USAF Patch Recon s y Sqn c 496 RTS Reconnaissance Technical Squadron USAFE RAF Alconbury U 2

USAF Patch Recon 496 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron Patch RAF Alconbury 1980s Embroidered on twill cut edge 77mm by 71mm three inches by two and thirteen sixteenth inches.

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Squadron History  

496 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron was activated in July 1959 at Vogelweh West Germany assigned to 17 Air Force to provide reconnaissance imagery mapping charting and target material production in support of USAFE and United States European Command. 497 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron provided manpower and technical assistance to set up the Squadron. 496 RTS was deactivated in July 1961 with its mission reverting to 497 RTS. 

496 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron was reactivated at RAF Alconbury on 1 October 1982 on the renaming of 10 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron and was assigned to 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing to support Wing and USAFE imagery intelligence production requirements. 496 RTS was deactivated on 1 July 1991 on the relocation of 497 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group from Wiesbaden to RAF Molesworth to become US European Command Joint Intelligent Centre in 1992. 

This patch dates from the 1980s.