The Geodetic Survey Squadron is having another reunion this summer in Cheyenne, Wyoming, home of the headquarters of this unit for many years. The reunion will be held at the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne, Friday-Sunday, June 26-28.
This reunion will be special, as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of this unique and distinguished military organization on July 1, 1959. Originally part of the USAF’s 1370th Photomapping Wing, the Squadron went through several evolutions in its name and organizational relationships, finally ending up as part of the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). Never a very large organization, it retained its unique status as a one-of-a-kind, lean, can-do unit of smart and dedicated people, a mix of military and civilian technical staff, who provided critical geospatial information for defense and intelligence needs anywhere in the world. The Squadron was on call to carry out state-of-the-art geodetic surveys on short notice, and its adventurous field personnel spent much of their time deployed on missions lasting from a few days to many months, often in remote locations.
The Hq moved from Orlando to Cheyenne in 1965, where it remained until it was disestablished in 1993 following the end of the Cold War. The Hq unit was also supported by a handful of small detachments around the country, primarily dedicated to supporting the positioning and navigation requirements for the ICBMs scattered throughout the mid-continent, as well as the important launch sites at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg AFB on the coasts. The Squadron’s functions were taken over by the Geodesy & Geophysics operation within DMA, and today are carried on by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). (See the website designed by Harly Pitt <www.geocities.com/harlyd13/ > providing an interesting overview of the Squadron’s history.)
Contact info:
Garrett R. Moore
6406 Stonehaven Ct.
Clifton, VA 20124
703-266-3293
garrettmoore@verizon.net