The 14th IS was activated Nov. 25, 1944, as the 9th Photo Technical Squadron at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma. It was assigned to Third Air Force initially, but it was reassigned Dec. 26, 1944, to III Tactical Air Division and sent to Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. In June 1945, they were assigned to Army Air Forces Pacific Ocean Area, and shortly thereafter, relocated to Piardoba, India. The 9th PTS was assigned to U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces in September 1945 and later to U.S. Air Forces, Middle Pacific, and then 20th Air Force. The 9th PTS was inactivated May 1, 1946.

Due to their World War II service, the 9th PTS was awarded the World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater Service Streamer. On Oct. 16, 1984, the 9th PTS was consolidated with the 70th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron that was originally activated Jan. 24, 1955, at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, where they stayed active until July 11, 1958. When these two squadrons were consolidated, the new merged squadron was redesignated as the 14th RTS but not activated. The 14th RTS while still inactive was redesignated March 19, 2014, as the 14th IS and activated April 17, 2014, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. They have an active-duty partnership with the 21st IS, which is part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.

The 16th IS was originally activated Nov. 1, 1954, as the 2016th Airways and Air Communications Service Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. It was assigned to the 1802nd Airways and Air Communications Service Group. The squadron was realigned under the North Atlantic Airways and Air Communications Service Region (which would later be called the North Atlantic Communications Region) April 21, 1961, with no other action. The squadron was redesignated as the 2016th Communications Squadron on July 1, 1961. The squadron was realigned under the Eastern Communications Region in July 1963, and then this assignment was changed to the Northern Communications Area on May 1, 1970. 

The squadron was realigned under the Airlift Communications Division on June 1, 1981. The squadron was redesignated as the 2016th CS on Nov. 1, 1986. The squadron was realigned under the 436th Military Airlift Wing, a C-5 airlift wing, Oct. 1, 1990, at Dover AFB. The 2016th would ultimately be inactivated on April 30, 1991. On March 19, 2014, they were redesignated as the 16th IS, but left in inactive status until April 17, 2014. They were then reactivated at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, and assigned to the 655th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group. The 16th IS has a classic association partnership with the 94th IS at Fort Meade. The 94th IS is a subordinate organization of the 70th ISR Wing, also located at Fort Meade.

The 23rd IS was activated Sept. 2, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The 23rd IS technically began as Detachment 1, 655th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, March 25, 2016. The formal activation ceremony was held at the Alamo in San Antonio on Sept. 8, 2017. The 23rd IS maintains a classic association partnership with the 390th Cyber Operations Squadron (COS) and 375th COS, both of which are subordinate organizations of the 67th Cyber Wing, JBSA.

The 49th IS was activated Aug. 1, 1951, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, as the 111th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron. It remained active until Jan. 1, 1953, when it was inactivated. It was re-designated as the 49th IS on March 19, 2014, while still inactive. It was then activated April 17, 2014, at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, in a ceremony that was not held until June 2014. The 49th IS was activated to support the 97th IS, which was a subordinate unit of the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB.

The 64th IS was constituted Aug. 19, 2013, and activated in the Reserve Sept. 15, 2013, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and assigned to the 655th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group. The 64th IS is the Air Force Reserve’s only vehicle for Human Intelligence collection. They directly support the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s Global Exploitation Group at Wright-Patterson AFB.

The 71st IS was activated Jan. 24, 1955, at Larson Air Force Base, Washington, as the 71st Reconnaissance Technical Squadron under the 71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. It remained active until July 1, 1957, when it was inactivated along with the rest of the 71st SRW. While still inactive, it was re-designated as the 71st IS on Aug. 19, 2013, and then reactivated in the Reserve Sept. 15, 2013, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. They maintain a classic association partnership with NASIC’s Multi-INT Operations Flight.

The 512th IS, formerly Detachment 2, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, was activated Sept. 20, 2017, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It was assigned to the 655th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group to support their active-duty partners with the 341st Cyber Operations Squadron and 315th COS, both co-located with them at Fort Meade. The 512th IS is one of two Air Force Reserve units whose primary mission is to augment the operations of U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force which plans, directs and synchronizes cyberspace operations intended to deter, disrupt and defeat cyber actors in defense of the nation.