USAF Patch Recon tb d 4500 JSS Joint STARS Squadron Deployed 1996 Bosnia b

USAF Patch 4500 JSS Joint STARS Squadron Deployed Joint Endeavor Bosnia 1996 Patch E 8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Rhein Main Germany Fully embroidered merrowed edge 104mm four and one sixteenth inches diameter.

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Squadron History 

4500 JSS Joint Stars Squadron Provisional Eyes of the Night was activated on 15 December 1995 as a composite force of US Air Force US Army and civilian members with one E 8A and one E 8C JSTARS Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft still undergoing test and evaluation deployed to Rhein Main AB Germany to provide long range air to ground surveillance and battle management in support of NATOs International Force IFOR peacekeeping Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia Herzegovinia following the Dayton Peace Accords. This was the second pre service deployment following the first deployment for Desert Storm in January 1991 designated as 4411 JSS Provisional when it successfully carried out 49 missions.

The two E 8 aircraft provided 24 hour cover orbiting target areas and using wide area surveillance radar to detect and track military targets such as trucks and tanks transmitting its electronic surveillance to both air and ground forces via mobile Ground Station Modules providing real time surveillance information critical to NATO implementation forces charged with keeping peace in Bosnia.

A total of 12 GSMs deployed with 5 in Bosnia and 7 positioned in Italy Hungary and Germany. Three of the GSMs in Bosnia were embedded with the US Armys 1 Armored Division and one each for the British and French Divisions and the system was primarily used in force protection and peace treaty compliance and supported other missions such as observing mass grave sites for evidence of corpse removal or tampering. The ground team consisted elements from 303 MI Battalion and 319 MI Battalion the Developmental Test and Training Detachment of 111 MI Brigade and the Program Manager and TSM officers for Joint STARS.

While the JSTARS deployment to Europe caused the cancellation of the extensive Multi-Service Operational Test and Evaluation MOT&E planned during for same time frame however many of the test objectives were met during the 89 sorties undertaken while supporting Operation Joint Endeavor with test personnel and data collectors accompanied the operational personnel on the deployment to verify performance.

4500 JSS Joint Stars Squadron Provisional was inactivated on 27 March 1996 with aircraft personnel and equipment returning to the US in April 1996.

This patch dates from 1996.