Redesignated 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo, on 11 Mar 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on 25 Jul 1947
- Redesignated 30th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronics, on 27 Jun 1949
- Ordered to Active Service on 1 May 1951
- Inactivated on 16 May 1951
- Redesignated 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photo, on 15 Nov 1952
- Activated on 1 Jan 1953
- Redesignated: 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo-Jet, on 8 Jan 1957
- Redesignated: 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Oct 1966
- Inactivated on 1 Apr 1976
- Redesignated 30th Reconnaissance Squadron on 17 Jun 2005
- Activated on 1 Sep 2005.
Assignments
- 7th Photographic (later, Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping) Group7th Reconnaissance GroupThe 7th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at the Hitcham Air Depot, England...
, 1 May 1943 - Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 21 Jun 1943 - III Reconnaissance Command, 12 Oct 1943
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 4 Feb 1944 - 10th Photographic Group, 21 Feb 1944
- Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group after 9 Jun 1944
- 67th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, Reconnaissance) Group, 13 Jun 1944-7 Nov 1945
- 66th Reconnaissance (later, Strategic Reconnaissance) Group, 25 Jul 1947-16 May 1951
- 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group66th Tactical Reconnaissance GroupThe 66th Air Base Group is a non-flying United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Electronic Systems Center. It is stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
, 1 Jan 1953 - 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Dec 1957
- Attached to 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from 8 Jan 1958
- 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Mar 1958-1 Apr 1976
- 57th Operations Group57th Operations GroupThe 57th Operations Group is a non-flying component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
, 1 Sep 2005 - 432d Operations Group432d Operations GroupThe 432d Operations Group is the flying component of the United States Air Force 432d Wing, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
, 1 May 2007–Present
Stations
- Peterson FieldPeterson FieldPeterson Field is a public-use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Plains, a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. It is privately owned by G. Thomas Peterson.- Facilities and aircraft :...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 1 May 1943 - Will Rogers Field, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 10 Oct 1943 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 3-17 Jan 1944 - RAF Chalgrove (AAF-465), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 1 Feb 1944 - RAF Middle Wallop (AAF-449), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 17 May 1944 - Le Molay AirfieldLe Molay AirfieldLe Molay Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Le Molay-Littry in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-9), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 3 Jul 1944 - Toussus Le Noble Airfield (A-46), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 31 Aug 1944 - Charleroi-Gosselies Airfield (A-87), Belgium, 22 Sep 1944
- Operated from Florennes Juzaine AirfieldFlorennes Air BaseFlorennes Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located in Florennes, a municipality of Belgium. It is home to the 2nd Tactical Wing, operating F-16 Fighting Falcons. It also used to be the home to the Tactical Leadership Programme , a joint training program formed by 10 NATO members...
(A-78), BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, 8-18 Dec 1944- Vogelsang AirfieldVogelsang AirfieldVogelsang Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located approximately 3 miles northwest of Schleiden ; approximately 330 miles southwest of Berlin....
(Y-51), GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 24 Mar 1945 - Limburg AirfieldLimburg AirfieldLimburg Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located in Germany approximately 2 miles north-northwest of Limburg an der Lahn ; approximately 275 miles southwest of Berlin....
(Y-83), GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 2 Apr 1945
- Vogelsang Airfield
- Eschwege AirfieldEschwege AirfieldEschwege Airfield is a former military airfield located in Germany in the northwest part of Eschwege ; approximately 170 miles southwest of Berlin....
(R-11), GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 11 Apr-Jul 1945 - Drew Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 20 Sep-7 Nov 1945 - Newark Army Air Base, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 25 Jul 1947 - McGuire AFB, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 27 Jun 1949 - Barksdale AFB, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 10 Oct 1949-16 May 1951 - Shaw AFB, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 1 Jan 1953 - Sembach AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 8 Jul 1953 - Spangdahlem AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 8 Jan 1958 - RAF AlconburyRAF AlconburyRAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 25 Aug 1959-1 Apr 1976
- Operated from Moron AB, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 9 May-10 Jun 1968)- Tonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, 1 Sep 2005–Present
- Tonopah Test Range Airport
Aircraft
- P-38E/F-4 Lightning, 1943
- P-38G/F-5 Lightning, 1943–1945
- F-6 (later RF-51D) Mustang, 1947–1951
- RB-26B Invader, 1953–1955
- B/RB-57A Canberra, 1955–1957
- RB-66C Destroyer, 1957–1965
- RF-4C Phantom II, 1965-1976.
- RQ-170 Sentinel, 2005–Present