32d Intelligence Squadron The 32d Intelligence Squadron ( 32 IS ) is a unit of the United States Air Force 707th Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group located at Fort George G . Meade , Maryland . Overview . The 32d Intelligence Squadron iIs a specialized organization that consists of teams of intelligence professionals who support global power and secure and maintain information superiority by conducting operations that support Air Force , joint , combined , and special operations in peacetime and in war . It provides effective organization , control , technical guidance , training , support , products , and tasking for ongoing intelligence analysis and dissemination activities . Serves the Department of Defense ( DoD ) and other customers as directed , providing the core capability assisting the National Security Agency ( NSA ) mission , through around - the - clock operations in support of national and tactical objectives . Performs information operations through multiple sources for national , theater , and tactical customers . History . World War II . The squadron was established in mid - 1943 as a tactical reconnaissance and photo - mapping squadron . Initial squadron training was under the Third Air Force , before it was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) and assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy in August 1945 . Equipped primarily with unarmed Lockheed F - 5 Lightning s , the squadron flew hazardous long - range intelligence and photo - mapping missions over enemy - held Italy and Occupied Europe , to get pictures required for the aerial war against the Axis powers . Initially it flew most missions over enemy - occupied Italy , Corsica and Sardinia , later flying missions over the Balkans . After the German surrender in May 1945 , the squadron ' s personnel were demobilized in Italy during the summer of 1945 , and the squadron was inactivated as a paper unit in the United States during October . United States Air Forces in Europe . In 1952 the squadron was reactivated as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) tactical reconnaissance unit to be based in France as a result of the United States Cold War military buildup in Europe . It was activated by the transfer of the equipment and personnel of the Alabama Air National Guard ( ANG ) 157th TRS , which had been federalized and brought to active duty during the Korean War . It took over the Lockheed 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 . The squadron moved to Spangdahlem Air Base , West Germany in May 1953 where all of the elements of the parent 10th TRW were assembled at one base . It re - equipped with the Republic RF - 84F Thunderflash in 1955 , as the RF - 80s were deemed not mission - capable against the Soviet Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 15 . In January 1958 , the squadron was moved to Phalsbourg - Bourscheid Air Base , 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 Air Base due to poor runway conditions . During May , the Thunderflashes were replaced by McDonnell RF - 101C Voodoo s , which was the fastest tactical reconnaissance aircraft ever flown by the USAF . 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 - Rosières Air Base . On 7 March 1966 , French President 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 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was relocated to Ramstein Air Base , West Germany . As part of the move from Toul , the 32d was reassigned to England , where it rejoined the 10th TRW , now stationed at RAF Alconbury . It sent the RF - 101s back to the United States , and at Alconbury received new McDonnell Douglas RF - 4C Phantom II aircraft . The 32d flew the RF - 4C at Alconbury for the next ten years , before being inactivated in 1976 . The advent of reconnaissance satellites made tactical reconnaissance less and less necessary by the mid - 1970s . This , along with the need for budget reductions after the end of the Vietnam War caused a reduction in the numbers of frontline tactical reconnaissance aircraft . On 1 January 1976 , the 32nd TRS was the first of two squadrons of the 10th TRW to be inactivated that year .