22d Intelligence Squadron

by Air Force Historical Research Agency

 

Lineage and Honors History

of the

22d INTELLIGENCE SQUADRON (AIA)

Lineage. Organized as 17th Aero Squadron on 16 Jun 1917. Redesignated 22d Aero Squadron on 20 Jun 1917. Demobilized on 16 Jun 1919. Reconstituted and consolidated (17 Apr 1937) with 135th Aero Squadron which was organized on 1 Oct 1917 and redesignated 22d Squadron on 14 Mar 1921. Redesignated: 22d Observation Squadron on 25 Jan 1923; 22d Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 Jan 1942; 22d Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 22d Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) on 2 Apr 1943; 22d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 31 Aug 1946. Activated on 19 Apr 1965. Organized on 1 Dec 1965. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1971. Redesignated 22d Tactical Drone Squadron on 24 May 1976. Activated on 1 Jul 1976. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1979. Redesignated 22d Intelligence Squadron, and activated, on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments. 22d Aero: Unkn, 16 Jun 1917-Mar 1918; attached to RAF for operations and training, Mar-Jun 1918; unkn, Jun-Aug 1918; 2d Pursuit Group, Aug 1918-Apr 1919. 135th Aero (later 22d Observation): Unkn, 1 Oct 1917-Jul 1918; IV Corps Observation Group, Jul 1918; Second Army Observation Group, Nov 1918-Feb 1919; unkn, Feb-May 1919; Southern Department, May 1919 (evidently attached to Field Artillery School until Nov 1921); Eighth Corps Area, 20 Aug 1920; Fourth Corps Area, Nov 1921; 12th Observation Group, 30 Jun 1931 to consolidation in 1937. Consolidated squadron: 12th Observation Group, from consolidation in 1937; Eighth Corps Area, 1 Jun 1937; Third Army, 3 Oct 1940; VIII Army Corps, c. Nov 1940; 73d Observation Group, 1 Sep 1941; 74th Observation (later, Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 12 Mar 1942; 69th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, Reconnaissance) Group, 29 Jan 1945; Ninth Air Force (attached to 363d Reconnaissance Group), 29 Jul-31 Aug 1946. United States Air Forces in Europe, 19 Apr 1965; 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Dec 1965; 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 20 Sep 1966 (attached to 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 9-26 Oct 1968); 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 Jul 1971-15 Oct 1971. 432d Tactical Drone Group, 1 Jul 1976-1 Apr 1979. 694th Intelligence Group, 1 Oct 1993-.

Stations. 22d Aero: Camp Kelly, TX, 16 Jun 1917; Toronto, Canada (detachments at Deseronto and other points in Ontario), 12 Aug 1917; Taliaferro Field No. 1, TX, c. 22 Oct 1917-21 Jan 1918; Dunkirk, France, 4 Mar 1918 (unit divided into flights which operated from various stations in Nord, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme, until squadron reassembled on 24 Jun; headquarters flight was in Flanders; A, B, and C flights in Picardy); Guines, France, 24 Jun 1918; Issoudun, France, 26 Jun 1918; Orly, France, 7 Jul 1918; Toul, France, 16 Aug 1918; Belrain, France, 22 Sep 1918; Souilly, France, 7 Nov 1918; Grand, France, c. 29 Jan 1919; Colombey-les-Belles, France, 18 Apr 1919; Le Mans, France, 6 May 1919-unkn; Mitchel Field, NY, unkn-16 Jun 1919. 135th Aero (later 22d Observation): Rockwell Field, CA, 1 Oct 1917; Garden City, NY, 1-17 Dec 1917; Waddington, England, 8 Jan-24 Jun 1918 (detachments at Scampton and South Carlton until 27 Feb 1918); Issoudun, France, 2 Jul 1918; Amanty, France, 19 Jul 1918; Ourches, France, 30 Jul 1918; Toul, France, 30 Sep 1918; Colombey-les-Belles, France, 10 Feb 1919; Tresses, France, 23 Feb 1919; Bordeaux, France, 18-25 Apr 1919; Hazelhurst Field, NY, c. 7 May 1919; Post Field, OK, 29 May 1919 (flight at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, 30 Apr-30 Jun, 6 Sep-3 Nov 1920; detachment at Montgomery, AL, after 4 Nov 1921); Montgomery, AL, 30 Nov 1921 (detachment at Pope Field, NC, 26 Nov 1921-15 Mar 1931); Brooks Field, TX, 28 Jun 1931 to consolidation in 1937. Consolidated squadron: Brooks Field, TX, from consolidation in 1937; DeRidder, LA, 30 Jan 1942; Esler Field, LA, 13 Dec 1942; Desert Center, CA, 29 Dec 1942; Morris Field, NC, 24 Sep 1943; Camp Campbell AAFId, KY, 6 Nov 1943; DeRidder AAB, LA, 19 Apr 1944; Key Field, MS, 27 Jan-26 Feb 1945; Nancy, France, 22 Mar 1945; Haguenan, France, 2 Apr-Jul 1945; Drew Field, FL, 4 Aug 1945; Brooks Field, TX, 11 Dec 1945-31 Aug 1946. Toul-Rosieres AB, France, 1 Dec 1965-20 Sep 1966; Mountain Home AFB, ID, 20 Sep 1966; Shaw AFB, SC, 15 Jul 1971-15 Oct 1971. Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1 Jul 1976-1 Apr 1979. Ft George G. Meade, MD, 1 Oct 1993-.

Aircraft. 22d Aero: JN-4, 1917; Spad XIII, 1918-1919. 135th Aero (later 22d Observation): DH-4, 1918-1919; in addition to DH-4, 1919-c. 1927, and 0-2, 1926-1930, included JN-6, JNS-1, and C-1 during period 1919-1930; O-19, 1930-1935; in addition to 0-43, 1934 to consolidation, included 0-27, O-31, and Y10-40 during period 1935-1937. Consolidated squadron: In addition to 0-43, consolidation to c. 1939, 0-47, c. 1939-1941, and 0-46, 1940-1942, apparently included 0-25, 0-31, and 0-38 during period from consolidation to 1940; in addition to 0-49, 1941-1942, and 0-52, 1941-1943, included L-4 and P-43 during period 1942-1943; A-20 and DB-7, 1943; in addition to P-39, 1943-1944, and P-40, 1943-1945, included A-24 and L-5 during period 1943-1944; P-51/F-6, 1945, 1946. RF-4, 1966-1971; B-57, 1971. AQM-34 (drone), 1976-1979; DC-130, 1976-1979; CH-3, 1976-1979. None, 1993-.

Operations. 22d Aero: Flying training unit, Nov 1917-1918; maintained aircraft and underwent combat training while attached by flights to British day bombardment units serving on front with British Second and Fifth Armies, Mar-c. 24, Jun 1918; combat as pursuit unit with American First Army, 21 Aug-8 Nov 1918. 135th Aero (later 22d Observation): Combat as corps observation unit with IV Army Corps, 7 Aug-c. 11 Nov 1918. Flood relief missions in southern Alabama, 15-20 Mar 1929; evidently participated in flood relief in Mississippi River valley, Jan-Feb 1937. Consolidated squadron: Combat in European Theater of Operations, 17 Apr-8 May 1945. Not operationally manned and equipped, Aug 1945-Feb 1946. Tactical reconnaissance in European area, 1965-1966, and in the United States, 1966-1971, with dual-basing to meet North Atlantic Treaty Organization requirements in the latter period. Operated drones between 1976 and 1979.

Service Streamers. American Theater.

Campaign Streamers. World War I: Somme Defensive; Picardy; Lorraine; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 20 Sep 1966-31 May 1968.

Date Prepared. 23 Jan 1997.

Supersedes published information contained in Maurer Maurer (ed.), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II Washington: USGPO, 1969) and addendum prepared c. 8 Jun 1976.

Prepared by Daniel L. Haulman.