One path follows the unit designator which provided operational support to flying units in Europe during the Cold War, while the other more closely follows the current mission — providing broad- based intelligence infrastructure and services focused in the National Capital Region.
Growing from the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group stood up Oct. 1, 1967, and headquartered at Schierstein Administrative Offices in West Germany.
Charged with processing and interpreting reconnaissance imagery, the 497th RTG served under the United States Air Forces Europe providing intelligence to the European Command and the U. S. commander in chief Europe, Allied Command Europe and U. S. intelligence agencies. At various periods, the 497th RTG had the following subordinate units:
July 1, 1991, the unit moved to RAF Molesworth, England, to form the basis of the USEUCOM's Joint Analysis Center. One year later the unit and designator were inactivated. Across the Atlantic, another part of the unit's history was being writ-ten. In 1971, the Secretary of the Air Force directed the realignment of Air Staff operating and support functions to other organizations.
As a means of continuing the original intelligence mission, the Air Force Intelligence Service was established June 27, 1972, as a separate operating agency with headquarters in Washington, D. C., to provide specialized services to the Air Force and its commanders. In 1988, AFIS became the Air Force Intelligence Agency. In 1991, the agency underwent a large functional reorganization, reflecting changing world situations and budgetary realities. This resulted in a reduced mission, a new name — the Air Force Intelligence Support Agency and a new status as a field operating agency.
The agency was deactivated and its mission was assumed by the newly activated 497th IG, subordinate to AIA, Oct. 1, 1993.
The unit is a multiple recipient of both the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Air Force Organiza-tional Excellence Award.
Throughout the restructuring, the 497th IG retained its unique role of providing planning, policy implemen-tation and functional management support to the Air Force Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Recon-naissance, Air Staff offices and other Department of Defense and Joint customers in Washington, D. C., and around the world.
IND bridges both national and tactical communities to ensure archi-tectures, policies, standards and systems facilitate the flow of intelligence from national to tactical unit levels. IND advises the Air Force Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Recon-naissance on programs and policies.
The Operations Applications Directorate, located at the Skyline Office Building Complex in Northern Virginia, provides targeting, threat assessments and forecasts, geospatial support and intelligence infrastructure to weapon system acquisitions.
INO directly influences the numerous moving map displays, mensurated coordinates, vertical obstruction/ terrain elevation data, and databases in the realm of mapping, charting, geodesy and targeting.
Located at the Pentagon and Bolling, the Security and Communication Management Directorate man-ages the Air Force Special Compartmented Intelligence and collateral clearances, conducts all security clearances adjudications for the Air Force, security management, oversight, document dissemination and personal security administration for the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, as well as the automated information systems program. Personnel, Mission Support and Plans, Programs, and Policy Support Staff, also located at Bolling, provides mission support planning, personnel, and information to over 600 person-nel assigned to the Air Force Intelli-gence community in the NCR.
With the relocation of operations to RAF Molesworth and the assump-tion of a larger theater- level analysis role, the 497th RTG became the Joint Analysis Center. In order to preserve the proud heritage established by the 497th RTG, the Air Force Intelligence Support Agency was redesignated the 497th IG Oct. 1, 1993. In the Spring of 1994, a new emblem was presented to the chief of staff of the Air Force for approval, in order to comply with Air Force guide-lines on emblem designs, as well as to reflect the mission of the 497th.
The entire 497th IG emblem rep-resents the Group's function in sup-port of United States Air Force Intel-ligence.
The key represents AIA's efforts to unlock the secrets of protagonists worldwide, with the teeth on the ward representing the various disci-plines of intelligence gathering — SIGINT, HUMINT, IMAGERY and MASINT. The compass, rose and sunburst background are common components of other intelligence agency emblems and indicate that the 497th is part of the larger intelligence community. The red rose suggests a relation-ship to warfare, while the rose in mid- bloom suggests the growth, his-tory and future intelligence.
The rose in mid- bloom also rep-resents "sub- rosa," the ancient cus-tom of hanging a rose over a confer-ence table to indicate that all present were sworn to secrecy. Sub- rosa is also identified with clandestine activ-ity and has traditional ties to British and Army intelligence.
The position of the globe, with the compass over- lay signifies the worldwide impact of our mission on the intelligence community. The lo-cation of the rose, with the compass providing a sunburst background re-flects strength and energy.