4th Fighter Wing
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| 4th Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
 4th Figher Wing patch |
|
| Active | 28 July 1947 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base |
| Motto | Fourth But First |
The 4th Fighter Wing is an F-15E Strike Eagle unit based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base , North Carolina. The 4th Fighter Wing is part of the Ninth Air Force. The honors and history of its subordinate 4th Operations Group earned before July 28, 1947, have been bestowed on the 4th Fighter Wing.
[edit] History
The 4th Fighter Wing was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, 28 July 1947. As the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing it flew F-86 Sabre during the Korean War and was the top MiG-killing organization during the conflict. The 4th FIW moved to Japan following the Korean armistice in 1953, then to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, 8 December 1957, where it was redesignated as the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) in July 1958.
During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 three tactical fighter squadrons deployed to McCoy Air Force Base, Florida. During the Vietnam War the wing temporarily operated from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, during Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II in 1972 and flew more than 8,000 combat sorties.
In 1988 the wing began transitioning to the F-15E Strike Eagle. The 4th was one of the first units tasked to react to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait 2 August 1990.
On 22 April 1991, the wing was redesignated the 4th Wing (WG) and incorporated under it all the assets of the 68th Air Refueling Wing.
The 4th Wing was redesignated the 4th Fighter Wing on 1 December 1995.
In response to theSeptember 11 2001 attacks on the United States, the Fourth provided coastal protection missions for Homeland Defense. In October of that year, the wing began flying sorties in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The unit currently continues to support operations in the Middle East.
[edit] Two Fighter Groups
The 4th Fighter Wing has responsiblity for the 23d Fighter Group and the 4th Operations Group which makes it one of only a few Wings in the Air Force to have two flying Groups. The 23d Fighter Group operates the A-10 "Thunderbolt II" stationed at Pope AFB.
