USAF Patch Recon tb USAFE b 17 TRS Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron RF 4C Phantom e2c

USAF Patch USAFE 17 TRS Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Patch RF 4C Phantom Zweibrucken AB Germany 1970s Embroidered on twill cut edge 62mm by 62mm two and seven sixteenth inches by two and seven sixteenth inches.

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Squadron History 

17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Photo Jet was reactivated at Shaw AFB on 2 April 1951 assigned to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group equipped with RF 80 Shooting Star aircraft to provide photo reconnaissance pilot training. The Squadron converted to RF 84F Thunderstreak reconnaissance aircraft in 1954 reequipped with RF 101C Voodoos in 1957 and was reassigned to 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 8 February 1958. 

The Squadron was reassigned to USAFE under 66 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and relocated to Loan Couvron AFB France on 10 May 1959 with its RF 101C Voodoos to undertake reconnaissance operations in support of NATO. France announced its withdrawal from NATOs integrated military structure and the US was informed that it must remove its military forces from France by 1 April 1967. 17 TRS PJ relocated to RAF Upper Heyford England in September 1966 and was redesignated 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966. 

17 TRS reequipped with RF 4C Phantom recon aircraft in 1969 and relocated to Zweibrucken AB West Germany on 12 January 1970 reassigned to 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. With the Phantoms the Squadron added electro optical radar and tactical weather reconnaissance to its visual and photographic reconnaissance capabilities. The Squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1979. 

The Squadron was reactivated on 8 March 2002 as 17 Reconnaissance Squadron at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field renamed Creech AFB equipped with MQ 1 Predator UAV aircraft assigned to 57 Operations Group to conduct intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and tactical missions worldwide. The Squadron received MQ 9 Reaper UAV aircraft in 2006 and was reassigned to 432 Wing on 1 May 2007.

This patch dates from the 1970s.