9th Reconnaissance Wing

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9th Reconnaissance Wing
Emblem of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing
Active	1949–present 1950–1965 as 9th Bomb Wing
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Wing
Role	Reconnaissance
Size	6,500 personnel
Part of	Air Combat Command and Sixteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Beale Air Force Base
Motto(s)	"Semper Paratus" Latin Always Ready
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with V Device
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Geoffrey I. Church[1]

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command and Sixteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The wing is also the host unit at Beale.

Its mission is to organize, train and equip the Air Force's fleet of U-2R Dragon Lady, RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft for peacetime intelligence gathering, contingency operations, conventional war fighting and Emergency War Order support. It is also assigned T-38 Talons for U-2 pilots to maintain flight hours.

Its 9th Operations Group is a descendant organization of the 9th Group (Observation), one of the 13 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.

During World War II, the 9th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces. Active for over 60 years, the 9th RW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force throughout the Cold War, performing strategic reconnaissance on a worldwide basis.