38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force
. Its last assignment was with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
, stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base
, Germany
. It was inactivated on 31 July 1991.
in Oklahoma
. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations
(PTO), assigned to Thirteenth Air Force
in the Central Pacific Area. Using unarmed fighter aircraft (P-38s, later P-51s) and B-25 Mitchell
medium bombers fitted with aerial mapping cameras, the squadron performed numerous long distance mapping flights over enemy-held territory, primarily in the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines
. These flights were extremely hazardous, being flown without escort and in unarmed aircraft, obtaining intelligence about enemy fortifications, armored units, infantry concentrations and other tactical intelligence. Inactivated in January 1946.
as a result of the United States Cold War
military buildup in Europe
. Activated as a redesignation of the Alabama Air National Guard
160th TRS, which was federalized and brought to active duty during the Korean War
. Assumed the RF-80A Shooting Star aircraft of the ANG unit, and trained for daylight reconnaissance missions. The squadron, however was stationed at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
in West Germany due to the uncompleted facilities at Toul-Rosières Air Base
. Weather conditions in Germany severely restricted the training operations of the assigned RF-80As. The squadron frequently deployed to Nouasseur Air Base
, Morocco
during the winter of 1952-53 where the photo conditions were excellent.
Moved to Spangdahlem Air Base
, West Germany in May 1953 where all of the elements of the parent 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing were assembled at one base. Re-equipped in 1955 with the RF-84F Thunderstreak, as the RF-80s were deemed no longer to be mission-capable against the Soviet MiG-15.
In January 1958, the squadron was moved to Phalsbourg-Bourscheid AB, France
while the runway at Spangdahlem was under repair and renovation. . In March 1958, the squadron was reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which was moving to Phalsbourg from Sembach AB due to poor runway conditions. During May, the Thundersteaks were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, which was the fastest tactical reconnaissance aircraft ever flown by the USAF. The last reconnaissance Voodoos were withdrawn from ANG service in 1979
Routine training operations were flown from Laon for over seven years. In 1965 the squadron was again reassigned to the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
, which was being formed at Toul Air Base. On 7 March 1966, French President Gen Charles De Gaulle announced that France would withdraw from NATO's military structure but not leave the political organization. He gave NATO forces one year (until 1 April 1967) to depart France.
As a result, the 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was relocated to Ramstein Air Base
, West Germany and upgraded to the RF-4C Phantom II. The 38th operated from Ramstein until 1973, when in a NATO realignment, the 26th was reassigned to Zweibrücken Air Base
. Remained at Zweibrücken until being inactivated in 1991 after the end of the Cold War
, and the phaseout of the RF-4C.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Its last assignment was with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 July 1991.-History:...
, stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base
Zweibrücken Air Base
Zweibrücken Air Base was a NATO air base in West Germany . It was located 35 miles SSW of Kaiserslautern and 2 miles mi SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Forces in Europe during its operational lifetime.The facility was closed in...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , 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...
. It was inactivated on 31 July 1991.
World War II
Established in 1944 as a photo-reconnaissance squadron, trained under Third Air ForceThird 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....
in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma 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...
. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
(PTO), assigned to Thirteenth Air Force
Thirteenth Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
in the Central Pacific Area. Using unarmed fighter aircraft (P-38s, later P-51s) and B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
medium bombers fitted with aerial mapping cameras, the squadron performed numerous long distance mapping flights over enemy-held territory, primarily in the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. These flights were extremely hazardous, being flown without escort and in unarmed aircraft, obtaining intelligence about enemy fortifications, armored units, infantry concentrations and other tactical intelligence. Inactivated in January 1946.
United States Air Forces in Europe
Reactivated in 1952 as a NATO tactical reconnaissance squadron designated to be based in FranceFrance
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...
as a result of the United States Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
military buildup in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Activated as a redesignation of the Alabama Air National Guard
Alabama Air National Guard
The Alabama Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is, along with the Alabama Army National Guard, an element of the Alabama National Guard...
160th TRS, which was federalized and brought to active duty 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...
. Assumed the RF-80A Shooting Star aircraft of the ANG unit, and trained for daylight reconnaissance missions. The squadron, however was stationed at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base is a German Air Force airfield located near the town of Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany....
in West Germany due to the uncompleted facilities at Toul-Rosières Air Base
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
Toul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
. Weather conditions in Germany severely restricted the training operations of the assigned RF-80As. The squadron frequently deployed to Nouasseur Air Base
Nouasseur Air Base
Nouasseur Air Base near Casablanca, French Morocco is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base. It was designed for B-36 and B-47 bombers.Today, Nouasseur AB is known as Mohammed V International Airport.-Origins:...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
during the winter of 1952-53 where the photo conditions were excellent.
Moved to Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
, West Germany in May 1953 where all of the elements of the parent 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing were assembled at one base. Re-equipped in 1955 with the RF-84F Thunderstreak, as the RF-80s were deemed no longer to be mission-capable against the Soviet MiG-15.
In January 1958, the squadron was moved to Phalsbourg-Bourscheid 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...
while the runway at Spangdahlem was under repair and renovation. . In March 1958, the squadron was reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which was moving to Phalsbourg from Sembach AB due to poor runway conditions. During May, the Thundersteaks were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, which was the fastest tactical reconnaissance aircraft ever flown by the USAF. The last reconnaissance Voodoos were withdrawn from ANG service in 1979
Routine training operations were flown from Laon for over seven years. In 1965 the squadron was again reassigned to the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 July 1991.-History:...
, which was being formed at Toul Air Base. On 7 March 1966, French President Gen Charles De Gaulle announced that France would withdraw from NATO's military structure but not leave the political organization. He gave NATO forces one year (until 1 April 1967) to depart France.
As a result, the 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was relocated to Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
, West Germany and upgraded to the RF-4C Phantom II. The 38th operated from Ramstein until 1973, when in a NATO realignment, the 26th was reassigned to Zweibrücken Air Base
Zweibrücken Air Base
Zweibrücken Air Base was a NATO air base in West Germany . It was located 35 miles SSW of Kaiserslautern and 2 miles mi SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Forces in Europe during its operational lifetime.The facility was closed in...
. Remained at Zweibrücken until being inactivated in 1991 after the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and the phaseout of the RF-4C.
Lineage
- Constituted as 38th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 29 March 1944
- Activated 1 May 1944
- Inactivated on 15 January 1946
- Redesignated: 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic) on 25 June 1952
- Activated on 10 July 1952 by redesignation of the Alabama Air National Guard 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
- Redesignated: 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on undetermined date
- Inactivated on 1 April 1991
Assignments
- III Tactical Air Division, 1 May 1944
- Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, 2 December 1944
- Attached to 4th Photographic Group4th Reconnaissance GroupThe 4th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and was stationed at Clark Field, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 January 1946....
from 12 December 1944- 4th Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group4th Reconnaissance GroupThe 4th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and was stationed at Clark Field, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 January 1946....
, 1 February 1945 - Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, 5 December 1945-15 January 1946
- 4th Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group
- 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group10th Tactical Reconnaissance GroupThe 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany...
, 10 July 1952 - 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 December 1957
- Attached to 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from 8 January 1958
- 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 March 1958
- 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing26th Tactical Reconnaissance WingThe 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 July 1991.-History:...
, 1 January 1966-1 April 1991
Stations
- 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...
, May 1944 - Muskogee Army Airfield, 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...
, c. 15 May-2 November 1944 - Hollandia Airfield Complex, Netherlands East Indies, 14 December 1944
- Wama Airfield, MorotaiMorotaiMorotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
, Netherlands East Indies, 28 December 1944 - Clark Field, LuzonLuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, C. 5 October 1945-15 January 1946 - Neubiberg Air BaseNeubiberg Air BaseNeubiberg Air Base is a former German and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany....
, 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....
, 10 July 1952
- Spangdahlem Air BaseSpangdahlem Air BaseSpangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
, 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....
, 4 May 1953 - Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air BasePhalsbourg-Bourscheid Air BasePhalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Moselle département, about 2 miles west of the town of Phalsbourg, on the north side of the Route nationale 4 Highway adjacent to the village Saint-Jean-Kourtzerode; 29 miles northwest of...
, 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 July 1957 - Toul-Rosières Air BaseToul-Rosieres Air BaseToul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
, France, 17 October 1960 - Ramstein Air BaseRamstein Air BaseRamstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
, 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....
, 1 October 1966 - Zweibrücken Air BaseZweibrücken Air BaseZweibrücken Air Base was a NATO air base in West Germany . It was located 35 miles SSW of Kaiserslautern and 2 miles mi SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Forces in Europe during its operational lifetime.The facility was closed in...
, West Germany (later Germany)GermanyGermany , 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...
, 31 January 1973 - 31 July 1991
Aircraft
- B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1944 - P-38/F-5 Lightning, 1944, 1945
- RF-80 Shooting Star, 1952–1956
- RF-84F Thunderflash, 1955–1958
- RF-101 Voodoo, 1958—1965
- RF-4C Phantom II, 1965–1991