Caribbean operations

World War II

4th Reconnaissance Squadron P-39 at Borinquen Field^{[note 3]}

4th Reconnaissance Squadron B-25G Mitchell 1943, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico,

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.

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.

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.

The following month, reflecting the changing war situation, the squadron received a North American B-25D Mitchell and four new B-25Gs, and in February 1943 added three more P-39Qs (for a total of nine), three new P-39Ns, and Douglas B-18 Bolos.

4th Reconnaissance Squadron F-5 Lightning near Coolidge Field, Antigua

The squadron was occasionally tasked to perform flights throughout the Caribbean and, on one occasion, when the new airport was dedicated at Ciudad Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, every available P-39 was sent over (with belly tanks) where they put on a very lengthy aerial display for the locals.

By 10 March 1944, unit strength had been considerably depleted, and the on-hand aircraft census consisted of three B¬25Ds and B-25Gs, a B-18 and a B-18C, three P-39Ns, and three P-39Qs. In October 1944, the Squadron received additional B-25D's. Shortly thereafter, the squadron was redesignated the 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.^[2]

Aside from frequent detachments of aircraft throughout the entire Caribbean basin during most of the war on an "as needed" basis, the unit itself did not move as a whole again until 21 May 1945 when it moved from Borinquen to Coolidge Field on Antigua where the unit also welcomed with six new Lockheed F-5G Lightnings in June.

Move to Panama

Lockheed FP-80 Shooting Star

The squadron remained active after the war, moving from the Antilles to Rio Hato Army Air Base in March 1946, when it was assigned to Caribbean Air Command. In 1947, it became one of the first reconnaissance units of the new United States Air Force to be equipped with jet aircraft, when it began to fly the Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star, moving to France Field, Panama Canal Zone in December.^[2] Because the runways at France Field were to short to accommodate the new jets, the squadron's Shooting Stars used the runway at the neighboring Coco Solo Naval Base, although this involved extensive taxiing until the planes were finally moved to the ramp at Coco Solo.^[5] President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,^[6] and the squadron was inactivated on 14 March.^[2]

Vietnam war era

Bergstrom RF-4 after transfer to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron^{[note 4]}

The squadron was organized in November 1966 as part of the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron was an operational training unit and prepared aircrews for the Vietnam War. In November 1969, it became an operational unit, maintaining a worldwide mobility capability and training for operational missions.^[2] In October 1971, the squadron was inactivated and its personnel, mission and equipment were assigned to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which was activated in its place.^[2][7]

Expeditionary operations

Airmen welcome the first Air Force MC-12 to be based in Afghanistan^{[note 5]}

In January 2005, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Flight and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed for operations.^[2] It was immediately activated at Balad Air Base, Iraq and flew missions with the Beechcraft RC-12D Guardrail in the Iraq War for six months before inactivating.^[2][8]

It was activated as the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron in June 2009 at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. In November 2009, it moved to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan^[2] to operate the Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty with crews deployed from other locations.^[9] Along with the 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, it was one of two MC-12 squadrons comprising Project Liberty.^{[note 6]} Airmen deploying to the squadron came from units flying other types of aircraft and went through flight training at Key Field, Mississippi.^[1]

On 1 October 2014, the squadron inactivated,^[2] as its mission was assigned to Joint Task Force Thor and MC-12W operations transferred from the Air Force to the Army.^[10] The squadron flew over 40,000 combat flights in Afghanistan. In its last year of operation it participated in the capture or death of over 2400 enemy combatants, including 375 identified as "high value."^[11]

Return to regular status

On 21 July 2020, the squadron returned to regular status, dropping the "expeditionary" and becoming the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron. Two days later, it was activated with station at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where it took over the personnel, mission, and RQ-4 Global Hawks of Detachment 1, 319th Operations Group, which was discontinued.^[2][12] The activation ceremony took place, however, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where the unit was deployed at the time it activated. The change in designation also involved the transfer of maintenance of the squadron's RQ-4s to the military. Maintenance for Detachment 1 had been performed by civilian contractors. The unit deploys each year to bases in Japan during the typhoon season in Guam.^[4]

Assignments

• 13th Composite Wing, April 1941
• Puerto Rican Department, 14 July 1941
• 72d Observation Group, 29 March 1942 (attached to Puerto Rican Department until 23 March 1943, then to Antilles Air Task Force)
• Antilles Air Command, 1 June 1943
• Caribbean Air Command, 25 August 1946 (attached to Provisional Composite Reconnaissance Group after 1 February 1948)
• 6th Fighter Wing, 1 June 1948 (attached to Provisional Composite Reconnaissance Group)
• 5600th Group, 28 July 1948
• 5600th Wing (later 5600th Composite Wing), 20 August 1948 – 14 March 1949
• Tactical Air Command, 25 October 1966 (not organized)
• 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, c. 18 Nov 1966;
• 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 July – 15 October 1971
• Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed, 31 January 2005 – 21 July 2020

332nd Expeditionary Operations Group, 1 January 2005 – 7 July 2005

451st Expeditionary Operations Group, 26 June 2009

455th Expeditionary Operations Group, 23 November 2009 – 1 October 2014

• 319th Operations Group, 23 July 2020 – present^[2]

Stations

Aircraft

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Hagdedorn, Dan (1995). Alae Supra Canalem: Wings Over the Canal. Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing. ISBN 1-56311-153-5.
• Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems (PDF). Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.