6th STRATEGIC RECONNAISSANCE WING
The 6th SRW was activated n 2 January
1951 as the 6th Bomb Wing, Medium, redesignated as 6th Bomb Wing, Heavy on 16
June 1952, redesignated as 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 May 1962 and as 6th
Strategic Wing on 25 March 1967 and to 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1
April 1988. It was inactivated on 1 September 1992 and later redesignated as 6th
Air Base Wing and 6th Air Refueling Wing and today is equipped with KC-135s
flying out of MacDill AFB, FL. On 25 March 1967 the wing moved without personnel
and equipment to Eielson AFB, AK where it replaced the 4157th Strategic Wing and
assumed resources and missions of that wing. The wing flew RC-135 missions with
the 24th SRS and maintained a detachment at Shemya AFB, AK. From Feb-May 1975
and Jun-Sep 76 the 6th SRW with the 24th SRS operated out of Shemya AFB while
Eielson was closed for repair of earthquake damage. The wing won the P.T. Cullen
Award for greatest contributions to the photo and signal intelligence efforts of
Strategic Air Command in 1973, 1978 and 1983. It also received numerous AF
Outstanding Unit Awards. The 24th SRS left Eielson AFB on 7 July 1992, therefore
the wing lost its operational mission and later inactivated. The emblem was
initially approved for the 6th Group on 22 January 1924, adopted by the 6th Wing
on 18 March 1955 and replaced by emblem approved on 21 October 1980. The
original emblem was reinstated in 20 Sept 1988. Information courtesy of the
AFHRC, Maxwell AFB web site, covering the 6th ARW.
Shown here is the emblem with the pirate's head on top of the 3" sized shield. The subdued version I have in my collection shows only the shield shaped patch but not the pirate's head. Patch is taken from Andy Hunold's personal collection. (6srw1.jpg)
