Hank Birkdale

The 6912th Security Squadron was a United States Air Force unit activated during the Cold War era, primarily tasked with signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electronic surveillance operations. Established in 1961, the squadron was stationed at Tempelhof Central Airport in Berlin, Germany, serving as a critical component of U.S. and NATO intelligence efforts in monitoring Soviet and Eastern Bloc activities. The unit played a significant role in intercepting and analyzing communications, contributing valuable intelligence during periods of heightened tension, including the Berlin Crisis and throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The 6912th Security Squadron was eventually inactivated in 1975 as part of a broader reorganization of USAF intelligence assets in Europe.