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 at Zweibrücken Air Base , Germany , where it was inactivated on 31 July 1991 . The wing was first established during World War II as the 5th Photographic Group a II photographic reconnaissance organization with Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force s in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations . In 1952 the 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was established operated under the direction of Strategic Air Command from and operated from Lockbourne AFB , Ohio until 1958 . The two units were consolidated in 1965 as the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and served for the next twenty - six years with United States Air Forces Europe History . 5th Photographic Group . The 5th Photographic Group was constituted on 14 July 1942 and activated on 23 July at Colorado Springs AAF , Colorado . Until 1 September , 5th Photographic Group consisted only of a headquarters , but on 2 September four photographic reconnaissance ( The 21st , 22nd , 23rd and 24th ) were assigned . While at Colorado Springs , the pilots trained to fly high speed , unarmed F - 4 ( P - 38 Lightning ) photo aircraft . The F - 4 was a modified P - 38 Lightning a twin - engine , long - range fighter equipped with cameras to accomplish aerial reconnaissance . In May 1943 , the 21st , 22d and 24th squadrons were reassigned to other reconnaissance groups leaving only one squadron , the 23rd , to deploy overseas with the 5th , being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force . The pilots departed Colorado Springs first in early June 1943 . The rest of the group ' s personnel left on 8 August for Camp Kilmer , New Jersey , where they stayed a week before boarding ships for North Africa . On 4 September 1943 , the 5th Photo Group arrived at Bizerte , Tunisia . Upon its arrival , the 5th was assigned to the Northwest African Photographic Wing . When the group arrived at its headquarters at La Marsa , Tunisia , on 8 September , the allies were just beginning the campaign against Italy . Since the pilots arrived early and they began flying missions almost immediately , primarily using F - 5s to get pictures required for the aerial war against the Axis powers . The group not only flew the F - 5s , but also the F - 7 , F - 9 , and F - 10 . The F - 7 was a modified Consolidated B - 24J , while the F - 9 was a modified Boeing B - 17F and the F - 10 was a modified North American B - 25D . These aircraft were actually modified bombers that were lightly armed , and equipped with cameras and larger fuel tanks that allowed them to reach out beyond the range of the P - 38s . These aircraft often brought up the rear on the bombing missions over Italy and the Balkans photographing the initial bomb damage to the targets . Initially , the 5th flew its missions to Italy , Corsica and Sardinia , but as the fighting progressed towards the heart of the European continent , the operations area expanded . On 30 October 1943 , the 5th flew its first mission to Germany , photographing targets in Munich , Augsburg , Regensburg and Stuttgart . In October 1943 , allied forces successfully landed troops in southern Italy . As the war moved closer to the heart of the Axis , so did the 5th . On 22 November 1943 , the 5th Group was assigned to the 90th Photographic Reconnaissance Wing , which was part of the Fifteenth Air Force stationed in southern Italy . On 8 December 1943 , after the allies captured the airfields in the vicinity of Foggia , the group moved to San Severo , Italy , near Foggia . On 1 October 1944 , the 5th Group was reassigned from the 90th Wing directly to Fifteenth Air Force . Shortly thereafter , on 11 October , The group moved from San Severo to Bari , Italy where 15th AF had its headquarters . On 15 November 1944 , the size of the 5th increased as the 32nd gained full strength , and with the assignment of the 37th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron , which had just arrived in Italy . With the 37th came another reconnaissance aircraft modified from another bomber aircraft , the F - 3 , a reconnaissance version of the Douglas A - 20 attack aircraft . Beginning in November 1944 , the 5th Photo group flew widely over the European Theatre of Operations . The 5th photographed many strategic targets in Germany including : oil refineries , aircraft factories , and communication facilities . Their destruction helped reduce the strength of the Luftwaffe . In the mountain campaign of Northern Italy , the 5th gathered intelligence which helped allied forces break the hold of the German Army in Italy . In Eastern Europe , the 5th ' s reconnaissance reports resisted partisan and other Allied forces to push the Germans out of Austria , Czechoslovakia , and the Balkans . In August 1945 , the group was notified that it was scheduled for shipment to the United States during September , but the departure was delayed until 9 October , when the men sailed from Naples aboard the SS Noah Webster . On 26 October 1945 , the ship carrying the men of the 5th arrived at New York Harbor . Two days later , the group was inactivated at Camp Kilmer , New Jersey . Two years later , on 6 March 1947 , the non - operational and unmanned 5th was disbanded . 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing . The 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , Medium ( 26th SRW ) was established at Lockbourne AFB , Ohio on 9 May 1952 and activated on 28 May 1952 . The 26th SRW ' s mission was to gather intelligence on a global scale , for the strategic objective of the US as part of the strategic reconnaissance force of Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) . Assigned to the 801st Air Division , the 26th SRW flew day and night strategic reconnaissance missions . Also developed the capabilities of the Boeing YRB - 47 " Stratojet " . With the exception of the 26th Air refueling squadron , Medium , the wing and its squadrons were manned with only minimal strength . In 1953 , the flying squadrons began receiving additional personnel . The flying squadrons were the 3rd , 4th and 10th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons , Medium . In July 1953 , the wing began transitional training in YRB - 47s . In March of that same year , the RB - 47Es began to replace the YRB models . By the end of December 1954 , the wing ' s last two YRB - 47s were sent to Dobbins AFB , Georgia , for modification . In February 1955 , these two aircraft were returned to the wing as RB - 47B - 1s . By the following year , the wing was only flying RB - 47Es . The 26 SRW ' s other aircraft , the Boeing KC - 97Fs and later KC - 97Gs were flown by the 26th and 321st Air Refueling Squadrons , Medium . These units were assigned to the wing in May 1952 and April 1955 , and remained as part of the wing until September 1956 and April 1958 , respectively . The wing participated in a variety of SAC directed exercises and operations between 1953 and 1958 . These included numerous simulated combat missions and deployments , ranging from a few days to a few months . The exercises took the wing ' s reconnaissance and tanker aircraft to such bases as Eielson AFB , Alaska ; Thule AFB , Greenland ; Royal Air Force stations at Upper Heyford and Fairford , United Kingdom ; Sidi Slimane AB in Morocco ; Goose Bay AB , Labrador ; and Lajes Field in the Azores . In December 1957 , the wing learned that it was to be inactivated the following summer . On 15 April 1958 , the 321st Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned to the 301st Bombardment Wing , as were the remainder of the wing ' s aircrews . The wing ' s strength was slowly reduced by transferring personnel to other units . On 1 July 1958 , the 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was inactivated . 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing . Toul - Rosières Air Base . On 19 April 1965 , the 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was consolidated with the earlier 5th Reconnaissance Group , and was redesignated the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing ( 26th TRW ) . On 1 July 1965 the 26th TRW was activated at Toul - Rosières Air Base , France . The 26th TRW was designated to be equipped with the new RF - 4C " Phantom " . The squadrons initially assigned to the 26th were the 19th TRS , flying RB - 66 ' s acquired from the deployed 10th TRW RAF Alconbury deployed squadrons already at Toul and the 32 TRS , flying RF - 101C " Voodos " , which were transferred from the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Laon Air Base . On 1 October 1965 , the 19th TRS and its RB - 66s were reassigned to the new 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , which was being established at Chambley - Bussieres Air Base , France . The RF - 4C ' s started arriving on 3 October 1965 , phasing out the RF - 101s . On 1 January 1966 , the 38th TRS was reassigned from the 66th TRW and was equipped with the RF - 4Cs . On 7 March 1966 , French President Charles de Gaulle announced that France would withdraw from NATO ' s integrated military structure . The United States was informed that it must remove its military forces from France by 1 April 1967 . Ramstein Air Base . As a result , the 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , and its two squadrons , the 38th and 32d , were relocated to Ramstein Air Base , West Germany on 5 October 1966 . The 22d TRS was reassigned to Mountain Home AFB , Idaho where it became a dual - based squadron , deploying frequently to Ramstein . The 32d TFS was transferred to RAF Alconbury England where the 10th TRW was being re - equipped with the RF - 4C . Assigned squadrons of the 26th TRW at Ramstein were : While at Ramstein the 26th TRW acquired a number of other units with different flying missions . Along with the RF - 4Cs of the 38th TRS , it flew a mixture of aircraft , including T - 29s , T - 33s , T - 39s , C - 54s , O - 2s , H - 19s , and UH - 1s . One function gained by the 26 TRW , almost immediately after arriving at Ramstein , was the maintenance and flying of the HQ USAFE liaison aircraft . In addition , the Wing was responsible for flying members of the HQ USAFE staff to Air Force and NATO bases throughout Europe . The 526th Fighter Interceptor Squadron ( FIS ) , flying F - 102 aircraft , was assigned to the wing in November 1968 , thus adding an air defense role to the mission of the wing . With the phaseout of the F - 102 from Europe , the 526 FIS was redesignated the 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron ( TFS ) and begun converting to the F - 4E fighter aircraft . In the spring of 1972 , the 7th Special Operations Squadron ( SOS ) was assigned flying C - 130Es , C - 47As , and UH - 1Ns . Because of the special operations mission of the 7 SOS , it reported directly to HQ USAFE for operational control . Zweibrücken Air Base . As part of operation " Creek Action " , a command - wide effort to realign functions and streamline operations , HQ USAFE transferred the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from Ramstein Air Base to Zweibrücken Air Base , and the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing from Zweibrücken to Ramstein on 31 January 1973 . Operational squadrons of the 26th TRW were : Note : 7th SOS reported directly to HQ USAFE . 17th & 38th RF - 4Cs carried tail code " ZR " . For nearly five years the wing remained stable at Zweibrücken . Then on 1 October 1978 , the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated with a single F - 4D aircraft and assigned to the 26 TRW . USAFE planned on equipping the squadron with F - 4Es , however , inadequate munitions storage compelled the command to reverse its decision and consequently reassigned the 417th TFS without personnel or equipment to the 86th TFW at Ramstein AB on 1 November 1978 , being placed in not operational status . Later that month , on 20 November , the 17 TRS was inactivated due to budgetary cutbacks leaving the 38 TRS as the wing ' s only in - place operational squadron . High - hour RF - 4C aircraft were sent to AMARC , others were reassigned to the 38th TRS or to existing Bergstrom , Shaw , RAF Alconbury or Air National Guard squadrons . On 10 August 1987 , the 26 TRW became the only tactical reconnaissance wing in USAFE , when the 10 TRW at RAF Alconbury was redesignated the 10th Tactical Fighter Wing and assigned to fly A - 10 attack aircraft . This left NATO and US Forces in Europe the services of just one US tactical reconnaissance unit and one squadron of RF - 4Cs . The wing continued to conduct reconnaissance operations in support of NATO , USAFE , and the US Army in Europe ( USAREUR ) . The wing also engaged in operational employment and development of advanced reconnaissance systems to further enhance the military posture of NATO in Europe . With the end of the Cold War in 1990 , 26th TRW was gradually phased down . In addition , the 1960s - era RF - 4C Phantoms were increasingly costing more and more to maintain . Tactical reconnaissance was being handled more and more by other means , and the need for the 26th TRW was becoming less and less critical to USAFE planners . As a result , the RF - 4Cs of the 38th TRS were sent to AMARC on 1 April 1991 and the squadron was inactivated . The 26th TRW was inactivated on 31 July 1991 . Lineage . 5th Reconnaissance Group 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing