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4th Reconnaissance Squadron
The 4th Reconnaissance Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 319th Operations Group and stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from which it operates RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned vehicles. It was activated there in July 2020.
The squadron was first activated as the 4th Observation Squadron in Puerto Rico in 1941. During World War II it served from island bases in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It moved to Panama and remained active after the war as the 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, becoming one of the first jet equipped reconnaissance squadrons in the Air Force before being inactivated in 1949's military budget reductions.
The squadron was active again from 1966 to 1971, primarily training crews for the Vietnam War until 1969, when it became an operational unit.
In 2005, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Flight and flew missions in Iraq until July of that year. It was again activated in Afghanistan as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron in 2009, operating Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty aircraft until 2014. It was withdrawn from provisional status shortly before activating in 2020.
The squadron operates the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned vehicle. In addition to its aircraft, the squadron has a transportable shelter, which contains the "cockpits" for its RQ-4s. It is responsible for launch and recovery of its aircraft, which are typically handed off to units at Beale Air Force Base, California and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota for operations.
The squadron was first activated in April 1941 as the 4th Observation Squadron. Initially planned to serve as the main observation unit for the 13th Composite Wing, the unit in fact led something of a nomadic existence, being successively attached or assigned to the Puerto Rican Department, the 72d Observation Group, to the Antilles Air Task Force from 23 March 1943 until 1 June 1943, and finally to the Antilles Air Command itself from 1 June 1943 until the end of the war. In fact, this squadron was the only squadron to both start and finish the war in the Antilles throughout.[citation needed]
The squadron was initially stationed at Ponce Air Base, Puerto Rico when activated. The unit itself had been formed from cadre drawn from Air Corps units already in Puerto Rico. By 5 June 1943, the squadron strength had increased to 12 aircraft. By the end of the month, one of the Curtiss O-52 Owls had been sent on detached service to Haiti, apparently in connection with the attempt that poor nation was making to establishing a coastal patrol of its territorial waters at the time. In early July 1943, the squadron received the first three of a number of Bell P-39Q Airacobra fighters that it was to operate until the end of the war.[citation needed]
On 27 October 1943, the squadron moved en masse to Borinquen Field, as Losey Field was turned over to the Army Ground Forces due to its rather poorly situated runways. At this time, and since the squadron's assignment to Antilles Air Command on 1 June, the unit became one of the primary tactical operating units in the area. Fortunately, the command recognized the new importance of the unit, and lobbied for equipment more capable than previously assigned.[citation needed]
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4th Reconnaissance Squadron
The 4th Reconnaissance Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 319th Operations Group and stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from which it operates RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned vehicles. It was activated there in July 2020.
The squadron was first activated as the 4th Observation Squadron in Puerto Rico in 1941. During World War II it served from island bases in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It moved to Panama and remained active after the war as the 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, becoming one of the first jet equipped reconnaissance squadrons in the Air Force before being inactivated in 1949's military budget reductions.
The squadron was active again from 1966 to 1971, primarily training crews for the Vietnam War until 1969, when it became an operational unit.
In 2005, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Flight and flew missions in Iraq until July of that year. It was again activated in Afghanistan as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron in 2009, operating Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty aircraft until 2014. It was withdrawn from provisional status shortly before activating in 2020.
The squadron operates the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned vehicle. In addition to its aircraft, the squadron has a transportable shelter, which contains the "cockpits" for its RQ-4s. It is responsible for launch and recovery of its aircraft, which are typically handed off to units at Beale Air Force Base, California and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota for operations.
The squadron was first activated in April 1941 as the 4th Observation Squadron. Initially planned to serve as the main observation unit for the 13th Composite Wing, the unit in fact led something of a nomadic existence, being successively attached or assigned to the Puerto Rican Department, the 72d Observation Group, to the Antilles Air Task Force from 23 March 1943 until 1 June 1943, and finally to the Antilles Air Command itself from 1 June 1943 until the end of the war. In fact, this squadron was the only squadron to both start and finish the war in the Antilles throughout.[citation needed]
The squadron was initially stationed at Ponce Air Base, Puerto Rico when activated. The unit itself had been formed from cadre drawn from Air Corps units already in Puerto Rico. By 5 June 1943, the squadron strength had increased to 12 aircraft. By the end of the month, one of the Curtiss O-52 Owls had been sent on detached service to Haiti, apparently in connection with the attempt that poor nation was making to establishing a coastal patrol of its territorial waters at the time. In early July 1943, the squadron received the first three of a number of Bell P-39Q Airacobra fighters that it was to operate until the end of the war.[citation needed]
On 27 October 1943, the squadron moved en masse to Borinquen Field, as Losey Field was turned over to the Army Ground Forces due to its rather poorly situated runways. At this time, and since the squadron's assignment to Antilles Air Command on 1 June, the unit became one of the primary tactical operating units in the area. Fortunately, the command recognized the new importance of the unit, and lobbied for equipment more capable than previously assigned.[citation needed]