▁ 4 3 d ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Group ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁Bur ton wood , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁to ▁various ▁bases ▁in ▁West ▁Germany ▁as ▁a ▁" training ▁deployment ". ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁additional ▁B - 2 9 s ▁were ▁deployed ▁to ▁Bur ton wood ▁to ▁keep ▁up ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁training ▁programme . ▁This ▁so - called ▁training ▁programme ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁cover ▁story , ▁intended ▁to ▁conce al ▁their ▁actual ▁mission ▁i . e . ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁air ▁force ▁perman ently ▁station ed ▁in ▁Europe . ▁The ▁American ▁presence ▁continued ▁with ▁an ▁e ch el on ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁personnel ▁using ▁the ▁facility ▁as ▁a ▁maintenance ▁base ▁for ▁C - 5 4 ▁Sk ym aster s ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Airl ift . ▁ ▁On ▁ 7 ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁US AF ▁ 5 3 rd ▁We ather ▁Re con na issance ▁Squadron ▁began ▁operating ▁from ▁the ▁base ▁flying ▁initially ▁the ▁W B - 2 9 ▁then ▁W B - 5 0 D ▁Super fort ress , ▁having ▁been ▁transferred ▁from ▁Kind ley ▁Field , ▁B erm uda . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁collect ing ▁weather ▁data ▁that ▁was ▁transm itted ▁to ▁weather ▁stations ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁prepar ing ▁forec asts ▁required ▁for ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁Military ▁Air ▁Transport ▁Service ▁( M AT S ) ▁and ▁the ▁US ▁We ather ▁Bureau . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁R AF ▁Al con bury ▁in