Lineage. Constituted as 20 Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 Jul 1942. Activated on 23 Jul 1942. Redesignated as: 20 Photographic Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Feb 1943; 20 Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 Aug 1943; 20 Reconnaissance Squadron, Long-Range, Photo-RCM, on 10 May 1945. Inactivated on 20 Jun 1946. Redesignated as 20 Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo, on 11 Mar 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 25 Jul 1947. Redesignated as 20 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo Mapping, on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951. Inactivated on 16 May 1951. Redesignated as 20 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet, on 14 Jan 1954. Activated on 18 Mar 1954. Redesignated as 20 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 Oct 1966. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Nov 1967. Redesignated as 20 Air Intelligence Squadron on 1 Jun 1992. Activated on 12 Jun 1992. Redesignated as 20 Intelligence Squadron on 1 Oct 1993.
Assignments. 4 Photographic (later, 4 Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; 4 Photographic) Group, 23 Jul 1942 (attached to 6 Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping [later 6 Photographic Reconnaissance; 6 Photographic] Group, from 17 Jun 1943); 6 Photographic (later 6 Reconnaissance) Group, 5 Dec 1943; 91 Reconnaissance Wing, 10 Nov 1945; V Bomber Command, 1 Dec 1945; 314 Composite Wing, 31 May-20 Jun 1946. 66 Reconnaissance Group, 25 Jul 1947; Tenth Air Force, 27 Jun 1949; 311 Air Division, 21 Jul 1949; Second Air Force, 1 Nov 1949-16 May 1951. 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 Mar 1954; 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Feb 1958 (attached to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Apr-17 May 1959); 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 May 1959; 2 Air Division, 12 Nov 1965 (attached to 6250 Combat Support Group, 12 Nov 1965-17 Feb 1966); 460 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 Feb 1966; 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 Sep 1966-1 Nov 1967. 480 Air Intelligence (later, 480 Intelligence) Group, 12 Jun 1992; Air Combat Command Combat Targeting and Intelligence Group, 2 Jun 2008; Air Force Targeting Center, 7 Dec 2009; 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, 17 Feb 2015-.
Stations. Colorado Springs, CO, 23 Jul 1942-7 Sep 1943; Sydney, Australia, 10 Oct 1943 (air echelon at Colorado Springs, CO, to c. 12 Oct 1943, and at Will Rogers Field, OK, 14 Oct 1943-26 Jan 1944); Brisbane, Australia, 23 Nov 1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 10 Dec 1943; Nadzab, New Guinea, 14 Feb 1944 (operated primarily from Biak after 7 Aug 1944); Biak, 3 Sep 1944; Dulag, Leyte, 15 Nov 1944 (operated from Biak to 22 Jan 1945, from Tacloban, Leyte, 25 Jan-23 Feb 1945, and from San Jose, Mindoro, 24 Feb-16 May 1945); Clark Field, Luzon, 17 May 1945; Okinawa, 4 Aug 1945; Yokota, Japan, 27 Oct 1945-20 Jun 1946 (operated from Tachikawa, Japan, Dec 1945-Apr 1946, and Johnson AB, Japan, Apr-20 Jun 1946). Newark AAB, NJ, 25 Jul 1947; Forbes AFB, KS, 21 Jul 1949; Barksdale AFB, LA, 10 Oct 1949-16 May 1951. Shaw AFB, SC, 18 Mar 1954 (operated from MacDill Field, FL, 21 Oct-30 Nov 1962); Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 12 Nov 1965; Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 1 Apr 1966-1 Nov 1967. Offutt AFB, NE, 12 Jun 1992-.
Aircraft. B-25, 1942; B-17, 1942-1943; B-24/F-7, 1943-1946. RF-80, 1954-1955; RF-84, 1955-1958; RF-101, 1957-1967.
Operations. Combat in Southwest Pacific and Western Pacific, 5 Apr 1944-18 Aug 1945. Photo-mapping of Japan, 15 Dec 1945-17 Jun 1946. Aerial surveillance of Soviet missile sites in Cuba, Oct-Nov 1962. Combat tactical reconnaissance in Southeast Asia, 1965-1967.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II : Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Ryukyus; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive; Vietnam Air; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Philippine Islands, 18-25 Sep 1944. Presidential Unit Citations: Vietnam, 1 Apr-31 Dec 1966; 18 Feb-18 Sep 1966. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jan-30 Jun 1967; 1 Jul-18 Sep 1967; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2003. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2007; 24 Feb-31 Dec 2011. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 23 Oct-24 Nov 1962; 1 Jan 1992-30 Sep 1993; 1 Jun 2001-31 May 2002. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award: 1 Oct 1993-30 Sep 1995. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-31 Oct 1967.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 8 Jul 2015.
Supersedes statement prepared on 5 Apr 2012.
Emblem. Approved on 7 Jul 1958; newest rendition approved on 1 Aug 2016.
Prepared by Daniel Haulman.