544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group

Units

544th ISRG, Detachment 4 – Yakima Research Station, Washington

544th ISRG, Detachment 3 – Sugar Grove, West Virginia

544th ISRG, Detachment 2 – Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico [Discontinued] (8 December 1995 – 21 July 2000)

544th ISRG, Detachment 5 – Chantilly, Virginia

544th ISRG, Detachment 7 – Vandenberg AFB, California [Discontinued]

18th Intelligence Squadron – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

18th IS, Detachment 1 – Holloman AFB, New Mexico [Discontinued] (June 1995 – July 2000)

18th IS, Detachment 1 – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio [Discontinued]

18th IS, Detachment 1 – Vandenberg AFB, California [Redesignated 544th ISRG, Detachment 1 in 2014]

18th IS, Detachment 2 – Osan AB, Republic of Korea

18th IS, Detachment 3 – Misawa AB, Japan [Discontinued]

18th IS, Detachment 4 – RAF Feltwell, United Kingdom

18th IS, Detachment 5 – RAF Edzell, Scotland [Discontinued] (???-???)

451st Information Operations Squadron – RAF Menwith Hill, United Kingdom

451st IOS, Detachment 1 – RAF Digby, United Kingdom

566th Information Operations Squadron – Buckley AFB, Colorado

Lineage

Constituted as 544th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron on 2 November 1950

Activated on 16 November 1950Redesignated as: 544th Reconnaissance Technical Group on 11 July 1958Redesignated as: 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing on 1 January 1963Redesignated as: 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing on 15 October 1979Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence Wing on 1 September 1991Inactivated on 1 June 1992

Redesignated 544th Intelligence Group on 3 September 1993

Activated on 7 September 1993Redesignated as: 544th Information Operations Group on 1 August 2000Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence Group on 1 April 2007Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 1 January 2009

Assignments

3902d Air Base Wing, 16 November 1950

Strategic Air Command, 11 July 1958 – 1 June 1992

Air Force Intelligence Command (later, Air Intelligence Agency), 7 September 1993

67th Intelligence (later, 67th Information Operations) Wing, 31 January 2000

70th Intelligence (later, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) Wing, 5 July 2006–present

Stations

Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, 16 November 1950 – 11 April 1952

Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 12 April 1952 – 1 June 1992

Peterson AFB, Colorado, 7 September 1993–present

Operations

The 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group was initially activated as the 544th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron on 16 November 1950 at Bolling AFB. Initial personnel came from the 4203d Photographic Technical Squadron. The 544th moved to Offutt AFB in April 1952, although a small unit (Detachment 1) continued operation at Bolling AFB. On 11 July 1958, the unit was redesignated the 544th Reconnaissance Technical Group. The 544th provided photo interpretation during the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) for the National Command Authority.

The next designation was as the 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing when it was activated on 1 January 1963 at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was assigned directly to Strategic Air Command. In Vietnam, the RC-135C reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with the ASD-1 reconnaissance system, a number of programmable SIGINT receivers, created much of the 544th ARTW's work, an activity known as 'Finder'. In 1979 the 544th was designated as a Major Command Special Activity and on 15 October 1979, was redesignated the 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing. The 544th SIW was redesignated the 544th Intelligence Wing on 1 September 1991, still at Offutt AFB, and then inactivated on 1 June 1992.

On 7 Sept. 1993, Colonel Eric Larson became the commander of the newly reactivated 544th IG at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo, part of Air Force Space Command. The current commander of the 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is Colonel Thomas Hensley. In 2000, the 544th received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The award did not extend to the detachments' host commands such as the Naval Security Group Activities Sabana Seca and Sugar Grove. Their support in terms of infrastructure, technical equipment and facilities, allowed the detachments to accomplish their mission.