New Reserve squadron prepares to stand-up Published June 3, 2014 By 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The 49th Intelligence Squadron, a new Reserve unit, will officially stand-up during a ceremony on June 21. The new Reserve squadron is a Classic Associate Unit and subordinate to the 655th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "We are very excited to get started," said Maj. Michael Sieg, who is currently the director of operations for the 49th IS. "Reservists are a key component to the total force and we look forward to being an integral part of Team Offutt." As a Reserve unit, the 49 IS' main mission is to support and supplement their associated active duty unit, the 97th Intelligence Squadron. "Since the 97th has such a high ops tempo, our flyers can deploy for their active duty counterparts to relieve pressure on the unit," Sieg said. "In addition, we will be able to backfill positions here at Offutt while their active duty counterparts are downrange." While this new unit is the first traditional reserve unit to support the RC-135 mission, Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentees and Nebraska Air National Guardsmen have actually been actively flying combat and combat support missions on the RC-135 since 1998. "Our intel specialists have been vital to fulfilling ISR requirements and tasking for 16 years now," Sieg said. "Previously they've been embedded as Individual Mobilization Augmentees within the 97 IS, but now they'll form the core of the 49 IS." The 49th will have 60 Reservist slots. This includes two officers and 49 enlisted members in Traditional Reserve positions as well as three officer and 6 enlisted members who will be full-time Air Reserve Technicians. "Currently we have filled 21 of our billets," Sieg said. "Over the next year we will work to fill the rest of our slots." The new Reserve unit will provide support to the same national-level customers as the 97th does. "Since our platform has so many capabilities just about anyone in the intelligence community is a potential customer," Sieg added. The 49 IS' lineage descends from the 111th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron. The 111th RTS was activated as part of the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on Aug 1, 1951. They conducted imagery analysis from RB-29 aircraft and were inactivated on Jan 1, 1953. "We're proud of this heritage and we look to add to it as we provide support to our customers around the world," Sieg said. The official ceremony will take place at the Patriot Club and the reception will be held at the 97th IS headquarters facility.