This mandated reorganization resulted in new landlords coming to
Ramstein on 5 October 1966, when the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
and its RF-4C aircraft
arrived from France.
The 38 TRS had previously moved from Toul-Rosiere AB, France to Ramstein in the summer of 1962.
The Berlin crisis took place during this period and the 38th received the AF Outstanding Unit Award for maintaining
combat readiness during the move.
It was then 26th FMS' responsibility to support the
526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 38th
Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 517th.
On 30 January 1973, the 26th TRW and 38th TRS moved to Zweibrucken AB and
the 86th Fighter Interceptor Wing was transferred back to Ramstein as the 86th Tactical
Fighter Wing .
By November 1978, the 26TRW's 38thTRS was the only flying squadron on Zweibrucken
assigned to the wing. The 38th continued to fly reconnaissance missions with the only other RF-4C squadron
in Europe, the 1st TRS. On 10 August 1987, the 1st was inactivated, leaving the 26th/38th as the only tactical
reconnaissance squadron flying RF-4C's in Europe, and the only reconnaissance squadron
assigned to USAFE.
In August 1988, the 26th/38th participated for the first time in the Reconnaissance Air Meet (RAM), a
worldwide reconnaissance competition. At RAM, the 38th became world champions, defeating
12 other participating units from the US and allied countries.
The 26th TRW Maintenance crew was 4th with 3989 points out 4000 possible in the 1988 meet.
In 1990, the 38th returned to RAM to defend its title, winning top day reconnaissance team
honors and placing second in the overall competition. The 26th TRW Maintenance scored a
perfect score of 300 as did all other maintenance teams.
In December 1990, Civil Engineer forces in Europe began deploying to bases in
Turkey-Operation Proven Force. At Incirlik AB, Turkey, a seventeen-member Prime
BEEF team from Ramstein AB, Germany, quietly worked inside a warehouse, ordering
supplies and pre-assembling tent floors. When the Turkish government granted approval on
January 16, engineers, aircraft crews, and other support personnel deployed to Incirlik.
The engineers constructed "Tornado Town" and helped beddown deployed personnel.
Over 100 aircraft and 2,600 personnel were deployed to Turkey for Operation Proven Force, which
denied the Iraqis a safe haven for their military forces in northern Iraq.
Among them, in early February 1991 were the 26th/38th. The squadron flew over 100 tactical
reconnaissance missions over Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm.
| 
RF-4C # 68-0589 ZR
38TRS/26TRW, Zweibruken AFB |
The 26th TRW and the 38th were deactivated in 4 April of 1991 and their RF-4C's
relegated to storage.
Editors Note : Special thanks to George E. Daniels ( Flight commander in 38th at Ramstein.
Ops Officer and later 38th TRS Commander 73 - 74, Chief of Special Ops Branch 74-75)
for providing 38th at
Zweibrucken information.
Air Force Drawdown in Europe
While U.S. force deployments in Europe remained essential, the number of U.S. forces needed
for stability and security after the end of the Cold War greatly diminished.
In response to the dramatic and favorable changes
in European security since 1989, Air Force presence in Europe was restructured and drastically
reduced . U.S. European Command reduced its forces by over 200,000 troops since 1989.
Air Force presence was reduced from 9.25 fighter wing equivalents to 2.33 fighter wing
equivalents (666 combat aircraft to 168), with a corresponding reduction in the number of
personnel. This 2.33 fighter wing equivalent force accomplishes all the previous
traditional Air Force missions, both conventional and nuclear. They are now organized
into three fighter wings, an air refueling wing, an airlift wing, and a special operations group.
Nuclear forces in Europe have been reduced by over 80% since 1991. Overall, two out of three
U.S. military installations in Europe have been closed, representing a much greater rate of
closure than in the continental United States.