USAF Patch 9th SRW Det 4 SR-71 Blackbird Strategic Reconnaissance Wing USAFE 1988 (2 Inch) Variant D1

9th SRW Det 4 patch SR-71 Mildenhall Home Of  The Blackbird USAF Strategic Reconnaissance Wing USAFE RAF Mildenhall 1988 2 Inch Variant D1

Det 4 SR-71 patch 9th SRW

Taiwan made full colour Embroidered on white twill with double warp gauze backing and a cut edge 62mm by 62mm two and seven sixteenth inches by two and seven sixteenth inches.

Free Shipping

Wing History

9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was activated on 25 June 1966 to take over from 4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to operate the SR-71 Blackbird and U-2 worldwide from Beale AB with 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron and 9th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron which replaced 4203rd 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. 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was reassigned to U-2R equipped 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing attached to 17th 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 99th Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadron and was reassigned to 9th SRW at Beale AFB rejoining 1st Strategic  Reconnaissance Squadrons SR-71s. 100th SRWs refueling and base support missions were also transferred to the 9th SRW with 349th and 350th Air Refueling Squadrons with KC-135 Stratotankers joining and  consolidated 9th Combat Support Group 9th Supply Transportation Services Security Police and Civil Engineering Squadrons activated.

The Wing also received from 100th 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.

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

On 1 January 1990 9th SRW retired its SR-71 Blackbird. 9th 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 1704th Reconnaissance Squadron Provisional. 4404th 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 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing. 95th Reconnaissance Squadron at RAF Alconbury with its TR-1As was assigned to 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 30 June 1991 on the inactivation of its parent 17th Reconnaissance Wing.

9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated 9th Wing on 19 September 1991 and activated the 9th Operations Group 9th Support Group 9th Logistics Group and 9th Medical Group to streamline and consolidate Wing operations. The 9th and 609th 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 9th Field Maintenance Squadron which was itself redesignated 9th Maintenance Squadron. 349th AREFS was inactivated on 1 June 1992. 9th Wing was redesignated 9th Reconnaissance Wing on 1 October 1993 and transferred 350th AREFS to 43rd Operations Group. Following the inactivation of 17th SRW at RAF Alconbury 9th RW deployed U-2 assets to OL UK at RAF Fairford January to October 1995 and Operating Location FR Istres AB France 1996 to 1999 to monitor the Balkans Wars.

9th 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 12th Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 November 2001 equipped with RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude UAVs. 380th Air Expeditionary Wing was activated at Al Dhafra AB United Arab Emirates in 2002 for 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron rotational deployment of U-2s. 363rd Air Expeditionary Wings rotational deployments of U-2s to Prince Sultan AB Saudi Arabia ceased in 2003.

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

9th SRW OL RAF Mildenhall and Detachment 4

9th 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 Det 4 SR-71 patch 9th SRW patch dates from 1988.