USAF Patch Recon tb USAFE b 18 TRS Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron RF 101C Voodoo RAF Upper Heyford c4a

USAF Patch USAFE 18 TRS Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Patch RF 101C Voodoo RAF Upper Heyford 1960s Fully embroidered cut edge 112mm by 75mm four and three eighth inches by three inches.

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Squadron History 

18 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Photo Jet was activated on 10 October 1950 on the redesignation of 161 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Photo Jet at Shaw AB equipped with RF 80A Shooting Star aircraft for photographic reconnaissance assigned to Fourteenth Air Force. 18 TRS PJ was reassigned to 363 Reconnaissance Group when the Group was reactivated at Shaw AB on 2 April 1951 and the Squadron was retasked to provide photographic intelligence training in support both air and ground operations by US or Allied forces. The Squadron reequipped with RF 84F Thunderstreak aircraft in 1954 continued training operations and converted to RF 101C Voodoo aircraft in 1957. The Squadron was reassigned to 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 8 February 1958 with 17 20 and 29 TRSs.

When 432 TRW was inactivated 18 TRS PJ deployed to Laon Couvron Air Base France for NATO operations assigned to 66 Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 1 June 1959. With the drawdown of US Forces from France the Squadron with 66 TRG relocated to RAF Upper Heyford on 1 September 1966 and was redesignated 18 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966. In 1968 plans began to convert 66 TRW to RF 4 Phantom reconnaissance aircraft with the first two Phantoms arriving at RAF Upper Heyford on 27 March 1969 for 17 TRS. The RF 101s were assigned to 18 TRS limited to daytime recce while the Phantoms provided 17 TRS will all weather and night capability.  

18 TRS moved back to Shaw AB on 30 January 1970 and was reassigned to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing reequipping with RF 4C Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft and retasked with training new photo reconnaissance pilots. The Squadron was inactivated on 30 September 1979.

The Squadron was reactivated as 18 Reconnaissance Squadron on 3 April 2006 at Beale AB equipped with RQ 4 Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance UAV aircraft assigned to 9 Operations Group. 18 RS inactivated on 24 August 2007. 18 Reconnaissance Squadron reactivated at Creech AFB on 11 December 2009 equipped with MQ 1 Predator UAV aircraft assigned to 432 Operations Group for global intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance.

This patch dates from the 1960s.