318th Cyberspace Operations Group emblem (approved 1 August 2011)[1]
Military unit
The 318th Cyberspace Operations Group is a United States Air Force information operations unit located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The group was first activated during World War II as the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. After training in the United States, the unit moved to the China-Burma-India Theater and engaged in hostilities until the end of the war. It returned to the United States in November 1945, and was inactivated at the port of embarkation.
The group was disbanded in 1947, but was reestablished in 1985 as the 318th Electronic Warfare Group, being renumbered to fit the Air Force's policy of numbering its operational groups and wings in a single series. It was activated in 2000 as the 318th Information Operations Group and received its current name in 2013.
Mission
The mission of the 318th Group is to be an information warfare group, training and integrating advanced tactics, technologies, and tools arming America's warfighters with decisive information warfare combat power.[2]
The squadron tests, evaluates and assesses cyberspace capabilities for operational forces, national agencies, the acquisition community and Department of Defense agencies.[2]
History
World War II
The group was first activated at Peterson Field, Colorado as the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group on 1 October 1943, but was redesignated the 8th Photographic Group little more than a week later. Before the end of the month, group headquarters had moved to Gainesville Army Air Field, Texas. The group had no flying squadrons assigned,[note 1] and its personnel were trained to provide photographic intelligence for air and ground forces. In February 1944, the group headquarters left the United States for the China-Burma-India Theater.[8]
F-5 Lightnings of the 40th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
Group headquarters arrived in India at the end of March 1944, and in April established itself at Bally Seaplane Base. There it was assigned operational squadrons for the first time on 25 April:[8]
Each of these squadrons maintained detachments of various sizes in India, Burma, and China and did not operate in squadron strength from a single base.[12]
In July 1944, the 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron arrived in theater and its F-5 Lightnings were stationed at Guskhara Airfield.[13] The group's squadrons conducted photographic reconnaissance, photographic mapping, and visual reconnaissance missions. The products the group created included maps, mosaics, terrain models, and target charts of areas in Burma, China, French Indochina and Thailand. Group aircraft conducting armed reconnaissance missions bombed and strafed enemy installations and occasionally provided fighter escort for bombers.[8]
Shortly before the war's end, in June 1945, the group was redesignated the 8th Reconnaissance Group. It remained in India after V-J Day. Group headquarters and most elements departed in October 1945, while the 9th Squadron briefly remained behind in India. Upon arrival at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, the port of embarkation, the group was inactivated. It was disbanded on 6 March 1947.[1] In 1985, the group was reconstituted and redesignated the 318th Electronic Warfare Group, but was never active under that designation.[1]
Cyberspace operations
The group was redesignated the 318th Information Operations Group and reactivated in August 2000.[1] The unit took the lead in developing information operations techniques, tactics and procedures for use by the combat air forces and other agencies.
The group assumed its current designation in September 2013.[1]
Lineage
Constituted as the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group on 15 September 1943
Activated on 1 October 1943
Redesignated 8th Photographic Group, Reconnaissance on 9 October 1943
Redesignated 8th Reconnaissance Group on 15 June 1945
inactivated on 5 November 1945
Disbanded on 6 March 1947
Reconstituted and redesignated 318th Electronic Warfare Group on 31 July 1985
Redesignated 318th Information Operations Group on 17 July 2000
Activated on 1 August 2000
Redesignated 318th Cyberspace Operations Group on 13 September 2013[1]
^Maurer lists the 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron as assigned in World War II Combat Squadrons of the USAF, pp. 165-166. However, neither Maurer in Combat Units of the Air Force in World War II, nor Lacomia list the 34th as assigned to the group, and the squadron was stationed at Will Rogers Field at the pertinent time, not with group headquarters at Gainesville.
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United States
United States Air Force
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