Hahn AB when the 50th switched to a strike-attack role, with air defense as a secondary mission. (Note: The EF-4C designation was not official. The aircraft were officially F-4C models). The 81st TFS, however remained a part of the 50th TFW but was detached from the wing's operational control and attached to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing for support. Squadron tail code for the 81st TFS was "ZS". In 1972, tail codes for all 86th TFW aircraft at Zweibrücken were standardized as "ZR", per AFM 66-1, when squadron tail codes were eliminated. On January 15, 1973, the 81st TFS was reassigned to Spangdahlem Air Base under operation "Battle Creek". The last of this variant of the Phantom returned to the USA in 1979/1980 and was replaced by the F-4G Wild Weasel at Spangdahlem. On the northern side of Zweibrücken was Kreuzberg Kaserne (Kreuzberg Barracks), home to the United States Army Materiel Command, Europe. 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing As part of operation "Creek Action", a command-wide effort to realign functions and streamline operations, HQ USAFE transferred the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from Ramstein Air Base to Zweibrücken, and the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing from Zweibrücken to Ramstein on January 31, 1973. Operational squadrons of the 26th TRW were: 7th Special Operations Squadron (C-130 Hercules, UH-1) 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-4C) (Red tail fin stripe) 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-4C) (Yellow tail fin stripe) Note: 7th SOS reported directly to HQ USAFE. 17th & 38th RF-4Cs carried tail code "ZR". For nearly five years the wing remained stable at Zweibrücken. Then on October 1, 1978, the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated with a single F-4D aircraft and assigned to the 26 TRW. USAFE planned on equipping the squadron with F-4Es, however, inadequate munitions storage compelled the command to reverse its decision and consequently reassigned the 417th TFS without personnel or equipment to the 86th TFW at Ramstein AB on November 1, 1978, being placed in not operational status. Later that month, on November 20, the 17 TRS was inactivated due to budgetary cutbacks leaving the 38 TRS as the wing's only in-place operational squadron. High-hour RF-4C aircraft were sent to AMARC, others were reassigned to the 38th TRS or to existing Bergstrom, Shaw, RAF Alconbury or Air National Guard squadrons. The mission of the 38 TRS was to collect tactical aerial imagery using an array of sensors mounted aboard the RF-4C