55th Wing reaches milestone in Pacific Theater Published Nov. 9, 2015 By Delanie Stafford 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The men and women who make up the 55th Wing share a common motto: "The sun never sets on the Fightin' 55th." This statement reflects the wing's ability to collect critical time-sensitive intelligence in every corner of the world, at any time. On Sept. 26 the wing reached a major milestone when the RC-135 V/W Rivet Joint aircraft recorded three consecutive years of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations in the Pacific Theater. "The operations tempo and demand for ISR from the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron and 390th Intelligence Squadron has increased dramatically over the past three years," said Lt. Col. Beau Nicewanner, commander of the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron, a geographically separated unit that operates from Kadena Air Base, Japan. "On any given day, we are flying missions in the Pacific, covering the map from India to Alaska. These missions support our nation's nuclear interests, ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and support counterterrorism efforts." The majority of the missions in the Pacific are accomplished by the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, which is considered the workhorse of the wing. Over the last three years, Rivet Joint aircrews from the 82nd RS and 390th IS have flown 400 mission sorties during 19 separate deployments, totaling more than 3,400 flight hours. However, the Rivet Joint is not the only 55th Wing aircraft seeing an increase in operations throughout the Pacific. Other aircraft deployed in that area include the RC-135U Combat Sent, the WC-135W Constant Phoenix and the RC-135S Cobra Ball. Those three aircraft combined totaled more than 300 operations missions and over 2,600 flight hours in the last two years. "What our folks have been able to accomplish over there is truly amazing," said Col. Marty Reynolds, 55th Wing commander. "Very few people realize the importance of the work they do, and we'll continue to focus more of our resources towards that area as the mission dictates." Since 1950, the 55th Wing has supported every major contingency. Although the wing has operated throughout the Pacific region for more than half a century, the recent increase in missions there can be attributed to the rebalancing of forces from decades of war in the Middle East due to increased economic and political tensions in the Pacific Theater. The directive, referred to as the "Pacific Pivot," was identified as a strategic priority in the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. As a result of this directive, the 55th Wing has also focused efforts on strengthening relationships with Japanese, Australian and British allies throughout the Pacific. This has included aircrew exchanges between international ISR platforms where 55th Wing aircrew members are able to interact and become familiar with the tactics, techniques and procedures of foreign partners. In 2013, the Chairman of the Joint Staff-Japanese Self Defense Force was given a rare opportunity to fly on board an RC-135V/W Rivet Joint for a familiarization flight that highlighted the capabilities of the platform. Additionally, aircrews from the UK and Australia participated in first ever cooperative ISR missions in the Pacific with aircrews and jets from the 55th Wing. "We've been able to build relationships with our allies in the Pacific that were not possible five years ago," Nicewanner said. "Those relationships will be vital going forward as we continue to work more and more with them."