USAF Patch Recon s Wing 9 SRW Strategic Reconnaissance Wg USAFE Det 4 SR 71 Blackbird c3a

USAF 9 SRW Wing Patch USAFE Det 4 Home Of The Blackbird 9 SRW Strategic Reconnaissance Wing SR 71 Dart Board Patch RAF Mildenhall Early 1980s English made Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 80mm three and one eighth inches diameter Free Shipping

USAF 9 SRW Wing Patch Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Det 4 USAFE Strategic Recon

Wing History USAF 9 SRW Wing

9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was activated on 25 June 1966 to take over from 4200 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to operate the SR 71 Blackbird and U 2 worldwide from Beale AB with 1 Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadron 99 Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadron and 9 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron which replaced 4203 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron. The Wing also activated its own Supply Squadron to handle the specialized supplies and equipment this unique aircraft would need and the Wing passed SRW passed its Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation Team inspection in March 1967. As the Cold War progressed the Wing operated permanent units as Detachments Dets and temporary sites as Operating Locations OLs with the first at Kadena Ab Japan as SR 71 Operating Location 8 OL RK and Detachment 1 from 1968.

The Wings SR 71s quickly became engaged in the Vietnam War with regular missions over Vietnam and its neighbours until the end of the War in 1975. 99 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was reassigned to U 2R equipped 100 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing attached to 17 Air Division Provisional at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield Thailand on 1 November 1972.  Between 1974 and 1976 the Wings SR 71s set a number of speed and altitude flying world records.

On 1 July 1976 the U 2R equipped 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB AZ was inactivated and its aircraft redesignated as 99 Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadron and was reassigned to 9 SRW at Beale AFB rejoining 1 Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadrons SR 71s. 100 SRWs refueling and base support missions were also transferred to the 9 SRW with 349 and 350 Air Refueling Squadrons with KC 135 Stratotankers joining and  consolidated 9 Combat Support Group 9 Supply Transportation Services Security Police and Civil Engineering Squadrons activated.

The Wing also received from 100 SRW further permanent Detachments Dets and temporary Operating Locations OLs around the world with Osan AB Korea as OL A and Detachment 2 from 1976 RAF Akrotiri Cyprus OL Olive Harvest and Det 3 from 1976 RAF Mildenhall England OL and Det 4 from 1976 Patrick AFB FL Operating Location LF and Det 5 from 1976 USAF Plant 42 Palmdale CA Det 6 Maintenance.

9 SRW received the Air Forces first TR 1 U 2 variant arrived at Beale AFB on 1 August 1981 and 4029 Strategic Reconnaissance Training Squadron was activated the same day to train all TR 1 and U 2 pilots. 9 SRWs TR 1s were transferred to the newly activated 17 Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Alconbury England in October 1982. In 1986 4029 SRTS was redesignation 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Training Squadron renewing the 5 Squadrons historic association with 9 Wing. In July 1989 the wing flew several missions over Ethiopia, searching for an airplane carrying Congressman Mickey Leland.

On 1 January 1990 9 SRW retired its SR 71 Blackbird. 9 SRWs U 2s deployed to OL CH Crested Harvest at King Fahad IA and Taif AB Saudi Arabia from 17 August 1990 for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. On 21 September 1990 OL CH was designated 1704 Reconnaissance Squadron Provisional. 4404 Provisional Wing was established at Prince Sultan AB Saudi Arabia in 1991 for rotational deployment of U 2s from Beale for monitoring mission over Iraq later redesignated 363 Air Expeditionary Wing. 95 Reconnaissance Squadron at RAF Alconbury with its TR 1As was assigned to 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 30 June 1991 on the inactivation of its parent 17 Reconnaissance Wing.

9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated 9 Wing on 19 September 1991 and activated the 9 Operations Group 9 Support Group 9 Logistics Group and 9 Medical Group to streamline and consolidate wing operations. The 9 and 609 Organizational Maintenance Squadrons were inactivated with the flightline maintenance teams moved to the flying Squadrons and tanker phase U 2 periodic inspections aero repair and the wheel and tyre shop transferred to 9 Field Maintenance Squadron which was itself redesignated 9 Maintenance Squadron. 349 AREFS was inactivated on 1 Jun 1992. 9 Wing was redesignated 9 Reconnaissance Wing on 1 October 1993 and transferred 350 AREFS to 43 Ops Group. Operating Location FR Istres AB France in the 1990s and OL UK at RAF Fairford January to October 1995 following the inactivation of 17 SRW at RAF Alconbury to monitor the Balkans Wars.

9 RW activated Detachment 2 at Edwards AFB CA to support the reactivation of three SR 71 aircraft in June 1995 becoming operational with the renovated Blackbirds on 29 August 1995. Detachment 2 ceased operations in 1998 when the budget was withdrawn and was inactivated on 1 August 1999. The Wing activated 12 Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 November 2001 equipped with RQ 4 Global Hawk high altitude UAVs. 380 Air Expeditionary Wing was activated at Al Dhafra AB United Arab Emirates in 2002 for 99 Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron rotational deployment of U 2s. 363 Air Expeditionary Wings rotational deployments of U 2s to Prince Sultan AB Saudi Arabia ceased in 2003.

9 RW activated 489 Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 August 2011 at Beale AFB equipped with MC 12W Liberty Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance ISR aircraft as a component of the 9 OG and on 1 May 2011 activated 427 Reconnaissance Squadron also equipped with MC 12W aircraft. 12 RS was reassigned to 69th Reconnaissance Group on 1 March 2013.

9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing activated its OL at RAF Mildenhall England in April 1976 to carry out SR 71 Blackbird and U 2R Dragon Lady reconnaissance operations on a rotational basis. UK permission was required for each sortie flown and the SR 71 Blackbird aircraft could only stay at RAF Mildenhall for a maximum of 20 days on each visit from the US. On 5 April 1982 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced two SR 71 aircraft would be based at RAF Mildenhall on a permanent basis as Detachment 4 from January 1983 with the UK remaining in control of the more sensitive missions. In addition to its missions over Europe Det 4 took part in operation Eldorado Canyon over Libya in 1986. Det 4 ceased operations on 22 November 1989 with the last SR 71 aircraft departing the UK on 18 January 1990.

This patch dates from the early 1980s.