9th Intelligence Squadron

Mission

The 9th Intelligence Squadron (Air Combat Command), home to the “BASHR Eagles” located at Beale Air Force Base, California conducts 24/7 real-time Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations as a part of Distributed Ground Site-2 (DGS-2) in direct support of combat operations, national, DoD and Air Force leaders, key Coalition partners, and combatant commanders worldwide.  Capabilities within the Squadron include global command and control for the collection and Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) of ISR data from the U-2 Dragon Lady, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-9 Reaper with Gorgon Stare II, in addition to numerous other theater ISR assets, utilizing the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) weapon system.  The Squadron is the sole DoD unit responsible for deployed Optical Bar Camera (OBC) operations through the employment of the Deployable Shelterized System-Film (DSS-F).  Finally, the squadron is responsible for OBC film PED and digitization through the Broad Area Synoptic High Resolution system also known as BASHR (pronounced Basher) for imagery derived from OBC aerial film.

History

The 9th Intelligence Squadron and its BASHR Eagle Airmen trace their origins from the 9th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (RTS) which was active from 1949 to 1991.  During this period, the 9th RTS was responsible for programming the flight track and cameras on-board the SR-71 Blackbird and then processed, developed and exploited aerial film from the legendary Blackbird.  The 9 RTS would eventually also support the U-2 Dragon Lady and the OBC mission.  In 1991 the Squadron was re-designated as the 9th Intelligence Support Squadron (ISS). In 2003, the 9th ISS was realigned under the 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (also known as DGS-2) and re-named the 9th Intelligence Squadron as part of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing based at Langley AFB, VA.  Today, BASHR Eagles are “9 IS …Intel’s Best!”

Organization

The Squadron is broadly organized into six flights with more than 320 ISR warrior Airmen: four medium altitude exploitation flights, one OBC processing and exploitation flight, one standards and evaluation flight and a commander’s support staff.

(Current as of September 2016)