The United States Air Force's 7th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The squadron, as the 7th Radio Squadron, Mobile, provided intelligence for American forces in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II. As the 302d Radio Squadron, Mobile, it was active in the organized Reserve from 1948 to 1949.
History
World War II
The squadron was first established in the Signal Corps at Davis-Monthan Field in July 1942 as the 957th Signal Radio Intelligence Company. In January the unit moved to California and trained there. In February 1944, it was converted to an Air Corps unit as the 7th Radio Squadron, Mobile, specializing in intercepting radio transmissions in Japanese.[1]
In November 1944, the squadron shipped to New Guinea, arriving the following month. Until V-J Day, it conducted operations from New Guinea and the Philippines, remaining in theater through December 1945, when it returned to the United States and was inactivated.[1]
Organized Reserve
The squadron was redesignated the 302d Radio Squadron, Mobile and allotted to the Organized Reserve. It was activated at San Antonio, Texas in 1948. However, President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[2] and the 302d was inactivated in June 1949.[1]
Reactivation
The squadron was reconstituted as the 7th Intelligence Squadron and reactivated in 2009 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.[1]
Lineage
Constituted as the 957th Signal Radio Intelligence Company, Aviation on 23 July 1942
Activated on 15 October 1942
Redesignated 7 Radio Squadron, Mobile (J)[note 1] on 19 February 1944
Inactivated on 25 December 1945
Redesignated 7th Radio Squadron, Mobile on 14 November 1946
Redesignated 302d Radio Squadron, Mobile and allotted to the Organized Reserve on 29 March 1948
Activated on 12 April 1948
Inactivated on 22 June 1949
Redesignated 7 Radio Squadron, Mobile, on 2 November 1949
Disbanded on 15 June 1983
Reconstituted and redesignated 7 Intelligence Squadron on 20 March 2009
