Lineage

Constituted 8th Photographic Squadron on 19 Jan 1942. Activated 1 Feb 1942. Redesignated: 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 Jun 1942; 8th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943; 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943; 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic, on 10 Aug 1948; 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo–Jet, on 1 Aug 1949. Inactivated on 25 Feb 1951. Redesignated 8th Flying Training Squadron on 14 Apr 1972. Activated on 1 Nov 1972.

Assignments

IV Air Support Command, 1 Feb 1942; Fifth Air Force, 29 Mar 1942 (attached to Allied Air Forces, Apr–Sep 1942); V Bomber Command, 5 Sep 1942; 6th Photographic (later, 6th Reconnaissance) Group, 13 Nov 1943 (attached to V Bomber Command after c. 10 Dec 1945); V Bomber Command, 27 Apr 1946; 314th Composite Wing, 31 May 1946; 71st Reconnaissance (later, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 28 Feb 1947 (attached to 314th Composite Wing to Nov 1947); Fifth Air Force, 1 Apr 1949; 543d Tactical Support Group, 26 Sep 1950–25 Feb 1951. 71st Flying Training Wing, 1 Nov 1972; 71st Operations Group, 15 Dec 1991–.

Stations

March Field, CA, 1 Feb–14 Mar 1942 (two flights at March Field, CA, to 16 Jun 1942); Melbourne, Australia, 7 Apr 1942; Brisbane, Australia, 24 Apr 1942; Townsville, Australia, 2 May 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 9 Sep 1942; Nadzab, New Guinea, 16 Mar 1944 (operated from Biak after c. 11 Aug 1944); Biak, 10 Sep–20 Oct 1944; Dulag, Leyte, 4 Nov 1944 (air echelon at Clark Field, Luzon, 19 May–12 Aug 1945); Okinawa, 21 Jul 1945; Chofu, Japan, 28 Sep 1945; Irumagawa, Japan, 25 Jan 1946; Yokota AB, Japan, 25 Mar 1949 (detachment operated from Itazuke AB, Japan, from 29 Jun 1950); Itazuke AB, Japan, 9 Jul 1950; Taegu AB, South Korea, 2 Oct 1950; Komaki AB, Japan (operated from Taegu AB, South Korea), 26 Jan–25 Feb 1951. Vance AFB, OK, 1 Nov 1972–.

Aircraft

In addition to P–38/F–4, 1942–1944, and P–38/F–5, 1943–1946, included B–17, 1942–1943, B–26, 1943–1944, and F–6, 1946; P–51 and P–61, 1946; F–15 (later, RF–61), 1947–1949; RF–80, 1949–1951. T–37, 1972–.

Operations

Combat in Southwest Pacific and Western Pacific, 16 Apr 1942–25 Aug 1945. Not operational, Apr 1946–Jul 1947. Combat in Korea, 29 Jun 1950–24 Feb 1951. Undergraduate pilot training for USAF, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and selected foreign allies, 1 Nov 1972–.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942–23 Jan 1943; Philippine Islands, 18–[20] Sep 1944; Philippine Islands, [26] Nov–15 Dec 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan–31 Dec 1975; 1 Jan 1977–30 Apr 1978; 1 May 1982–30 Apr 1984; 1 Apr 1986–31 Mar 1988; 1 Apr 1988–31 Mar 1990. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 10–[24] Feb 1951.

Emblem

Celeste, on a mount issuing two palm trees in dexter Vert, and below a cloud Argent surmounted in sinister by a lightning flash palewise Azure, a caricature of a native American proper, attired with a feather palewise from hair of the third tipped Gules above a chevron reversed of the fourth and a loin cloth of the like bordered White and Red; pendant from a neck strap, a camera Sable and Argent and grasping in sinister hand, a tomahawk proper with his dexter hand resting on the number eight pool ball proper overall in base. Approved c. Jun 1990 (DFSC 91–03020) and slightly modified on 13 Apr 1995; replaced emblems approved on 8 Aug 1984 and 2 Jan 1973 (KE 51211).

Lineage

•Organized as the 2nd Aviation School Squadron on 9 May 1917.
•Redesignated the 15th Aero Squadron on 22 August 1917.
•Demobilized on 18 September 1919.
•Reconstituted and consolidated (1924) with the 15th Squadron (Observation), which was authorized on 30 August 1921.
•Organized on 21 September 1921.
•Redesignated the 15th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923.
•Inactivated on 1 August 1927.
•Activated on 15 May 1928.
•Redesignated the 15th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942.
•Redesignated the 15th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942.
•Redesignated the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943.
•Redesignated the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943.
•Inactivated on 31 March 1946.
•Activated on 3 December 1947.
•Inactivated on 1 April 1949.
•Activated on 25 February 1951.
•Redesignated the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 October 1966.
•Inactivated on 1 October 1990.
•Redesignated the 15th Tactical Intelligence Squadron on 20 February 1991.
•Activated on 15 March 1991.
•Redesignated the 15th Air Intelligence Squadron on 13 April 1992.
•Inactivated on 1 June 1994.
•Redesignated the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, and activated, on 1 August 1997.

Commanders

Note: Due to a lack of records, only a sporadic record of early commanders exists.

• Captain John W. Butts, 1917 — unknown.
• Captain C. H. Reynolds, unknown. (circa 1918)
• First Lieutenant William P. Berry, unknown — 1919. (Unit demobilized)
• Unknown, 21 September1921 — unknown.
• Captain Ernest Clark, by April 1925 — unknown. (Unit inactivated 1 August 1927.)
• Unknown, 15 May 1928 — unknown.
• Captain Wolcott P. Hayes, by April 1931 — unknown.
• Lieutenant Colonel William E. Karnes, unknown — (day unknown] March 1942.
• Captain [unknown] Schneider, [day unknown] March 1942.
• Captain James H. Kaden, [day unknown] November 1942.
• Major Lloyd 0. Warren, 7 May 1943.
• Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) George T. Walker, 30 April 1944.
• Captain (later, Major) Lyon L. Davis, 11 October 1944 —23 June 1945.
• Unknown, 24 June — circa September 1945.
• Not Manned, circa September 1945 —31 March 1946. (Unit inactivated)
• Major James M. Williams, 3 December 1947.
• Captain David F. Thwaites, [day unknown] December 1947.
• Major James M. Williams, [day unknown] January 1948.
• Lieutenant Colonel Harrison R. Christy, Jr., 24 Feb 1948.
• Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Simpson, 24 March 1948.
• Captain Robert H. Greene, (day unknown] July 1948.
• Major James M. Williams, 10 July 1948.
• Captain Francis R. Davison, [day unknown] September 1948.
• Lieutenant Colonel Edward 0. McComas, 23 September 1948.
• Major James M. Williams, (day unknown] October 1948.
• Lieutenant Colonel Edward 0. McComas, [day unknown] November 1948.
• Major James M. Williams, 4 January 1949.
• Major William I. Williams, circa 14 February — 1 April 1949. (Unit inactivated)
•Major Jean K. Woodyard, Jr., 25 February 1951.
•Major Clyde B. East, 2 May 1951.
•Major Bruce B. Fish, 22 August 1951.
•Major Ruffin W. Gray, 1 November 1951.
•Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Jack P. Williams, 16 April 1952.
•Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Houser C. Wilson, 28 June 1952.
•Major Daniel J. Nelson, circa February 1953.
•Lieutenant Colonel Ralph F. Newman, [day unknown] April 1953 — [day and month unknown] 1954.
• Major R. E. Morrison, circa 1955.
• Lieutenant Colonel (unknown) Jenkins, by June 1955.
• Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) William F. Nuding, Jr., 12 December 1955 — unknown.
• Major James M. Jones, Jr., circa July 1958 — unknown.
• Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence P. Smith, by June 1959.
• Lieutenant Colonel Earl A. Butts, [day unknown] April 1960 — 15 December 1961.
• Unknown, 16 December 1961 — 1 January 1962.
• Lieutenant Colonel (later, Colonel), Arthur G. Durbeck, 2 January 1962.
• Major Russell F. Crutchlow, circa 26 April 1962.
• Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Alexander P. Butterfield, 12 August 1962.
• Lieutenant Colonel Robert 0. Crabtree, 25 July 1964.
• Major Martin Weissgarber, Jr., 11 May 1965 — unknown.
• Lieutenant Colonel (later, Colonel) Robert 0. Crabtree, 29 March 1%6.
• Lieutenant Colonel Russell F. Crutchlow, 1 December 1966.
• Major (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Paul H. Hodges. 13 June 1%8.
• Lieutenant Colonel (later, Colonel) Rolland G. Hull, 18 June 1970.
• Lieutenant Colonel David R. Elby. 15 June 1971.
• Lieutenant Colonel Theodore L. Albright. 14 June 1972.
• Lieutenant Colonel Clifton J. Hawkins, circa July 1973.
• Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Carr, 8 July 1975.
• Lieutenant Colonel John W. Linihan, 30 June 1977.
• Lieutenant Colonel Ralph S. Pickett, 11 May 1979.
• Lieutenant Colonel Otto K. Habedank, 20 June 1980.
• Lieutenant Colonel James R. Young, II, 12 April 1982.
• Lieutenant Colonel James R. Wick, 3 January 1984 — unknown. (Unit inactivated 1 October 1990)
• Unknown, 15 March 1991 — 13 April 1992.
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael D. Stevens, 13 April 1992.
• Lieutenant Colonel Roger W. Gaebel, 13 July 1992.
• Major William H. Cilek, 30 June 1993 — 1 June 1994. (Unit inactivated)
• Lieutenant Colonel Keith J. Trouwborst, 1 August 1997.
• Lieutenant Colonel Brian C. Bergdahl, 11 June 1999.

 

Assignments

•Unknown, 1917 — 1919. The following is a possible listing of assignments during this period.
•Aeronautical Division [later, Air Division], Signal Corps, 9 May 1917.

Training Section, Department of Military Aeronautics, Signal Corps, 24 April 1918.
Operations Section, Department of Military Aeronautics, Signal Corps, 9 July 1918.
Training and Operations Group, Air Service, 29 January — 18 September 1919. (Unit demobilized)

•Sixth Corps Area, 21 September 1921.
•6th Division, Air Service, 24 March 1923. (Attached to Sixth Corps Area, 24 March 1923 — [day unknown] June 1927.)
•Sixth Corps Area, [day unknown] June — 1 August 1927. (Unit inactivated)
•6th Division, Air Service (later 6th Division, Aviation), 15 May 1928. (Attached to Sixth Corps Area, 15 May 1928. Attached to Sixth Corps Area, 15 May 1928.)
•14"’ Observation Group, 8 May 1929. (Remained attached to Sixth Corps Area.)
•12"’ Observation Group. [day and month unknown] 1937 — [day unknown] July 1938. (Remained attached to Sixth Corps Area.)
•Unknown, [day unknown] July 1938. (Remained attached to Sixth Corps Area until circa 9 January 1941.
•Detachment operated as Field Artillery School, 1 December 1940— circa 9 January 1941.)
•Field Artillery School, circa 9 January 1941.
•III Air Support Command, 1 September 1941. (Attached to Field Artillery School, 1 September 1941. Further attached to 68"’ Observation Group, 12 December 1941-2 February 1942.)
•73rd Observation Group (later, 73rd Reconnaissance Group, 73rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 10th Photographic Group), 12 March 1942. (Remained attached to Field Artillery School until 1 April 1942.)
•Ninth Air Force, 22 December 1943. (Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 22 December 1943)
•IX Fighter Command, 30 December 1943. (Remained attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group.)
•67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 4 January 1944. (Attached to IX Air Support Command [later, XIX Air Support Command], 4 January 1944 — circa 16 March 1944)
•10th Photographic Group, Reconnaissance (later, 10th Reconnaissance Group), 13 June 1944. (Attached to IX Tactical Air Command, 13 —27 June 1944. Flight attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 3 — 12 August 1944.)
•United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, 24 June 1945.
•Third Air Force, 3 August 1945.
•First Air Force, 3 February 1946.
•Tactical Air Command, 21 —31 March 1946. (Unit inactivated)
•10th Reconnaissance Group (later, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 3 December 1947 — 1 April 1949. (Unit inactivated) (Attached to 363rd Reconnaissance Group, 22 August — 3 November 1948.)
•67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 25 February 1951. (Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 June —circa 25 November 1954 and 1 July — 1 October 1957.)
•67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 October 1957, (attached to 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 March 1960.)
•313th Air Division, 25 April 1960. (Remained attached to 18th Tactical Fighter Wing until 20 April 1970.)
•18th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 May 1978.
•18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 11 February 1981.
•460th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. 1 October 1989 — 1 October 1990. (Unit inactivated)
•548th Reconnaissance Technical Group, 15 March 1991.
•Pacific Air Forces, 3 July 1991.
•15th Operations Group, 13 April 1992 — 1 June 1994. (Unit inactivated)
•57th Operations Group, 1 August 1997 — Present.

Component

Detachment 1, Headquarters, 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet, 8 January — 1 May 1962. (Tan Son Nhut Airfield. South Vietnam)

Stations

•Hazelhurst Field, New York, 9 May 1917 — 18 September 1919. (Unit demobilized)
•Chanute Field, Illinois, 21 September 1921.
•Kelly Field, Texas, [day unknown] June — 1 August 1927. (Unit inactivated)
•Selfridge Field, Michigan, 15 May 1928. (Deployed to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 24 September-28 October 1928;
•Camp Skeel, Michigan, 28 -31 October 1928; Fort Sheridan, Illinois, 8-11 June 1930; and Bowman Field,
•Kentucky, 14 -27 June 1930.)
•Scott Field, Illinois, circa 28 June 1930. (Detachment at Post Field, Oklahoma, circa 1 December 1940-9 January 1941.)
•Post Field, Oklahoma, 9 January 1941.
•Ellington Field, Texas, 16 December 1941. (Flight at Post Field, Oklahoma, December 1941-April 1942)
•Godman Field, Kentucky, 23 April 1942.
•Camp Campbell Army Airfield. Kentucky, 26 June 1942.
•Key Field, Mississippi, 6 November-4 December 1943.
•Aldermaston, England, 22 December 1943.
•Chilbolton, England, 1 March 1944.
•Middle Wallop, England, 16 March 1944.
•Chalgrove, England, 27 June 1944.
•Rennes, France, 10 August 1944.
•Chateaudun, France. 26 August 1944.
•St. Dizier. France, 9 September 1944.
•Giraumont, France, 1 December 1944.
•Trier, Gennany, 14 March 1945.
•Ober Olm, Germany, 3 April 1945.
•Erfurt. Germany, 16 April 1945.
•Furth, Germany, 24 April 1945.
•Reims. France, 23 June — 13 July 1945.
•Drew Field, Florida, 3 August 1945.
•MacDill Field, Florida, 21 December 1945.
•Shaw Field, South Carolina, 3 February-31 March 1946. (Unit inactivated)
•Pope Field (later, Pope AFB), North Carolina, 3 December 1947-1 April 1949. (Unit inactivated) (Deployed to Lawson AFB, Georgia, 22 August-[day unknown] September 1948; Turner AFB, Georgia, September 1948; and Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field No. 3, Florida, [day unknown] October-3 November 1948.)
•Komaki, Japan, 25 February 1951. (Operated from Taegu AB, Republic of Korea)
•Taegu AB, Republic of Korea, 16 March 1951.
•Kimpo AB, Republic of Korea, 23 August 1951.
•Komaki AB. Japan, 2 March 1954.
•Yokota AB. Japan, 25 August 1955.
•Kadena AB, Okinawa (later, Japan), 18 August 1956. (Deployed to Osan AB, Republic of Korea, 26 January — 12
•February 1968; and Itazuki AB, Japan. 13 February — (circa 25 July 1968.)
•Taegu AB. Republic of Korea, 1 October 1989 — 1 October 1990. (Unit inactivated)
•Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 15 March 1991 — 1 June 1994. (Unit inactivated)
•Nellis AFB, Nevada, 1 August 1997 — Present.

Aircraft Flown

•DH-4 circa 1917— 1919 and circa 1921 — 1927
•JN-4 circa 1917— 1919 and circa 1921 — 1927
•JN-6 circa 1917— 1919 and circa 1921—1927
•JNS-1 circa 1921 — 1927
•M-1 circa 1921 — 1927
•0-2 circa 1921 — 1927 and 1928— 1930
•0-19 1930—circa 1938
•0-46 1936—circa 1939
•0-47 1939—1942
•0-43 circa 1939— 1942
•0-49 circa 1939 — 1942
•0-52 circa 1939— 1942
•A-20 1942 — 1943
•P-39 1942—1943
•P-40 1942 — 1943
•P-51 1942—1943
•Spitfire 1943 — 1944
•L-4 1943—1944
•L-5 1943—1944
•P-51 1944— 1945 and 1947— 1948
•F-6 1944—1945
•RF-51 1947—1949
•RF-80 1951—1956
•RF-86 1951—1956
•F-80 1952—1953
•F-86 1953
•RF-84 1956—1958
•RF-101 1958—1966
•RF-4 1967 — unknown
•RQ-1A 1997 - Present

Honors

Service Streamers

None

Campaign Streamers

World War II, American Theater:

Antisubmarine

World War II, Europe-Africa-Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater:

Air Offensive, Europe

Normandy

Northern France

Rhineland

Ardennes-Alsace

Central Europe

Air Combat

Korean War:

First UN Counteroffensive

CCF Spring Offensive

UN Summer-Fall Offensive

Second Korean Winter

Korea Summer-Fall, 1952

Third Korean Winter

Korea Summer-Fall, 1953

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citations:

Korea, 25 February — 21 April 1951

Korea, 9 July — 27 November 1951

Korea, 1 May-- 27 July 1953

Cite in Order of the Day, Belgian Amy:

6 June — [25 June] 1944

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation:

[25] February 1951—31 March 1953

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm:

1 April — 30 November 1966

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards:

1 December 1952 — 3- April 1953

10 May—27 August 1962

1 September 1962—31 August 1963

1 August 1964 —5 June 1965

6 June 1965—31 December 1966

1 January 1968 — 31 December 1969

1 January 1974—31 December 1975

1 June 1977—31 May 1979

1 October 1979—31 May 1980

1 July 1981—31 May 1983

1 June 1983—31 May 1984

1 June 1984—31 May 1986

1 June 1987—31 May 1989

1 October 1989— 30 October 199013 April 1992—30 June 1993

Emblem

On a (color) disc, the full body of an orange tiger riding an airframe with a camera on the nose. Upper banner reads, "Every Man A Tiger"; lower banner reads, "15th TAC". Approved on (date). COPYRIGHT: _______. MOTTO: Every Man A Tiger. Approved (date).