as it had been dropping bombs at high altitude during World War II. Assigned SA-16s were tasked to fly classified courier missions throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, and southern Europe. The amphibian aircraft proved to be versatile and on several occasions was tasked to fly extremely sensitive missions, including ones into the Balkans behind the so-called Iron Curtain and into southern Russia. Operating out of Tehran, Iran, in March 1956, an SA-16 penetrated Soviet airspace at low-level altitude en route to a night amphibious exfiltration from the Caspian Sea. The mission went as planned, resulting in the successful exfiltration of a man, woman, and two children. The family was flown directly to a water rendezvous in the Mediterranean Sea and from there transferred to an awaiting ship. In September 1953, after the Korean Armistice was signed that ended active conflict on the Korean peninsula and three months before inactivation of the ARCS, the three active wings were reduced to air resupply groups. The downsized 580th ARG was approximately one-half the size of the former wing and consisted of two squadrons – one flying squadron and one support squadron. Headquarters Seventeenth Air Force, dated 12 October 1956, inactivated the 580th ARG in place in Libya. Lineage 480th Antisubmarine Group Constituted as the 480th Antisubmarine Group (Separate) on 19 June 1943 Activated on 21 June 1943 Disbanded on 29 January 1944 Reconstituted and consolidated with the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing as the 480th Special Operations Wing 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing Constituted as the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 15 March 1951 Activated on 16 April 1951 Inactivated on 8 September 1953 Consolidated with the 480th Antisubmarine Group as the 480th Special Operations Wing Consolidated Unit Designated 480th Special Operations Wing on 31 July 1985 Redesignated 480th Intelligence Wing on 23 October 2003 Activated on 1 December 2003 Redesignated as 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing on 1 January 2009. Assignments Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (later I Bomber Command), 21 June 1943 (attached to Northwest African Coastal Air Force, 21 June – 25 July 1943, Northwest African Air Service Command, 26 July – 22 August 1943, XII Fighter Command, 23 August – November 1943) Under operational control of US Navy Fleet Air Wing 15, 21 June 1943 – unknown) Second Air Force, c. 1 January 1944 – 29 January 1944 Air Resupply and Communications Service, 16