page_title: Sembach Kaserne
section_title: 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
hierarchical_section_title: Sembach Kaserne / History / USAF use / 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
caption_attribution_description: English: RB-26s of the 30th Tac Recon Squadron / 66th Tactical Recon Wing - Sembach Air Base, Germany.
context_page_description: Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army installation in Sembach, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to October 2010, it was a United States Air Force installation, and prior to 1995, it was an active military airfield known as Sembach Air Base. It now belongs to U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz.
  During the Cold War, Sembach Air Base housed a variety of USAF Tactical Reconnaissance, Close Air Support and Tactical Air Control units as a front line NATO air base.
context_section_description: The American flag first flew at Sembach Air Base on 8 July 1953.  On that day, at 1045 hours, the first of 18 RB-26 Invader aircraft belonging to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) landed on the new flightline, arriving from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.  With the arrival of the 66th TRW, the installation was renamed Sembach Air Base.  Major General B. C. Struther, commander of Twelfth Air Force, welcomed the Wing.  The Wing Commander landed at 1509 hours in a T-33, bringing the remainder of the wing's aircraft with him: 32 RF-80 Shooting Stars and 4 additional T-33s.
  The 66th TRW had three operational squadrons: the 30th, 302d and 303d TRS.  The 30th TRS flew the RB-26, while the 302d and 303d flew the RF-80A.
  The third and final phase of construction at Sembach Air Base was conducted in the summer of 1954 when the housing area was built.
  On 30 November 1954, the 30th TRS received the first Martin RB-57A Canberra, to replace its World War II vintage RB-26 Invaders.  In August 1955, the 302d and 303d TRS started to receive the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash.
  On 1 January 1957 a fourth squadron, the 19th TRS was transferred from the 47th Bombardment Wing (SAC) at RAF Sculthorpe to the 66th TRW. The 47th TRS flew the RB-45C Tornado, however the squadron remained at Sculthrope and did not physically transfer its assets to Sembach. At Sculthorpe, the 19th TRS transitioned to the RB-66 aircraft.
  In February 1957, the RB-57s of the 30th TFS at Sembach were also being replaced by the Douglas RB-66 Destroyer.  The heavier RB-66s however, did not land well on Sembach's runway, and the 30th TRS was deployed to Landstuhl AB (now Ramstein AB) for their operations.
  As 1957 progressed USAFE HQ decided to reorganizes its tactical reconnaissance assets. Both the 66th TRW and the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base were flying dissimilar types of aircraft: the RF-84F and the RB-66. This was counterproductive not only in terms of operational efficiency, but also in terms of maintenance and supply.
  On 6 December 1957 HQ, USAFE transferred the 19th and 30th TRS and their RB-66s to the 10th TRW.  In return the 32d and 38th TFS at Phalsbourg AB, France were transferred from the 10th TRW which made the 66th TRW a four-squadron RF-84 wing.  However, due to space restrictions at Sembach, the 32d and 38th would remain in France, as a separate detachment of the 66th.
  In January 1958, it was announced that the 66th TRW would transition to the RF-101 Voodoo.  In addition, the poor flying weather of the German winter was causing an excessive amount of operational delays due to the inclement weather.  The 66th was directed to utilise Nouasseur AB, Morocco to its limits in detachments of USAFE aircraft.
  At Nouasseur all training missions were accomplished as required. The very favourable North African weather provided the ideal environment in which new pilots could be transitioned on to the squadron aircraft in the minimum of time.  In addition, the 66th TRW used Nouasseur to transition all its pilots onto the RF-101c Aircraft.
  In July 1958, the 66th TRW, was transferred from Sembach to Laon Air Base, France.  This move was in accordance with USAFEs plan to realign the posture of various bases in anticipation of the 66th's pending aircraft conversion to the RF-101.
  Another reason for the move to France was the unsuitability of Sembach's runway,  which was barely adequate for the RF-84, but absolutely unsuitable for the higher performance RF-101 aircraft.
caption: Night Reconnaissance Douglas A/B-26C-45-DT Invaders of the 30th Tac Recon Squadron on the taxiway, Sembach Air Base, 1953
exif: {}