1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

21st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
Emblem of the 21st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1942-1944; 1945-1988; 2007-2008
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance

The 21st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as needed. Its last known location was at Souda Bay, Greece.

The squadron was active as the 21st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, and served as a reconnaissance Replacement Training Unit during World War II until being disbanded in a reorganization of the United States Army Air Forces designed to make the most efficient use of resources to free manpower for overseas assignment.

The 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was formed shortly after the end of the war and served as part of the occupation forces in Germany until 1947, when it returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in 1949. The squadron was reactivated in 1952 to replace the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, an Alabama Air National Guard unit. It remained in Europe as an element of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (later 10th Tactical Fighter Wing) until it was inactivated on 15 January 1988.

The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985. In 2007, the consolidated squadron was converted to provisional status as the 21st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and assigned to United States Air Forces Europe, which activated it at Souda Bay, Greece.

The squadron was first established during World War II as the 21st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS) and served as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units whose mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews. The squadron was stationed at several airfields in the Midwest and Southeast as part of Third Air Force. It initially trained crews for medium bombers used as reconnaissance aircraft, but changed its mission to focus on training reconnaissance pilots for overseas duty.