The squadron was activated at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; then was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (established in 1954) in 1962, for its support of reconnaissance operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRW was transferred to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In the autumn of 1962, the pilots of the 363d played a major part in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Utilizing their RF-101s for low-altitude photo-reconnaissance missions, they helped identify and track activities at Cuban missile sites, airfields, and port facilities. In awarding the wing the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its achievements, President John F. Kennedy said, "You gentlemen have contributed as much to the security of the United States as any group of men in our history." It was established in 1954 and was the first independent Air Force decoration created (to this point, Air Force personnel were routinely awarded Army decorations). 
