The United States Air Force's 23d Intelligence Squadron is a military intelligence unit located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Its first predecessor was organized during World War II as the 23rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...

, until V-E Day, earning a

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

and

French Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first aw ...

. It inactivated in theater in September 1945. The squadron's second predecessor is the 6947th Electronic Security Squadron, which was organized at Key West Naval Air Station in 1986. In 1993 the two squadrons were consolidated as the 23d Intelligence Squadron in 1993. The squadron was inactivated in 1996, but activated again as the 23d Information Operations Squadron at Kelly Annex from 2000 to 2011. The squadron returned to the 23d Intelligence Squadron designation and was activated in the reserves in 2017.

Mission

History

World War II

The

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

was first activated as the 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron in 1942. It served in combat in the

, where it earned a

and a

for combat operations.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 123-124

Intelligence operations

The 6947th Electronic Security Squadron was activated at Key West Naval Air Station in 1986 as an electronic intelligence squadron. In 1993, the two squadrons were consolidated as the 23rd Intelligence Squadron. The consolidated squadron was inactivated in 1996. The squadron was again activated as the 23rd Information Operations Squadron in 2000. The mission of the squadron was to deliver full spectrum information operations tactics to the warfighter. The squadron was inactivated in 2011 and its resources and personnel transferred to the 318th Operations Support Squadron. The squadron was activated in the reserve in 2017 as the 23rd Intelligence Squadron.

Lineage

; 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron : Constituted as the 23rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942 * Activated on 2 September 1942 : Redesignated 23rd Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943 : Redesignated 23rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943 : Inactivated on 12 September 1945 : Consolidated with the 6947th Electronic Security Squadron on 1 October 1993 as the 23rd Intelligence Squadron ; 23d Information Operations Squadron * Designated as the 6947th Electronic Security Squadron and activated on 1 July 1986 : Consolidated with the 23rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1993 as the 23rd Intelligence Squadron : Redesignated 23rd Information Operations Squadron on 17 July 2000 * Activated on 1 August 2000 : Inactivated on 7 December 2011 : Redesignated 23rd Intelligence Squadron on 4 August 2017 * Activated on 2 September 2017

Assignments

5th Photographic Group The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 5 July 2006. The wing was first establis ...

(later 5th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 5th Photographic Group): 2 September 1942 (attached to 3d Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group (later 3d Photographic Group), c. 15 July - 8 September 1943, 9 February - 9 March 1944, after 23 August 1944) *

3d Photographic Group The United States Air Force's 543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. It has been located there since 1997, when it was activated as the 543d Intelligence Grou ...

(later 3d Reconnaissance Group): 15 November 1944 – 12 September 1945 * 6940th Electronic Security Wing: 1 Jul 1986 * Continental Electronic Security Division: 1 Apr 1987 *

694th Electronic Security Wing The United States Air Force's 694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (694 ISRG) is an intelligence unit located at Osan AB, Korea. Mission The mission of the 694th ISRG is to provide continuous armistice indications and warni ...

: 15 Jul 1988 * Continental Electronic Security Division: 1 Jan 1991 *

693d Intelligence Wing The United States Air Force's 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Mission The mission of the 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is to l ...

: 1 Oct 1991 *

67th Intelligence Group 67 may refer to: * 67 (number) * one of the years 67 BC, AD 67, 1967, 2067 * ''67'', a 1992 song by Love Battery from the album ''Between the Eyes'' * 67 (rap group), a drill music group from London See also * 67th Regiment (disambiguation) * 67th ...

: 1 Oct 1993 – 30 Jun 1996 *

318th Information Operations Group The 318th Cyberspace Operations Group is a United States Air Force information operations unit located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The group was first activated during World War II as the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. After tr ...

: 1 Aug 2000 – 7 December 2011 * 655th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group: 2 September 2017 – present

Stations

* Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2 September 1942 – 8 August 1943 *

La Marsa Airfield LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

, Tunisia, 8 Sep 1943 * Foggia Airfield Complex, Italy, 30 Nov 1943 *

San Severo Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the strat ...

, Italy, 10 Dec 1943 * Alghero-Fertilia Airport, Sardinia, 2 Feb 1944 * Borgo Airfield, Corsica, 14 Jul 1944 * Valence Airfield (Y-23),Station number in Johnson France, 5 Sep 1944 *

Malignano Airfield Malignano is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, in the comune of Sovicille, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 21.Florence Peretola Airport, Italy, 16 Jan 1945 – 23 Aug 1945 *

Pomigliano Airfield Pomigliano Airfield (40°55'40"N / 14°23'20"E) was a military airfield and base established in 1938–39 in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy near Naples. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force. The airfield was ...

, Italy, 23 Aug 1945 – 12 Sep 1945 * Key West Naval Air Station, Florida, 1 Jul 1986 – 30 Jun 1996 *

Kelly Air Force Base Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

(later Kelly Annex, Lackland Air Force Base), Texas, 1 Aug 2000 – 7 December 2011 * Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, 2 September 2017 – present

Decorations

28 February 1944 *

Air Force Organizational Excellence Award The Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award (ASOEA) is a unit award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force created by the Secretary of the Air Force on 26 August 1969 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The award i ...

* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters *

with gilt star 15 August 1943 – 15 October 1944

Aircraft

* F-5 (1943–1945) *

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

(1943–1945)

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * *

External links

37th Training Wing Public Affairs: Lackland AFB, Texas
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Military units and formations in Texas Intelligence squadrons of the United States Air Force