9th FMS

The 9th Field Maintenance Squadron (9th FMS) was an integral support unit assigned to the United States Air Force, most notably at Beale Air Force Base, California. Activated in the 1950s, the 9th FMS provided essential aircraft maintenance, repair, and logistical support for the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, including the U-2 and later the SR-71 Blackbird high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The squadron’s expert personnel ensured the operational readiness of some of America’s most advanced reconnaissance platforms throughout the Cold War. In the 1990s, the unit was inactivated as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization, with its functions integrated into consolidated maintenance groups.