▁for ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁and ▁was ▁being ▁returned ▁to ▁state ▁control . ▁ ▁It ▁trained ▁at ▁Shaw ▁for ▁tact ical ▁air ▁reconna issance ▁miss ions in ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁deployment ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁Tre aty ▁Organ ization ▁( N AT O ). ▁ ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 5 3 ▁it ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁Lock he ed ▁R F - 8 0 A ▁Sho oting ▁Star ▁jet ▁aircraft ▁that ▁had ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁from ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁ 3 0 3 rd ▁deployed ▁via ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁route ▁to ▁S emb ach ▁Air ▁Base , ▁West ▁Germany , ▁where ▁it ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Forces ▁in ▁Europe ' s ▁Se vent e enth ▁Air ▁Force ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁squad ron ▁was ▁limited ▁in ▁its ▁miss ions ▁with ▁the ▁R F - 8 0 ▁because ▁its ▁plan es ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁more ▁modern ▁U H F ▁rad ios , ▁while ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁air ▁traffic ▁control ▁systems ▁in ▁Europe ▁were ▁only ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁V H F ▁communic ations ▁equipment , ▁although ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁this ▁began ▁to ▁change . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁arrival , ▁the ▁squad ron ▁was ▁assigned ▁the ▁mission ▁of ▁photo - mapping ▁the ▁Al pine ▁areas ▁of ▁Austria . ▁ ▁This ▁mission ▁had ▁some ▁ur gency , ▁because ▁American ▁military ▁occupation ▁forces ▁were ▁being ▁with dra wn ▁from ▁Austria ▁and ▁tact