SMSgt Richard B. Wilson USAFR

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Sergeant Wilson was raised on a farm in the Town of Saratoga, New York State near Deans Corners. He graduated from high school in June of 1963, and after his 17th birthday enlisted in the United States Army on the 1st of October 1963. After completing basic training and telephone equipment repair training, he was assigned as a telephone equipment repairman to the United States Army Maintenance Command depot repair facility in Machinato, Okinawa. He was then assigned to the 595th Signal Company. The unit was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam and Sergeant Wilson supervised the operation of a mobile telephone switching system supporting the 25th Infantry Division in the Tay Ninh area of Viet Nam. He was honorably discharged from active duty with the United States Army in September 1966.
In May of 1967, Sergeant Wilson returned to active duty enlisting in the United States Air Force. He was immediately assigned to the 2047th Communications Squadron and then transferred to the 1950th Communication Squadron Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli, Libya, supporting United States Air Force mission in North Africa and ad-hoc support for the United States Embassy in Tripoli.
August 1969 Sergeant Wilson returned to the United States and was assigned to the 1829th Engineering and Installation Squadron at Griffis Air Force Base Rome, New York. He worked on major projects at Air Force installations throughout the United States, Greenland and Iceland. He was honorably discharged from active duty in May 1971.
Again Sergeant Wilson returned to military service, when he enlisted in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard in June 1974. He held several assignments in Pennsylvania, and subsequently with the Tennessee Air National Guard in Nashville and Chattanooga Tennessee.
Sergeant Wilson transferred to the United States Air Force Reserve in May 1986 and was assigned to the 89th Communications Group at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland as inside plant maintenance superintendent. In this position he supported Presidential Communications, the Air Force One Complex, and Special Air Missions (SAM), the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) as well as base communications.
During his 31 years of distinguished military service Sergeant Wilson has been awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Medal (with two devices), Army Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Air reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal (with six devices), National Defense Medal (with one device), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award (with six devices), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with one device), Air Force Training Ribbon, Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Ribbon, Army Expert Marksman Badge, Air Force Communication Electronic Equipment Maintenance Badge, Tennessee National Guard Commendation Medal, Pennsylvania National Guard, General Thomas J. Stewart Medal.
Senior Master Sergeant Wilson retired from the United States Air Force Reserve on September 9, 1999.