[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE 55TH WING 85TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2025

  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 85th birthday 
of the 55th Wing, the ``Fightin' Fifty-Fifth'', headquartered at Offutt 
Air Force Base in Nebraska. This Air Force organization is home to the 
thousands of men and women who dedicate their lives to providing global 
vigilance as a vital part of America's national defense. I am proud to 
count myself as a member of the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth, having served 
four tours of duty with the Wing and had the honor of serving as its 
commander from 2011 to 2012.
  The 55th Wing traces its lineage back to the 55th Pursuit Group which 
was first constituted in November of 1940 and later activated at 
Hamilton Field, California, in January of 1941. The 55th deployed to 
England in 1943 flying P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft 
as part of the ``Mighty'' Eighth Air Force. While providing escort for 
allied bombing missions during World War II, the 55th Pursuit Group 
earned two Distinguished Unit Citations, produced 16 fighter aces, and 
was credited with 90 air-to-air victories.
  After World War II, in 1946, the group was deactivated, only to be 
reactivated less than a year later as the 55th Reconnaissance Group 
under the Strategic Air Command. By 1950, it would be designated the 
55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, and in 1952 it was assigned to 
Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas, operating the RB-50 
Stratofortress and later the RB-47E Stratojet. During the Cold War, 
Airmen of the 55th Wing routinely conducted high-risk and politically 
sensitive reconnaissance missions along the frontiers of the Soviet 
Union, with frequent and sometimes deadly interactions with Soviet 
fighter aircraft.
  In August of 1966, the 55th Wing moved to Offutt Air Force Base, 
Nebraska, where it proudly resides to this day. During the height of 
the Cold War, the Wing took on nuclear command and control and 24/7 
airborne alert missions flying the EC-135 Looking Glass and later, the 
E-4 National Emergency Airborne Command Post.
  The Wing pivoted again after the fall of the Soviet Union, and in 
1990 deployed its RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft to the Middle East in 
support of Operation Desert Shield. Within a year, they would pivot to 
Operation Desert Storm, followed by Operation Southern Watch and later 
the Global War on Terror, providing real-time information for tactical 
forces, theater commanders, and national decision makers in what is 
believed to be the longest continuous deployment for a unit in U.S. 
military history.
  Today, the 55th Wing is the largest wing in Air Combat Command, 
comprised of 6 groups, 31 squadrons, and 3 detachments located 
worldwide. It operates 48 aircraft, including multiple variants of the 
RC-135 and the EC-130H and EA-37B Compass Call electronic attack 
aircraft. The sun truly never sets on the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth.
  Over the last 85 years of war and peace, missions and aircraft have 
come and gone, and operating locations have changed as the needs of the 
nation have evolved. Throughout it all, the men and women of the 55th 
Wing have never wavered in their mission to fly, fight, and win. It is 
my great honor to recognize their achievements and salute their history 
today. Once again I say, happy birthday to the men and women of the 
Fightin' Fifty-Fifth.

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