USAF Patch GLCM USAFE c 487 TMW Tactical Missile Wing BMG 109G sc

USAF Patch USAFE GLCM 487 TMW Tactical Missile Wing BMG 109 sc larger lettering 1986 Ground Launched Cruise Missile Cosimo Air Station Italy Subdued fully embroidered cut edge 74mm by 74mm two and five eighth inches by two and five eighth inches. 

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Wing History

487 Tactical Missile Wing was activated on 20 June 1983 at Cosimo Air Station Italy to operate BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile GLCMs introduced to counteract the threat of the Soviet SS 20 mobile missiles deployed in the Soviet Block from 1975.

Reporting to 16 Air Force the Wing controlled 302 Tactical Missile Squadron which had 112 missiles held by seven Flights each having 2 Launch Control Vehicles and 4 Transporter Erector Launchers with four missiles each providing 16 missiles per flight. The Wing provided support with 487 Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron. During periods of increased tension the flights would be deployed with additional security and support vehicles to one of a number of pre-surveyed classified locations in the countryside away from the base. The flight would dig in erect camouflage to hide the vehicles set up special intrusion detection radar and prepare for launch.

The Reykjavík summit in Iceland on 11 October 1986 between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev agreed in principle to removing Intermediate Range Nuclear Force systems from Europe and to equal global limits of 100 INF missile warheads. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed on 8 December 1987 coming into force on 1 June 1988 leading to the removal of all nuclear missiles from Western Europe.

487 TMW was inactivated on 27 May 1991 following the decommissioning of the BGM-109G

This patch dates from 1986.