Lineage. Constituted 82 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 13 Jan 1942. Activated on 9 Feb 1942. Redesignated: 82 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 22 Apr 1942; 82 Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942; 82 Fighter Squadron on 1 Mar 1943. Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945. Redesignated 82 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine c. Jul 1946. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 82 Fighter Squadron, Jet c. Nov 1948; 82 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950. Inactivated on 31 May 1971. Redesignated 82 Flying Training Squadron on 14 Apr 1972. Activated on 1 Dec 1972. Inactivated on 15 Jun 1976. Redesignated 82 Tactical Aerial Target Squadron on 17 Jun 1981. Activated on 1 Jul 1981. Redesignated: 82 Tactical Aerial Targets Squadron on 30 Sep 1982; 82 Aerial Targets Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.
Assignments. 78 Pursuit (later, 78 Fighter) Group, 9 Feb 1942-18 Oct 1945. 78 Fighter (later, 78 Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 20 Aug 1946; 4703 Defense Wing, 6 Feb 1952; 4704 Defense Wing, 13 Mar 1952; 4702 Defense Wing, 16 Feb 1953; 65 Air Division, 1 Apr 1953; Iceland Air Defense Force, 8 Mar 1954; 528 Air Defense Group, 25 Oct 1954; 28 Air Division, 18 Aug 1955 (attached to 78 Fighter Group, 18 Oct 1956-1 Jul 1960); San Francisco Air Defense Sector, 1 Jul 1960; Portland Air Defense Sector, 1 Aug 1963 (attached to 51 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 17 Feb 1966); 26 Air Division, 1 Apr 1966 (remained attached to 51 Fighter-Interceptor Wing to 25 Jun 1966); 51 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 25 Jun 1966-31 May 1971 (attached to 314 Air Division, 30 Jan-20 Feb 1968). 78 Flying Training Wing, 1 Dec 1972-15 Jun 1976. 325 Fighter Weapons Wing, 1 Jul 1981; 475 (later, 53) Weapons Evaluation Group, 15 Oct 1983-.
Components. Detachments: Det 1: 15 Apr 1993-.
Stations. Baer Field, IN, 9 Feb 1942; Muroc, CA, 30 Apr 1942; San Diego, CA, 8 May 1942; March Field, CA, 3-10 Nov 1942; Goxhill, England, 1 Dec 1942; Duxford, England, 1 Apr 1943-11 Oct 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 16-18 Oct 1945. Straubing AAB, Germany, 20 Aug 1946-25 Jun 1947; Mitchel Field, NY, 25 Jun 1947; Hamilton AFB, CA, 24 Nov 1948; Larson AFB, WA, 6 Feb 1952-7 Mar 1953; Keflavik Aprt, Iceland, 1 Apr 1953-Oct 1954; Presque Isle AFB, ME, 22 Oct 1954; Travis AFB, CA, 18 Aug 1955-25 Jun 1966 (deployed at Naha AB, Okinawa, 17 Feb-24 Jun 1966); Naha AB, Okinawa, 25 Jun 1966-31 May 1971 (deployed at Suwon AB, South Korea, 30 Jan-20 Feb 1968). Webb AFB, TX, 1 Dec 1972-15 Jun 1976. Tyndall AFB, FL, 1 Jul 1981-.
Commanders. Unkn, 9 Feb-May 1942; Lt Col Harry J. Dayhuff, May 1942; Lt Col Jack J. Oberhansley, 8 Aug 1943; Capt James W. Wilkinson, 20 May 1944; Capt William A. Guilfoyle, 4 Jun 1944; Lt Col Ben I. Mayo Jr., 8 Jun 1944; Maj Norman D. Munson, 13 Jul 1944; Capt Charles R. Clark, 19 Jul 1944; Maj Richard E. Conner, 3 Aug 1944; Maj Joseph Myers, 2 Dec 1944; Maj Harry L. Downing, 3 Dec 1944; Maj Richard E. Conner, 17 Feb 1945; Maj Harry L. Downing, 1 Mar 1945; Maj Richard E. Conner, 10 Mar 1945; Capt Richard A. Hewitt, 20 Mar 1945; Maj Richard E. Conner, 10 May 1945; Maj Richard A. Hewitt, 12 May 1945; Lt Col Richard E. Conner, 30 Jun 1945-Sep 1945; unkn, Sep-18 Oct 1945. Maj Ray M. Hilliard, 20 Aug 1946-4 Jun 1947; none (not manned), 5 Jun 1947-7 Dec 1948; Maj George I. Ruddell, c. 8 Dec 1948; Lt Col Converse B. Kelly, Jun 1949; Maj Earl O. Smith, Sep 1949; Lt Col A. T. House Jr., Sep 1949; Lt Col Walter G. Benz Jr., c. Jun 1950; Maj William O. Belton, 7 Aug 1952; Lt Col Ernest B. Nuckols Jr., 7 Oct 1952; Lt Col John L. Elder Jr., 5 Mar 1954; Lt Col W. R. Hardee Jr., c. 1955; Lt Col Joseph H. Perry, 18 Aug 1955; Lt Col Roy L. Meeker, c. Aug 1956; Maj Franklin C. Crain, Jul 1957; Lt Col John H. Rogers, 14 Oct 1958; Lt Col Allan S. Harte Jr., c. Apr 1961; Col Richard A. Williams, 16 Jul 1963; Lt Col Herbert L. Byers, 25 Jun 1966; Lt Col Donald E. Ray, 27 Aug 1968; Col Howard L. LaBeau Jr., 14 Feb 1969; Lt Col Verne B. Hildebrant, 1 May 1970-31 May 1971. Lt Col George D. Courington, 1 Dec 1972; Lt Col Edmund H. Crandall, 30 Sep 1974; Lt Col Arthur K. Shumate, 29 May 1975; Lt Col David S. Penniman, 29 Mar-c. 15 Jun 1976. Lt Col Jimmy P. Rhodes, 1 Jul 1981; Lt Col Bruce A. Sanders, 7 Oct 1981; Lt Col Vibert L Strock Jr., 10 Jun 1983; Lt Col Michael F. Gaines, 12 Jul 1985; Lt Col Charles S. Hood, 15 Jul 1987; Lt Col William D. Boss, 16 Oct 1989; Lt Col Ronald W. VanOrne Jr., 14 Oct 1991; Lt Col Kevin M. Grady, 12 Oct 1993; Lt Col David R. Brown, 25 Aug 1995; Lt Col Matthew J. LaCourse, 3 Jul 1997; Lt Col Randolph W. Chow, 11 Jun 1999; Lt Col Vincent M. Ferrell, 8 Jun 2000-.
Aircraft. P-38, 1942-1943; P-47, 1943-1944; P-51, 1944-1945. F-84, 1949-1952; F-51, 1949-1951; F-94, 1952-1954; F-89, 1954-1955; F-86, 1955-1958; F-102, 1957-1971. T-37, 1972-1976. F-101, 1981-1982; PQM-102, 1981-1984; QF-102, 1981-1984; QF-100, 1983-1993; QF-106, 1991-1996; QF-4, 1996-.
Operations. Combat in the ETO, 13 Apr 1943-25 Apr 1945. Training, maneuvers, and air defense, Apr-Sep 1945. Part of the occupation forces in Germany, Aug 1946-Jun 1947. Air defense in United States, Jan 1949-Mar 1953 and Oct 1954-Feb 1966. Air defense in Iceland, Apr 1953-Oct 1954, Japan, Feb 1966-Mar 1971, and Korea, Jan-Feb 1968. Flying training, 1972-1976. Flew aerial targets (full-scaled aircraft retired from the Air Force Inventory and reduced scale drones), 1981-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Holland, 17-23 Sep 1944; Czechoslovakia, 16 Apr 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 9 Sep 1965-28 Feb 1966; 15 Feb-31 Dec 1966; 1 Jan 1969-31 Dec 1970; 1 Jul 1981-31 Mar 1983; 1 May 1984-30 Apr 1986; 1 Jan 1994-31 May 1995; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award: 1 Jan 1992-31 Dec 1993.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 31 Dec 2001.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 2001.
Supersedes statement prepared on 30 Jun 1981.
Emblem. Approved on 15 Mar 1951.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.
Approved by Judy G. Endicott.