38th Reconnaissance Squadron

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This article is about the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base. For other units with this designation, see 38th Reconnaissance Squadron (disambiguation).

38th Reconnaissance Squadron
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2]
Insignia
38th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem (restored and modified 22 February 1994)[2]
38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron emblem (approved 24 May 1957)[1]
38th Pursuit Squadron emblem (approved 3 March 1942)[2]

The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is a part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing RC-135 aircraft conducting reconnaissance missions.

Mission

The mission of the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron is to provide RC-135 aircraft and personnel to conduct global reconnaissance for national intelligence agencies, key decision makers and warfighters.

History

World War II

Established in late 1942 as a

P-51D Mustang
fighter aircraft and continuing its primary task of escorting B-17 and B-24 bombers that attacked such targets as industries and marshalling yards in Germany, and airfields and V-weapon sites in France.

The squadron flew air patrols over the

Airborne invasion of the Netherlands in September 1944, and later in December, transportation facilities during the Battle of the Bulge. During the Western Allied invasion of Germany, the squadron flew ground support missions by strafing trucks, locomotives, and oil depots near Wesel
when the Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945 and continued offensive operations until 21 April 1945.

P-38Hs of the 38th Fighter Squadron.

After the German Capitulation, became part of the

31st Fighter Group
.

Cold War reconnaissance

The squadron was reactivated by

air defense
capability of the Soviet Union at this time and the most effective way of determining their capability was to probe the borders and see whether they would respond. Gradually the RB-17s and other aircraft mapped the perimeter of the Soviet Air Defenses from the Baltic Sea to the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan.

The squadron was upgraded to

Boeing RB-29 Superfortress
aircraft in 1949 and continued its reconnaissance mission. However, it was again inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

The squadron was again reactivated in 1950 at

Boeing RB-50 Superfortresses
in 1952.

In 1953, the squadron was equipped with

Tyuratam and Kapustin Yar
. The early EB-47E 'Tell Two' was easily recognizable as the aircraft were equipped with 2 large telemetry pods attached to either side of the fuselage, just aft of the nose, which intercepted data from Soviet data from missile tests. A later version of the 'Tell Two' housed the telemetry pods internally and had a streamlined nose. The USAF long range radar site at Samsum in Turkey, on the south coast of the Black Sea, also assisted in this activity.

Missions flown on a reduced scale after February 1958 when events showed the vulnerability of the RB-47 to Soviet air defenses and the development of the U-2 aircraft.

When the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing relocated to

Boeing EC-135C as well as operating 3 KC-135R Rivet Stand reconnaissance aircraft. On 1 April 1970 SAC reorganized the Post Attack Command and Control mission and the 38th inactivated and turned the mission over to the newly 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron
.

The squadron flew worldwide strategic reconnaissance including in support of the

Desert Storm from January–February 1991.[2]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 38th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 38th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 January 1942
Redesignated 38th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 38th Fighter Squadron, Twin Engine on 20 August 1943
Redesignated 38th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 5 September 1944
Inactivated on 20 August 1946
  • Redesignated 38th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Mapping on 3 February 1947
Activated on 15 March 1947
Redesignated 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Mapping on 1 July 1949
Inactivated on 14 October 1949
  • Redesignated 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Photo on 27 October 1950
Activated on 1 November 1950
Redesignated 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium on 16 June 1952
Redesignated 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 16 August 1966
Inactivated on 1 April 1970
  • Activated on 1 April 1979
Redesignated 38th Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1991[2]

Assignments

  • 55th Pursuit Group
    (later 55th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 20 August 1946
  • 5th Reconnaissance Group, 15 March 1947
  • 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
    )
  • 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 1 June–14 October 1949
  • 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 1 November 1950 (attached to
    55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
    )
Further attached to
3d Air Division, 15 January–28 May 1951, 7th Air Division
after 5 April 1952)

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. ^ Aircraft is Boeing RC-135V Rivet Joint serial 64-14846.
Citations
  1. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 179–180
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Dollman, TSG David (19 October 2016). "Factsheet 38 Reconnaissance Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b Station number in Anderson.
  4. ^ a b Station number in Johnson.
  5. ^ Station information in Dollman, except as noted.

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links
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