Description

26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing Patch

Pilots and Crew!   Fly again with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing with the beautifully embroidered patch. You’ll be able to wear this patch proudly.

• 3.5 inch
• Embroidered
• US Veteran-Owned Business
• Reproduction

Tactical Reconnaissance in Europe
The 5th Group and 26th Wing were consolidated in 1965 as the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and served for the next twenty-six years with United States Air Forces Europe. Exercising control of a deployed Aerospace Defense Command squadron, it also performed electronic countermeasure training through the late 1960s. From 1968 to 1973, it added an air defense responsibility. It performed day and night visual and photographic reconnaissance. From the fall of 1972 to spring of 1973 the wing also had a special operations mission.[2]

With the end of the Cold War in 1990, the wing was gradually phased down. In addition, the 1960s-era McDonnell RF-4C Phantoms were increasingly costing more and more to maintain. Tactical reconnaissance was being handled by other means, and the need for the wing was becoming less critical to USAFE planners. As a result, the RF-4Cs of the wing were sent to AMARC on 1 April 1991 and the wing’s remaining tactical squadron was inactivated. The wing was inactivated on 31 July 1991.