82d Reconnaissance Squadron

82d Reconnaissance Squadron
82d Reconnaissance Squadron Patch
Active	1 June 1937 – 1 April 1949 24 January 1955 – 1 July 1957 25 August 1967 – 30 September 1976 2 October 1991 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance and Surveillance
Size	4 RC 135W rivet joint aircraft
Part of	Air Combat Command 12th Air Force 55th Wing 55th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Kadena Air Base
Decorations	DUC AFOUA w/ V Device PPUC RVGC w/ Palm

The 82d Reconnaissance Squadron (82 RS) is part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It is geographically separated from the 55th, operating out of Kadena Air Base, Japan. The squadron operates RC-135 aircraft flying reconnaissance missions.

The 82d flew antisubmarine patrols off the California coast from, 8 December 1941 – 16 August 1942. It then went on to fly combat sorties in the Southwest and Western Pacific from 27 November 1943 – 15 August 1945.

On 11 January, 1945, while flying an F-6D Mustang on an armed reconnaissance mission over northern Luzon in the Philippines, Captain William A. Shomo, the squadron commander at the time, sighted a Japanese formation of twelve fighters escorting a bomber. He attacked and succeeded in shooting down the bomber and six of the fighters while his wingman, Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb, shot down three more fighters. Shomo was awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.

The squadron flew strategic reconnaissance over Southeast Asia from, August 1967-March 1973.