The "Blackcats" nickname associated with the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron was started by the C.I.A Detachment H.  / 35th Squadron RoCAF. Det H flyers would frequent an establishment called the "Blackcats" in a nearby town. The name "Blackcats" soon became synonymous with the members of the U-2 Det. The original Blackcats patch was designed in 1961 by Lieutenant Colonel Chen who was shot down on 1 September 1962 while flying a mission over the Chinese mainland.  The C.I.A Det H/35 Squadron operations continued until 1974 when it was handed over the USAF. The name Blackcats was  preserved by Lt Col Dave Young who had as a pilot in the CIA's Project Idealist had done TDY at Taoyuan as the American pilot on call.  He assigned the name Blackcats to the new U-2 operation at Osan AB.

This is when personnel from the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and the 99th SRS at operating location UA, (OL-UA) U-Tapao Airfield Thailand, deployed to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea,  OL –AO

In September 1976, the 100th SRW was inactivated and OL-AO became Detachment 2 of the 9th SRW, All U-2 operations were consolidated along with the SR-71 at Beale AFB in California. The 9^th SRW was later renamed the 9^th Wing and as it came under ACC it was again renamed the 9^TH RW. During October 1994, Det 2 of the 9th RW became the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron.

The 5th Reconnaissance Squadron is a subordinate unit to the 9th Operations Group, 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, California.

The 5th Reconnaissance Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit at a forward operating location tasked with a real-world classified reconnaissance mission and under the operational control of United States Pacific Command.

The 5th RS flies highly sensitive reconnaissance missions, mainly supporting US forces in Korea. These missions are sanctioned by the National Command Authorities thru the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are approximately 200+ men and women assigned to the 5th RS. About a quarter of the squadron is composed of civilian contractors representing six corporations associated with the U-2 aircraft , support and means of reconnaissance. The squadron has three full time pilots and utilizes four to five TDY pilots from Beale AFB CA. The TDY pilots and Physiological Support Division personnel are on 60-75 day tours of duty. U-2 pilots spend an average of 140-180 days per year TDY at different U-2 detachments world-wide.

On 1st October 1990 the 5th RS deployed a Senior Year Electro -Optical Relay System ( SYERS ) equipped U-2 in support of Desert Shield / Storm.  This system was a 110 inch camera  focused on a CCD, and the images produced could be downloaded in near-real time to a ground station.   Initially called Operating Location - Camel Hump( OL-CH) it was later re-designated 1704 RS(  P)

Since 1976, surge operations have been conducted many times due to heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula this of course increased with the recent developments of North Korea test firing long range missiles into the Sea of Japan and as of October 2006 the reported testing of a nuclear device.