The High Rollers Had Themselves a Great Time Just Doing a Little Showing Off
The 192nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS) High Rollers of the Nevada Air National Guard (ANG) stood up and became operational in 1961. Originally equipped with Martin RB-57G Canberras, the High Rollers provided tactical reconnaissance for 34 years. They were placed on alert during the 1961 Berlin Crisis and 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, but not deployed. In 1965, the squadron received their first McDonnell RF-101 Voodoos, which they would fly for the next ten years. In 1968, the High Rollers were called up and deployed in support of the surge that occurred as a result of the Pueblo Crisis.
Vagabond Unit Earns Outstanding Unit Award
The 192nd rolled up some frequent flyer miles during their year of active duty, deploying to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, North Africa and some 18 Air Force Bases (AFBs) within the United States. As a result of their outstanding efforts, the High Rollers became only the second unit awarded the 5th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
[youtube id=”9khQr1iOPfs” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]
(Video posted on YouTube by F4Flys)
The 192nd TRS began operating the RF-4C Phantom II in 1975. The 192nd operated the Photo Phantom for the next twenty years. During this period, the High Rollers deployed to the Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The squadron was based out of Doha International Airport in Qatar and flew 350 combat sorties totaling more than 1000 combat hours with no losses. The 192nd was instrumental in the determination of locations and dispositions of the Iraqi Republican Guard units in the desert. Baghdad was also a frequent destination where the cameras sought out chemical weapons plants, rocket fuel plants, and command and communications centers.
Later, the RF-4Cs of the High Rollers were tasked with Scud hunting as the Iraqis began lobbing the missiles from remote, hidden, or temporary sites all over western Iraq. The Desert Storm take from the 192nd totaled over 19,000 prints from 300,000 feet of exposed film. After Desert Storm concluded, the 192nd TRS came home and was slowly but steadily retired from ANG service.
The last four High Rollers RF-4C Phantom IIs, combat veterans all, and the last operational RF-4Cs in the entire Air Force, were flown from their Reno Air National Guard Base facility at Reno-Tahoe International Airport to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona during September of 1995. Thanks go to YouTuber F4Flys for uploading the videos.
RELATED: What Made The Phabulous F-4 Phantom So Special to Phantom Phanatics All Over The World?
BONUS Video: The 192nd flies a 4-ship over the Nevada landscape. This video includes radio calls.
[youtube id=”-dhj9sz8hEo” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]
Awesome footage, brings back lots of memories. I served with the 12th tactical recon squadron at Bergstrom AFB Tx. 79 to 83. We flew the RF4Cs, love that bird. Went to Reno in 81 for red flag.
I’m pretty sure that this footage was shot to support the production of a documentary feature called, “Phantom”, produced by Skyfire, copywrite 1997. The feature was intended to commemorate the retirement of this squadron and unit. Some really fantastic fly-bys and air-to-air sequences herein. I was an aircraft electrician at Bergstrom AFB from Feb 1971 until April 1974. We had three squadrons of RF-4C’s there. Initially I was assigned to the 4th TRS when I got there, but we later transitioned to the organizational maintenance concept, so I ended up in 67th OMS until my tour ended. I never got tired of being around these aircraft. I miss the smell of the jet fuel and the moan of the engines at their middling thrust settings. It was fun. I’ve been an aviation freak since I was 8 so this assignment was like being on an extended vacation. Thanks for posting this.
I think it’s the 152 TAC not 192
It was the 192 TRS
Loved photo recon phantoms F4B’s VMCJ 1,2,3 1970 -74
I was there in 75 loved every minute of sweat spent on that beautiful AC