544th Information Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (544 ISRG) is a United States Air Force
unit assigned to the Air Force Space Command
Fourteenth Air Force
. It is stationed at Peterson AFB, Colorado
.
A space-based intelligence organization, the 544 ISRG is a team of approximately 500 Air Force members who deliver global, space-related information to national agencies and warfighting commands; provide policy guidance and functional assistance to assigned organizations; and develop mission-based facilities, communications and manpower requirements to improve quality of life.
The 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group was initially activated as the 544th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron on 16 November 1950 at Bolling AFB. Initial personnel came from the 4203d Photographic Technical Squadron. The 544th moved to Offutt AFB in April 1952, although a small unit (Detachment 1) continued operation at Bolling AFB. On 11 July 1958, the unit was redesignated the 544th Reconnaissance Technical Group. The 544th provided photo interpretation during the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) for the National Command Authority
.
The next designation was as the 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing when it was activated on 1 January 1963 at Offutt Air Force Base
, Nebraska
. It was assigned directly to Strategic Air Command
. In Vietnam, the RC-135C reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with the ASD-1 reconnaissance system, a number of programmable SIGINT
receivers, created much of the 544th ARTW's work, an activity known as 'Finder'. In 1979 the 544th was designated as a Major Command
Special Activity and on 15 October 1979, was redesignated the 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing. The 544th SIW was redesignated the 544th Intelligence Wing on 1 September 1991, still at Offutt AFB, and then inactivated on 1 June 1992.
On 7 Sept. 1993, Colonel Eric Larson became the commander of the newly reactivated 544th IG at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo, part of Air Force Space Command
. The current commander of the 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is Colonel Thomas Hensley.
In 2000, the 544th received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The award did not extend to the detachments host commands such as the Naval Security Group Activities Sabana Seca and Sugar Grove. Their support in terms of infrastructure, technical equipment and facilities, allowed the detachments to accomplish their mission.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
Fourteenth Air Force
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
. It is stationed at Peterson AFB, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
A space-based intelligence organization, the 544 ISRG is a team of approximately 500 Air Force members who deliver global, space-related information to national agencies and warfighting commands; provide policy guidance and functional assistance to assigned organizations; and develop mission-based facilities, communications and manpower requirements to improve quality of life.
Units
- 544th ISRG, Detachment 4 – Yakima Research Station, Washington
- 544th ISRG, Detachment 3 – Sugar GroveSugar GroveSugar Grove is the name of some places in the United States:*Sugar Grove, Illinois*Sugar Grove, Ohio*Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania*Sugar Grove, Virginia, in Smyth County*Sugar Grove, Montgomery County, Virginia*Sugar Grove, West Virginia...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... - 544th ISRG, Detachment 2 – Sabana Seca, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
[Deactivated] (8 December 1995 – 21 July 2000) - 544th ISRG, Detachment 5 – Chantilly, Virginia
- 544th ISRG, Detachment 7 – Vandenberg AFB, California
- 18th Intelligence Squadron18th Intelligence SquadronThe 18th Intelligence Squadron is a space control intelligence organization of the United States Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio....
– Wright-Patterson AFB, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... - 18th IS, Detachment 1 – Holloman AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
[Deactivated] (June 1995 – July 2000) - 18th IS, Detachment 1 – Wright-Patterson AFB, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
[Deactivated] - 18th IS, Detachment 2 – Osan AB, Republic of Korea
- 18th IS, Detachment 3 – Misawa AB, Japan [Deactivated]
- 18th IS, Detachment 4 – RAF FeltwellRAF FeltwellRAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
, United Kingdom- 18th IS, Detachment 5 – RAF EdzellRAF EdzellRAF Edzell is a former Royal Air Force station located in one mile east of Edzell, Angus, Scotland.It was active for over fifty years, first as a RAF base during World War II, and later on lease to the United States Navy, From 1960 until its decommissioning in 1996, and final closure in 1997.Its...
, Scotland[Deactivated] (???-???)
- 18th IS, Detachment 5 – RAF Edzell
- 451st Information Operations Squadron – RAF Menwith HillRAF Menwith HillRAF Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station near Harrogate, North Yorkshire which provides communications and intelligence support services to the United Kingdom and the United States of America...
, United Kingdom - 451st IOS, Detachment 1 – RAF DigbyRAF DigbyRAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located...
, United Kingdom - 566th Information Operations Squadron566th Information Operations SquadronThe 566th Information Operations Squadron is a support unit to the Aerospace Data Facility in conjunction with the 460th Space Wing, Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado...
– Buckley AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Lineage
- Constituted as 544th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron on 2 November 1950
- Activated on 16 November 1950
- Redesignated as: 544th Reconnaissance Technical Group on 11 July 1958
- Redesignated as: 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing on 1 January 1963
- Redesignated as: 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing on 15 October 1979
- Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence Wing on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated on 1 June 1992
- Redesignated 544th Intelligence Group on 3 September 1993
- Activated on 7 September 1993
- Redesignated as: 544th Information Operations Group on 1 August 2000
- Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence Group on 1 April 2007
- Redesignated as: 544th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 1 January 2009
Assignments
- 3902d Air Base Wing, 16 November 1950
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 11 July 1958 – 1 June 1992 - Air Force Intelligence Command (later, Air Intelligence Agency)Air Intelligence Agency-External links:* * * *...
, 7 September 1993 - 67th Intelligence (later, 67th Information Operations) Wing67th Network Warfare WingThe 67th Network Warfare Wing , Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was reactivated October 1, 1993 as the 67th Intelligence Wing. The wing was re-designated the 67th Information Operations Wing on February 1, 2001...
, 31 January 2000 - 70th Intelligence (later, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) Wing, 5 July 2006–present
Stations
- Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, 16 November 1950 – 11 April 1952
- Offutt AFB, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 12 April 1952 – 1 June 1992 - Peterson AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 7 September 1993–present
Operations
National Command Authority
National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...
.
The next designation was as the 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing when it was activated on 1 January 1963 at Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. It was assigned directly to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
. In Vietnam, the RC-135C reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with the ASD-1 reconnaissance system, a number of programmable SIGINT
SIGINT
Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...
receivers, created much of the 544th ARTW's work, an activity known as 'Finder'. In 1979 the 544th was designated as a Major Command
Major Command
Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a MAJCOM is the highest level of command.There are two types of Major Commands in the United States military:...
Special Activity and on 15 October 1979, was redesignated the 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing. The 544th SIW was redesignated the 544th Intelligence Wing on 1 September 1991, still at Offutt AFB, and then inactivated on 1 June 1992.
On 7 Sept. 1993, Colonel Eric Larson became the commander of the newly reactivated 544th IG at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo, part of Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
. The current commander of the 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is Colonel Thomas Hensley.
In 2000, the 544th received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The award did not extend to the detachments host commands such as the Naval Security Group Activities Sabana Seca and Sugar Grove. Their support in terms of infrastructure, technical equipment and facilities, allowed the detachments to accomplish their mission.