4th Fighter Wing
The 4th Fighter Wing, one of the Air Force's most distinguished fighter wings, moved to Seymour Johnson on December 8, 1957 from Chitose Air Base, Japan, replacing the 83d Fighter-Day Wing, and has been the host unit ever since.
The 4th Fighter Wing, under various designations, can trace its origins to the RAF Eagle squadrons of World War II. The Eagle Squadrons were Royal Air Force fighter squadrons formed with volunteer pilots from the United States. The last Eagle Squadron was disbanded in September 1942, with most of the members transferring into the United States Army Air Force, primarily the 4th Fighter Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. Many famous fighter aces were in this group.
Reactivated as the 4th Fighter Wing on July 28, 1947, members of the wing have served all over the world, including the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 4th Fighter Wing accomplishes its training and operational missions with 92 F-15E Strike Eagles, assigned to the following squadrons:
- 333d Fighter Squadron Lancers "Red Fin Flash"
- 334th Fighter Squadron Eagles "Blue Fin Flash"
- 335th Fighter Squadron Chiefs "Green Fin Flash"
- 336th Fighter Squadron Rocketeers "Yellow Fin Flash"
All 4th Fighter Wing F-15Es carry the "SJ" Tailcode.
The 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons are capable of deploying worldwide on short notice and immediately generating combat power., while the 307th, 333rd and 334th Fighter Squadrons are responsible for training all F-15E Strike Eagle aircrews for the U.S. Air Force.
Read more about this topic: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Famous quotes containing the words fighter and/or wing:
“A pleasant smell of frying sausages
Attacks the sense, along with an old, mostly invisible
Photograph of what seems to be girls lounging around
An old fighter bomber, circa 1942 vintage.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“The wild touch of thy dye-dusty wing!
I found that wing broken today!”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)