82nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

The 82nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was first activated during World War II in 1942, initially serving as a fighter squadron in the U.S. Army Air Forces. The unit saw action in the Mediterranean Theater, flying aircraft such as the P-38 Lightning and later the P-47 Thunderbolt in support of Allied operations. After the war, the squadron was reactivated several times during the Cold War, most notably as an air defense unit equipped with jet interceptors like the F-86 Sabre and F-101 Voodoo, tasked with protecting U.S. airspace from potential threats. The squadron was inactivated in 1968, concluding a distinguished service history spanning over two decades.