Observe, report with deadly effect: 97 IS moves into new home

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Danielle Grannan
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  More than 200 people from across Team Offutt and the local communities celebrated the opening of a new home for the 97th Intelligence Squadron at a ceremony June 29.

The new 54,000 square foot building is primarily a special compartmented information facility and boasts six dedicated classified classrooms, unclassified conference and meeting rooms and training and testing areas to support the squadron's approximately 850 personnel. It's also the base's second Silver Level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green building.

"The magnificent structure you see behind me today is the culmination of years of planning by many professionals dedicated to providing that state of the art facility to the squadron personnel who will now call it home," said 1st Lt. Joel Houseman, the 55th Communications Squadron executive officer and master of ceremonies for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The 97th IS, which was named the Air Force's Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Unit of the Year in 2009, has tripled in size since 1976 and is now the largest flying squadron in the Air Force.

"You invest so much in your training, so much in your education, we ask so much of you when you fly overseas... and we haven't given you the facilities you deserve over the course of the last decade," said Brig. Gen. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander.

"It took awhile to do it," the general continued, "and I think the groundbreaking was just about two years ago in May 2008. But the process started well before that with a variety of commanders from across Team Offutt who decided we needed something better for the 97th."

After the 55th Wing, the 8th Air Force and Air Combat Command signed off on the proposed project, the base received military construction money to the tune of almost $24 million, said General Shanahan.

Opening a military construction project like this is a once-in-a-career event said Lt. Col. Shane Smith, the 97th IS commander. But the 97th is in the midst of seeing out three of these types of events, including the stand up of an entirely new squadron, "and oh, by the way, we're still carrying out our combat mission ... (and we are) on pace to fly some 20,000 combat missions this year," Colonel Smith said. "If you can't be proud of that on a day like today, then your proud meter is busted."

The new building will provide a large classified administrative space and dedicated training space for the unit to deliver qualified and motivated cryptologic linguists, analysts and signals experts for aerial reconnaissance operations during all phases of combat, according to the ceremony's program.

"The 97th goes all the way back to August 1917," said Colonel Smith. "It was stood up on Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, which is the present location of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. Throughout World War I, World War II and the Cold War, the 97th, in all its various numerical designations and all the various locations it's been at, has faithfully served this country."

That history is honored inside the squadron's new home with the original patch and logo hanging on the wall across from the current one.

According to Colonel Smith, they have stood the test of time.

"Since 1917, the basic tenet of observation aviation remains in place, and that is to 'observe and report with deadly affect,'" said Colonel Smith, quoting the squadron's original mission statement. "That's been the mission for 93 years, and that will very soon be the mission that is carried out behind those doors for many decades into the future."