The USAF’s 55th Wing has announced the activation of the 55th Operations Group Detachment 1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
While intended to be a small unit with no permanently assigned aircraft, it is said that this geographically separated division of the 55th Operations Group, headquartered at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, will provide Air Combat Command with an additional strategic launch and recovery point for RC-135 operations in the Indo-Pacific.
In recent years, the sole dedicated RC-135 operating location in the region has been with the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan. This unit has typically had the highest operations tempo in the 55th Wing, due to the intense geostrategic environment in the theatre. The establishment of the 55th OG Det.1 increases regional coverage and is the only one of its kind in the Arctic Circle.
