70th Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing The 70th Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing ( 70th ISR Wing ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency ( AF ISR Agency ) . It is stationed at Fort George G . Meade , Maryland . Known as " America ' s Cryptologic Wing " , is the only Air Force wing that supports the National Security Agency , AF ISR Agency and the entire United States Air Force ( USAF ) with cryptologic intelligence . The 70th Reconnaissance Group conducted observation , artillery adjustment and fighter and bomber support training with United States Army ground forces during World War II . The group served as a reserve unit for two years later in the decade . During the Cold War , the 70th was a component wing of Strategic Air Command ' s ( SAC ) deterrent force as a strategic reconnaissance organization and heavy bombardment wing . It is commanded by Colonel Mary F . O ' Brien ; its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Danny L . Crudup Mission . To provide multi - source , multi - service intelligence products for the Department of Defense ( DoD ) by gaining and exploiting information as a major component of the Air Force and DoD global intelligence mission . Units . The wing has six groups , 19 squadrons , 10 detachments and 26 operating locations spanning four continents . The wing falls under the Air Force ISR Agency at Lackland Air Force Base , Texas . The 70th ISR Wing trains and equips cryptologic and information operations specialists to carry out AF ISR Agency and National Security Agency tri - service operations . History . The 70th ISR Wing has its origins in the World War II 70th Reconnaissance Group , which was activated at Gray Field , Washington in September 1941 . 70th Recon Group was originally a Fourth Air Force training unit in observation and artillery adjustment , supporting Army ground units at Fort Lewis . After the Pearl Harbor Attack , the unit began antisubmarine patrols along the Pacific Coast , and provided support to II Bomber Command heavy bomber training units . It was largely unmanned after August 1943 when the United States Navy took over antisubmarine duty . The group moved to Will Rogers Field , Oklahoma under Third Air Force in November 1943 , and was programmed for training as a photo - reconnaissance unit , but the unit was never manned or equipped and was inactivated 30 November 1943 . The group was reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947 as a reconnaissance group at Hill Air Force Base , Utah . It was assigned to Fourth Air Force , but it is unclear whether or not the unit had any assigned aircraft or personnel . It was inactivated in 1949 when Continental Air Command converted its reserve unit s to the Wing - Base organizational system ( Hobson Plan ) . Strategic Reconnaissance . The 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was established by SAC on 23 March 1953 , at Little Rock Air Force Base , Arkansas . However , Little Rock AFB was still under construction at the time , so the unit was temporarily stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base , Ohio until October . Few wing components were manned until October when Little Rock was ready for operational use . The 70th SRW ' s mission was to gather intelligence on a global scale as part of the strategic reconnaissance force of SAC . Equipped with Boeing RB - 47E Stratojets , the wing conducted a variety of spectacular overflights of the Soviet Union during the 1950s , including overflying Murmansk . RB - 47s had a fairly low operational ceiling of 40 , 000 feet and relied on speed , as opposed to altitude , to evade interception . Some of these flights were mounted from Thule , Greenland , and probed deep into the heart of the Soviet Union , taking a photographic and radar recording of the route attacking SAC bombers would follow to reach their targets . The risks involved in mounting these dangerous sorties speaks volumes for the courage and skill of the crews involved . Flights that involved penetrating mainland Russia were termed SENSINT ( Sensitive Intelligence ) missions . One RB - 47 even managed to fly 450 miles inland and photograph the city of Igarka in Siberia . The 70th SRW also assumed an air refueling mission in 1955 and was deployed at Sidi Slimane Air Base , Morocco , from 26 October to 17 December 1956 . Beginning in February 1958 , operations with the RB - 47 were reduced , primarily as the aircraft was determined to be vulnerable to Soviet air defenses , but also its mission was being taken over by the Lockheed U - 2 . From June 1958 to September 1961 , the wing became a B - 47 bombardment and reconnaissance organization , providing B / RB - 47 combat crew training for other SAC units , while undertaking RB - 47 and Boeing KC - 97 Stratotanker operations . The refueling squadron transferred in August 1961 , and the final RB - 47 class graduated in October 1961 . It converted to B - 47s in late 1961 but inactivated prior to becoming combat ready . Strategic Bombardment . 4123d Strategic Wing On 10 December 1957 , SAC established the 4123d Strategic Wing ( SW ) at Carswell Air Force Base Texas and assigned it to the 19th Air Division . The wing was assigned the 4123d Air Base Squadron , which had been the host unit at Clinton - Sherman Air Force Base , Oklahoma since July 1955 , preparing Clinton - Sherman , a former World War II Naval Air Station , to receive operational SAC aircraft plus the 98th Bombardment Squadron ( BS ) , consisting of 15 Boeing B - 52 Stratofortress es , which had been one of the three squadrons of the 7th Bombardment Wing and a maintenance squadron at Carswell . The air base squadron was expanded into the 4123d Air Base Group and assigned component squadrons on 1 Jul 1958 . At the end of 1958 , the wing ' s first operational squadron , the 902d Air Refueling Squadron , flying Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker s , was activated at Clinton - Sherman and the wing moved its headquarters to the base on 25 February 1959 and was reassigned to the 816th Air Division . Within a week the 98th BS joined the wing at Clinton - Sherman as part of SAC ' s plan to disperse its Boeing B - 52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases , thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike . The same month , the 55th Aviation Depot Squadron was activated to oversee the wing ' s special weapons . The 4123d ( and later the 70th ) continued to maintain an alert commitment until inactivation . In 1962 , the wing ' s bomber s began to be equipped with the GAM - 77 Hound Dog and the GAM - 72 Quail air - launched cruise missiles , The 4123d Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron was activated in November to maintain these missiles However , SAC Strategic Wings could not carry a permanent history or lineage and SAC looked for a way to make its Strategic Wings permanent . 70th Bombardment Wing In 1962 , in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records , Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its Major Command controlled ( MAJCON ) strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled ( AFCON ) units , most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history . As a result the 4123d SW was replaced by the newly redesignated 70th Bombardment Wing , Heavy ( 70th BW ) , which assumed its mission , personnel , and equipment on 1 February 1963 . In the same way the 6th Bombardment Squadron , one of the unit ' s B - 47 reconnaissance squadrons , replaced the 98th BS . The 857th Medical Group , 55th Munitions Maintenance Squadron and the 902d Air Refueling Squadron were reassigned to the 70th . The 4123d ' s maontenance and support units were replaced by units with numerical designation of the newly established wing . Under the Dual Deputate organization , all flying and maintenance squadrons were directly assigned to the wing , so no operational group element was activated . Each of the new units assumed the personnel , equipment , and mission of its predecessor . The 70th BW conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling missions from February 1963 to December 1969 . It was upgraded to the B - 52D in 1968 by SAC along with receiving some older B - 52Cs , which had limited use for training new aircrews . For several months in both 1968 and 1969 , all of the 70th BW aircraft , most of the aircrew and maintenance personnel and some of its support people were loaned to other SAC units engaged in combat operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia . It was one of 11 SAC bomb wings that rotated such combat duty under the program known as Arc Light . By 1969 , Intercontinental ballistic missile s ( ICBM ) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States ' strategic triad , and the need for B - 52s had been reduced . In addition , funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina . The 70th Bombardment Wing was inactivated 31 December 1969 , and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units . As part of the inactivation , Clinton - Sherman AFB was closed . Modern era . The wing was redesignated the 70th Air Base Group and operated and maintained Brooks Air Force Base , Texas from October 1994 . It supported the Human Systems Center until October 1998 , when the Center was redeisgnated as the 311th Human Systems Wing . The group ' s mission , personnel , and equipment were all transferred to the 311th Air Base Group . In August 2000 , the unit was activated as the 70th Intelligence Wing , then later the 70th Intelligence , Surveillance , and Reconnaissance Wing , andhas managed the USAF portion of the DoD ' s cryptology mission , exploiting intelligence , integrating it into air and space operations , and assisting commanders and others with intelligence requirements . Lineage . 70th Group 70th Wing Components . Squadrons References . Bibliography . Further Reading