USAF Patch Recon ta USAFE b 26 TRW Tactical Reconnaissance Wing RF 4C Phantom m CES

USAF Patch USAFE 26 TRW Tactical Reconnaissance Wing Civil Engineer Squadron Zweibrucken AFB West Germany RF 4C Phantom 1980s Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 106mm four and by three sixteenth inches diameter.

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History

26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing TRW was activated on 1 July 1965 at Toul Rosieres Air Base France. The Wing controlled 19 TRS flying RB 66 Destroyer aircraft acquired from 10 TRW RAF Alconbury deployed squadrons already at Toul Rosieres and 32 TRS equipped with RF 101C Voodoos which were transferred from 66 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Laon Air Base. 19 TRS was reassigned to 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being established at Chambley Bussieres Air Base on 1 October 1965.

RF 4C Phantoms began arriving on 3 October 1965 to replace 32 TRSs RF 101 Voodoos. On 1 January 1966 38 TRS was assigned to 26 TRW from 66 TRW and reequipped with RF 4C Phantoms. On 7 March 1966 French President Charles de Gaulle announced that France would withdraw from NATOs integrated military structure. The US was informed that it must remove its military forces from France by 1 April 1967. As a result 32 TFS was reassigned to 10 TRW and relocated to RAF Alconbury England on 15 August 1966 where it reequipped with RF 4C Phantomreconnaissance aircraft and.26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and 38 TRS relocated to Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 5 October 1966. 22 TRS assigned to Mountain Home AFB Idaho where it became a dual based squadron deploying frequently to Ramstein AFB under 26 TRW.

On arriving at Ramstein 26 TFW became responsible for the maintenance and flying of the HQ USAFE liaison aircraft transporting HQ staff to Air Force and NATO bases throughout Europe. 526 Fighter Interceptor Squadron FIS with F 102 Delta Dagger aircraft was assigned to 26 TRW in November 1968 adding an air defense role to Wing. 526 FIS was redesignated 526 Tactical Fighter Squadron and commenced conversion to F 4E Phantom fighter aircraft. In spring 1972 7 Special Operations Squadron SOS equipped with C 130E Hercules C 47A Dakotas and UH-1N Huey helicopters was assigned to 26 TRW however 7 SOS reported directly to HQ USAFE for operational control because of its special operations mission role.

On 31 January 1973 HQ USAFE transferred the 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from Ramstein Air Base to Zweibrucken Air Base while 86 Tactical Fighter Wing moved from Zweibrucken to Ramstein. 26 TRW gained 17 TRS from 86 TRW and retained 38 TRS with Phantom RF 4Cs and 7 SOS with C 130s and UH 1s.

417 Tactical Fighter Squadron TFS was activated with a single F 4D Phantom aircraft and assigned to the 26 TRW on 1 October 1978 but due to inadequate accommodation the Squadron roll out was halted and 417 TFS was reassigned to 86 TFW without personnel or equipment on 1 November 1978 on nonoperational status. On 20 November 1978 17 TRS was inactivated. The Wing established 609 Contingency Hospital on 15 October 1984 at the off base former Zweibrucken krankenhaus to provide a turnkey hospital with equipment and supplies in place ready for personel to be deployed to operate it in the event of a crisis. On 10 August 1987 26 TRW became USAFEs only tactical reconnaissance wing when 10 TRW at RAF Alconbury was redesignated as 10 Tactical Fighter Wing with A 10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft leaving NATO and US Forces with just one US tactical reconnaissance unit and only one squadron of RF 4C Phantoms in Europe. The Wing activated 609 Contingency Hospital in January 1991 to provide interval medical care to wounded soldiers en route back to the US for Operation Desert Storm closing in April 1991 with all patients transferred to the US.

With the end of the Cold War in 1990 26th TRW was phased down and its ageing phantoms stood down with the inactivation of 38 TRS on 1 April 1991 and inactivation of 26 TRW on 31 July 1991.

This patch dates from the 1980s.