| 34th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 A 34th Squadron F-35 Lightning II dropping a GBU-12 in February 2016 | |
| Active | 1944–1946; 1954–1959; 1966–2010, 2015–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Nickname(s) | Rude Rams |
| Engagements | Pacific Theater of Operations Vietnam War[1] |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Matthew R. Johnston[2]as of 28 June 2017[update] |
| Notable commanders | Brig Gen Robinson Risner |
| Insignia | |
| 34th Fighter Squadron emblem (Approved 9 November 1945)[1] |  |
The 34th Fighter Squadron is part of the United States Air Force's 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. On 2 August 2016, the Air Force announced that the 34th had become the first squadron to achieve initial operating capability with the F-35A, the Air Force′s variant of the F-35 Lightning II. With an operational history extending back to World War II, and including the Cold War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Desert Fox, Operation Noble Eagle, and the Afghanistan War, it had most recently operated F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft on air superiority missions prior to its reactivation as a F-35A squadron.[3][4]
- ^ a b c Haulman, Daniel L. (15 July 2015). "Factsheet 34 Fighter Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ Shaw, Mitch (22 July 2015). "First F-35 fighter squadron activated at Hill". Hilltop Times. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ Shaw, Mitch (23 June 2014). "Hill Historic fighter squad is coming back". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ^ Insinna, Valerie (2 August 2016). "Air Force Declares F-35A Ready for Combat". DefenseNews.com. Retrieved 8 February 2018.