691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group

The 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is a United States Air Force intelligence unit located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. It is assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing and executes operations that provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to national decision makers. Its mission also includes planning, programming, logistics and systems engineering expertise to execute cryptologic missions, along with community relations and public affairs initiatives within a multinational and multi-service environment. The group was first activated in June 1988 as the 691st Electronic Security Wing at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany. It replaced the 6910th Electronic Security Wing, absorbing that unit's personnel and equipment and assuming command of Electronic Security Command units in Germany. Working with the 66th Electronic Combat Wing, it integrated ESC assets and support forces into exercises, activities and war plans of United States Air Forces Europe and NATO. Two of its squadrons were inactivated in 1991, and the wing was inactivated in October 1991, with its remaining squadrons assigned to the 26th Intelligence Wing. The unit was redesignated the 691st Intelligence Group and reactivated at RAF Menwith Hill in January 2008, assuming the equipment and personnel of Detachment 1, 70th Intelligence Wing. At Menwith Hill it provided cryptologic liaison support to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's largest operational field site and maintained liaison activities for allied information operations. It was inactivated in September 2014, and its 451st Intelligence Squadron was reassigned directly to the 70th Wing. By 2015 the 707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group had grown larger than most wings, prompting a division that spun off three of its squadrons into a separate group. In May 2016 the 691st was activated again at Fort George G. Meade to assume responsibility for these units. It remains active there under the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.

The 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group traces its lineage to the 691st Electronic Security Wing, constituted on 21 June 1988 and activated on 15 July 1988 at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany. It replaced the 6910th Electronic Security Wing, absorbing that unit's personnel and equipment and assuming command of Electronic Security Command units in Germany. The wing worked with the 66th Electronic Combat Wing to integrate ESC's assets and support forces into the exercises, activities and war plans of United States Air Forces Europe and NATO. Its component squadrons in this period included the 6911th Electronic Security Squadron at Hahn Air Base, the 6913th Electronic Security Squadron at Flak Kaserne, the 6914th and 6919th Electronic Security Squadrons at Sembach Air Base, and the 6915th Electronic Security Squadron at Bad Aibling. In 1991, two of the wing's squadrons were inactivated, and in October 1991 the wing was inactivated and its remaining squadrons assigned to the 26th Intelligence Wing. The unit was redesignated the 691st Intelligence Group on 10 January 2008 and activated on 31 January 2008 at RAF Menwith Hill in the United Kingdom, assuming the equipment and personnel of Detachment 1, 70th Intelligence Wing. At Menwith Hill, the 691st Group provided cryptologic liaison support to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's largest operational field site, as well as maintaining liaison activities for allied information operations. It was redesignated the 691st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 1 January 2009. The group was inactivated on 15 September 2014, and its 451st Intelligence Squadron, which had been based at RAF Menwith Hill from 31 January 2008 to 15 May 2014, was reassigned directly to the 70th Wing. By 2015 the 707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group had expanded to the point that it was larger than most wings, and a division was made to spin off three of its squadrons into a separate group. On 5 May 2016, the 691st was activated again at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, to assume responsibility for these units. It remains assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, which had also been its parent during the Menwith Hill period. The group's mission is to execute operations providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to national decision makers, while providing planning, programming, logistics, and systems engineering expertise to execute cryptologic missions, in addition to promoting community relations and public affairs initiatives within a multinational and multi-service environment.

• Constituted as the 691st Electronic Security Wing.

• Activated at Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden, Germany.

• Inactivated; remaining squadrons assigned to the 26th Intelligence Wing.

• Redesignated the 691st Intelligence Group.

• Activated at RAF Menwith Hill, United Kingdom.

• Redesignated the 691st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group.

• Inactivated at RAF Menwith Hill; 451st Intelligence Squadron reassigned to the 70th Wing.

• Activated at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

United States Air Force cryptologic and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance unit supporting national decision makers and allied operations.

1. 1691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Groupen.wikipedia.org
2. 2691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Groupwikidata.org