361st Intelligence, Surveillance And Reconnaissance Group
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United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
's 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at
Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Sp ...
, Florida. It provides intelligence support to
Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...
. The group was first activated during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as the 11th Photographic Group when the 1st Photographic Charting Group was expanded into two groups in 1943. Although its headquarters remained in the United States, squadrons and detachments of the group served in most combat theaters. It was disbanded in 1944, when its elements and other reconnaissance units were consolidated under the 311th Photographic Wing.


Mission

The 361 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group supports
Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...
(AFSOC) and provides analytical and targeting support to the rest of the Air Force. The group provides threat warning and enhances situational awareness to AFSOC aircrews across the spectrum of operations from conflict through humanitarian relief. The group and subordinate units conduct cultural and network studies to enhance tactics and ensure interoperability within the
special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
community and conduct research and development of communications sites. The group's airmen act as aircrew on almost every aircraft type within AFSOC.


History


World War II

The 361 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group was activated as the 11th Photographic Group (Mapping) at
Reading Army Air Field Reading Regional Airport (also known as Carl A. Spaatz Field) is a public airport three miles (5 km) northwest of Reading, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Reading Regional Airport Authority. Federal Aviation Administratio ...
, Pennsylvania in December 1943. Its original squadrons were the 1st and 19th Photographic Charting Squadrons at Bradley Field, Connecticut and the 3d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron at
MacDill Field MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida. All three squadrons were transferred from the 1st Photographic Charting Group at
Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling: English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking". German (Bölling): from ...
, in the District of Columbia. However, one flight of the 19th Squadron was deployed to
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
until 20 December. In January 1944, group
headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...
and the two squadrons at Bradley joined the 3d at MacDill.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 54–55Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 8–9Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 21–22Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 103–104 The 19th Squadron's stay at MacDill was brief, for its air echelon deployed to
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Egypt on 30 January, moving to
Deversoir Air Base Deversoir Air Base (LG-209) is an active airbase of the Egyptian Air Force, known as 'Abu Sultan', located approximately 19 km south-southeast of Ismailia (Al Isma`iliyah); 116 km northeast of Cairo. It was formerly a major Royal Air ...
, Egypt four days later. The squadron remained in Egypt for the rest of the time it was assigned to the 11th Group. In April 1944, the 3d Squadron moved to
Smoky Hill Army Air Field Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is three miles southwest of Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, with service by one passenger airline, ...
, Kansas, where it began to train with the
Boeing F-13 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models. XB-29 : ''Section source: Baugher'' The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or e ...
in preparation for its September move to
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
where it began performing long range
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
missions for
Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
, although it was still assigned to the 11th. The
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
's early missions included the photographic mapping of the United States and sending detachments to the Chine-Burma-India Theater, the Near and Middle East, Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and the Caribbean to conduct similar missions. It was disbanded on 5 October 1944 and its component squadrons transferred directly to the 311th Photographic Wing.


Intelligence operations

The Air Force reconstituted group as the 361st Tactical Intelligence Group on 31 July 1985, but did not activate it. The group was renamed the 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group in October 2008 and on 29 October, the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency activated the group at
Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Sp ...
, Florida. The new group, under
Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...
operational control, took command of the 19th Intelligence Squadron at
Pope Army Air Field Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 15 November 201 ...
(then Pope Air Force Base), North Carolina, and the 25th Intelligence Squadron at
Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Sp ...
, Florida.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 11th Photographic Group (Mapping) on 19 November 1943 : Activated on December 1943 : Disbanded on 5 October 1944 * Reconstituted and redesignated as 361st Tactical Intelligence Group on 31 July 1985 * Redesignated as 361st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group on 10 October 2008 : Activated on 29 October 2008


Assignments

*
Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, 1 December 1943 * 311th Photographic Wing, 5 March – 5 October 1944 * Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (later Twenty-Fifth Air Force), 29 October 2008 – 18 January 2015 *
363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The mission ...
, 18 January 2015 – present


Components

* 1st Photographic Charting Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 5 October 1944 * 3d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 5 October 1944 * 19th Photographic Charting Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 5 October 1944 * 25th Intelligence Squadron, 29 October 2008 – present ::
Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Sp ...
, Florida * 19th Intelligence Squadron, 29 October 2008 – present ::
Pope Army Air Field Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 15 November 201 ...
, North Carolina * 43d Intelligence Squadron, 1 November 2011 – present ::
Cannon Air Force Base Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operatio ...
, New Mexico * 306th Intelligence Squadron, 12 October 2012 – present ::
Will Rogers Air National Guard Base Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
, Oklahoma


Stations

* Reading Army Air Field, Pennsylvania, 1 December 1943 *
MacDill Field MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida, 5 January – 5 October 1944 * Hurlburt Field, Florida, 29 October 2008 – present


Aircraft

* Beechcraft F-2 Expeditor, 1943–1944 * Douglas F-3 Havoc, 1943–1944 * Consolidated F-7 Liberator, 1943–1944 * Boeing
F-9 Flying Fortress The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces du ...
, 1943–1944 * North American F-10 Mitchell, 1943–1944 * Boeing F-13 Superfortress, 1944


Campaigns and awards

Although deployed squadrons and elements of the group earned service and campaign credit during World War II, the 11th Photographic Group headquarters earned no campaign credit and was not active long enough to earn service credit for the
American Theater of World War II The American Theater was a theater of operations during World War II including all continental American territory, and extending into the ocean. Owing to North and South America's geographical separation from the central theaters of ...
.


Popular Culture

In the 2019 film Terminator: Dark Fate, the character of Major Dean(played by actor Fraser James) identifies himself as a member of the 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group.


See also

*
B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces, including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in t ...
*
B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and ...
*
List of B-29 Superfortress operators This is a list of B-29 Superfortress units consisting of nations, their air forces, and the unit assignments that used the B-29 during World War II, Korean War, and post war periods, including variants and other historical information Delivery ...
*
List of Douglas A-20 Havoc operators List of A-20 Havoc operators identifies the country, military service, and unit that has been supplied or purchased A-20s. Operators Australia *Royal Australian Air Force operated 69 Aircraft, 22 DB-7B, 9 A-20C, 9 A-20A and 29 A-20G **No. 22 Sq ...
*
List of United States Air Force Groups This is a list of Groups in the United States Air Force that do not belong to a host wing. The last level of independent operation is the group level. When an organization is not part of the primary mission of the base it will be made an independ ...


References


Notes


Bibliography

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External links


Air Force Special Operations Command
{{AFISRA 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group 0361 Intelligence groups of the United States Air Force 1943 establishments in the United States