544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group

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.

Units

 * 544th ISRG, Detachment 4 – Yakima Research Station, Washington
 * 544th ISRG, Detachment 3 – Sugar Grove, West Virginia
 * 544th ISRG, Detachment 2 – Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico [Discontinued] (8 December 1995 – 21 July 2000)
 * 544th ISRG, Detachment 5 – Chantilly, Virginia
 * 544th ISRG, Detachment 7 – Vandenberg AFB, California
 * 18th Intelligence Squadron – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
 * 18th IS, Detachment 1 – Holloman AFB, New Mexico [Discontinued] (June 1995 – July 2000)
 * 18th IS, Detachment 1 – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio [Discontinued]
 * 18th IS, Detachment 2 – Osan AB, Republic of Korea
 * 18th IS, Detachment 3 – Misawa AB, Japan [Discontinued]
 * 18th IS, Detachment 4 – RAF Feltwell, United Kingdom
 * 18th IS, Detachment 5 – RAF Edzell, Scotland [Discontinued] (???-???)
 * 451st Information Operations Squadron – RAF Menwith Hill, United Kingdom
 * 451st IOS, Detachment 1 – RAF Digby, United Kingdom
 * 566th Information Operations Squadron – Buckley AFB, Colorado

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 Command, 11 July 1958 – 1 June 1992
 * Air Force Intelligence Command (later, Air Intelligence Agency), 7 September 1993
 * 67th Intelligence (later, 67th Information Operations) Wing, 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, Nebraska, 12 April 1952 – 1 June 1992
 * Peterson AFB, Colorado, 7 September 1993–present

Operations
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.