69th Reconnaissance Group

69th Reconnaissance Group
Active	1941–1946; 2011- current
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Reconnaissance
Engagements	American Theater of World War II European Theater of Operations
Insignia
69th Reconnaissance Group emblem (Approved 19 May 2014)

The 69th Reconnaissance Group is an active United States Air Force unit. It is part of Air Combat Command stationed at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. The group served in the American and European Theaters of World War II as a reconnaissance unit until returning to the United States where it was inactivated. It was reactivated in the fall of 2011 as an unmanned aircraft reconnaissance group.

The group was activated in the fall of 1941 as the 69th Observation Group with two squadrons assigned. The group flew antisubmarine patrols along the Pacific coast after the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

The group engaged primarily in air to ground training during 1943 and 1944 while it was successively designated 69th Reconnaissance Group and 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. It began training with North American F-6 Mustangs in January 1945 for duty overseas. The 69th moved to France in February to March 1945 where it was assigned to Ninth AF. It flew visual and photographic reconnaissance missions to provide intelligence for ground and air units. It was again designated the 69th Reconnaissance Group in June 1945. The group returned to the United States in July and August 1945. There it trained with F-6 Mustangs and Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft. The group was inactivated on 29 July 1946.

The 69th was once again activated on 19 September 2011 to conduct reconnaissance with unmanned aerial vehicles.

The 69th Reconnaissance Group is currently commanded by Col Christopher Larson.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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