Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
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| Seymour Johnson Air Force Base | |||
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| IATA: GSB - ICAO: KGSB | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | USAF | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 110 ft (34 m) | ||
| Coordinates | 35° 20' 21.6" N 77° 57' 38.4" W |
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 08/26 | 11,758 | 3,580 | Concrete |
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is the home of the United States Air Force 4th Fighter Wing. It is located about 3 miles southeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Air Force Reserve 916th Air Refueling Wing is also based at Seymour Johnson.
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[edit] 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 AB, Japan, replacing the 83d Fighter-Day Wing, and has been the host unit since then.
The 4th Fighter Wing, under various designations can trace its origins to the RAF Eagle squadrons of World War II. The Eagle Squadrons were RAF 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 Eighth Air Force 4th Fighter Group. Many famous Aces were in this group.
Reactivated as the 4 Fighter Wing on July 28, 1947, members of the wing have served all over the world, including the Korean War, Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. The 4th Fighter Wing accomplishes its training and operational missions with 92 F-15E Strike Eagles, assigned to the following squadrons:
- 333d Fighter Squadron
- 334th Fighter Squadron
- 335th Fighter Squadron
- 336th Fighter Squadron
All 4th Fighter Wing F-15Es carry the "SJ" Tailcode.
The 335th/336th Fighter Squadrons are capable of deploying world-wide on short notice and immediately generating combat power. The 333d/334th Fighter Squadrons are responsible for training all F-15E aircrews for the US Air Force.
[edit] 916th Air Refueling Wing
The 916th Air Refueling Wing supports routine refueling missions for other Air Force, Navy and Marine and allied aircraft under the direction of the 4th Air Force and Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command. If recalled to active duty, the wing would integrate the 22nd Air Force and fall under the direction of Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The wing has 15 subordinate units, in three groups: the 916th Maintenance Group, 916th Operations Group and 916th Mission Support Group, and one unattached squadron, the 916th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. More than 900 reservists train to support worldwide operational commitments.
The unit, North Carolina's only Reserve wing joined the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson in October 1985. It was a small advance team, Air Refueling Group Provisional, 9100, until October 1986. During that first year reservists worked with active duty units flying Strategic Air Command's new tanker, the KC-10A Extender, in an associate program.
The first exclusively Reserve crew flew out of Seymour Johnson on 29 October 1985.
[edit] History
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base occupies over 3,300 acres (13 km²) in the southeast section of Goldsboro. Seymour Johnson Field was opened in April 1942 as Headquarters, Technical School, Army Air Forces Technical Training Command. In June 1943, a secondary mission was added which included preparation of officers and men for overseas duty. The unit was known as the Provisional Overseas Replacement Training Center. Seymour Johnson Field received a third mission in September 1943: to provide basic military training for cadets preparing to become technical officers in the Army Air Corps. The 75th Training Wing was established to conduct the program through its Aviation Cadet Pre-Training la k- School.
Interestingly, the namesake of the base, Seymour Johnson, was never part of the Air Force (or the Army, of which the Air Force was initially a branch). He was a local man who became a Navy test pilot and died in a plane crash in 1940, just before the US entered WWII. There is a historical plaque honoring him at the main gate entrance of the base.
[edit] World War II
Construction of Seymour Johnson Field started on 9 March 1942 and by 10 July 1942 the 333d Base HQ and Air Base Squadron was established as the host unit. Col Walter J. Reed was the first commander. Seymour Johnson Field was assigned to the USAAF Technical Training Command, and the airfield's initial mission was Field Aviation Cadet Pre-Technical School Training in bomber mechanics.
The 76th Training Wing was activated at Seymour Johnson on 26 February 1943 and the airfield's missson was changed to training replacement pilots for the P-47 Thunderbolt.
At the end of World War II in Europe, Seymour Johnson was designated as a central assembly station for processing and training troops being reassigned in the continental United States and Pacific theater of operations. This function was discontinued in September 1945 and the field became an Army-Air Force Separation Center under the 123d AAF Base Unit.
On 15 August 1947, Seymour Johnson Army Airfield was closed and remained inactive for nearly a decade.
[edit] Cold War
[edit] Tactical Air Command
83d Fighter-Day Wing (1956-57)
After the airfield's deactivation in 1947, local community leaders campaigned for many years to reopen Seymour Johnson. On 1 April 1956 Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was reactivated as a United States Air Force base under Tactical Air Command. The 4435th Air Base Squadron being the initial host unit. Capt. Harry D. Lyons was the first USAF Base Commander.
On July 1, 1956, the 83d Fighter-Day Wing was activated as the host unit of the new Air Force Base. Col. Ralph L. Merritt Jr., was the first Wing Commander. Operational squadrons of the 83d Fighter-Day Wing were:
- 448th Fighter-Day Squadron
- 532d Fighter-Day Squadron
- 533d Fighter-Day Squadron
- 534th Fighter-Day Squadron
The 83d initally trained with the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star when it was activated, later upgrading to the F-86H Sabre in October 1956. The wing was declared fully operational in June 1957, and in October 1957, it was upgraded to the the North American F-100C/F Super Sabre.
4th Fighter Wing (1957 - Present)
56-3842 was sold to Denmark in 1974, later being sold on the civilian marketplace, being registered as N417FS in 1982.
In December 1957, the 83d Fighter-Day Wing was deactivated in place, being replaced at Seymour Johnson by the 4th Fighter-Day Wing and absorbing its assets. The 4th FDW was returned to the United States after an extended assignement at Chitose AB, Japan after the Korean War. Col. Robert C. Richardson III, was the first Wing Commander. Squadrons of the 4th FDW were:
- 333d Fighter-Day Squadron (Formerly 448th FDS) (Red markings)
- 334th Fighter-Day Squadron (Formerly 532d FDS) (Blue markings)
- 335th Fighter-Day Squadron (Formerly 533d FDS) (Green markings)
- 336th Fighter-Day Squadron (Formerly 534th FDS) (Yellow markings)
The 4th Fighter Wing with these operational squadrons have, under various designations, remained at Seymour Johnson AFB for nearly 50 years. On 1 July 1958 the unit was redesignated the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing.
Initially the wing simply redesignated the flying squadrons of the 83d FDS and continued to fly the F-100. However, a mission change On 1 May 1958 led to an equipment change with the arrival of the Republic F-105B Thunderchief. The F-100s remained with the 333d TFS until being transferred in 1960 when the 334th, 335th and 336th Tactical Fighter Squadrons were declared to be fully operational with the F-105. In the spring of 1964, the 4th TFW began the transition from F-105Bs to F-105D/Fs, a process that was completed on 23 June.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed to McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, ready to react at a moments notice for possible combat over Cuba.
4th TFW During the Vietnam War
As the war in Southeast Asia heated up in the late summer of 1964, the 4th TFW was alerted for deployment to the Far East. On 3 July 1965, as part of Operation Two Buck 13, the 335th TFS deployed to Yokota Air Base, Japan to take the place of units assigned there that were deployed to Thailand, standing the normal VICTOR nuclear alert rotations at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
On 8 November 1965, the 335th TFS deployed to Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, for combat operations against North Vietnam. At Takhli, the squadron was under the control of the newly-activated 355th TFW. The 335th TFS returned to Seymour Johnson AFB on 15 December 1965.
On 28 August 1965, also under Operation Two Buck 13, the 334th TFS deployed to Takhli RTAFB for combat operations against North Vietnamese targets, coming under the control of the 6235th TFW(P) at Takhli. The 334th TFS returned to Seymour Johnson AFE on 10 October 1966, leaving its F-105 aircraft at Takhli.
On 4 December 1965, the 333rd TFS deployed to Korat RTAFB for combat operations. However, the 333rd then transferred to Takhli to relieve the 335th TFS. On 3 December 1965, the 333rd TFS deployment was changed from TDY to PCS (Permanent Change of Station), and the squadron was permanently assigned to the 355th TFW at Takhli. The F-105 aircraft and pilots of the 336th TFS rotated between Seymour Johnson and Takhli in 1965/66 but the squadron did not deploy to the war zone in Southeast Asia.
In 1967 the 4th transitioned to the F-4 and began a rotational comittment of tactical squadrons to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand as augmentees of the 8th TFW for combat operations from April 1972 until the withdrawal of American air units in Thailand in 1974.
4th TFW Post Vietnam Operations
In 1974, the wing mission reverted back to training, with increased emphasis on short-term European contingency support. Elements of the wing deployed to Norway in June 1974. Two short-term deployments to Spangdahlem AB, West Germany, were conducted in July and September 1975. The highlight of 1976 came in November when the wing took first place in the William Tell world-wide weapons competition at Tyndall AFB, Florida, becoming the first F-4 unit to win the Air Defense Command-sponsored event. The wing executed short-term deployments to South Korea and Japan during 1977 and assumed a dual-based mission with Ramstein AB in October of that year. The overall mission commitment was restructured to reflect worldwide contingency emphasis in October 1986.
In 1988 the 4th TFW began transitioning to the F-15E Strike Eagle. The first F-15E arrived on 29 December 1988, and the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron became the first operational F-15E squadron in the Air Force on 1 October 1989. The transition from the F-4E to the F-15E was completed on 1 July 1991, making the 4th TFW the first operational F-15E wing in the Air Force.
Operation Desert Storm
At the height of conversion training, the 4th TFW was one of the first units tasked to react to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The 335th and 336th Tactical Fighter Squadrons and support personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia, beginning in August 1990. The combat record of the 4th TFW in Saudi Arabia was nothing less than outstanding.
After the cease fire, the 4th TFW continued rotating squadron elements to Southwest Asia during the 1990s, taking part in enforcement of the no-fly zones in Iraq.
Post Cold War
On 22 April 1991, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing was resesignated as the 4th Wing, the the Air Force's first composite wing. The 4th Wing incorporated under it all the people, KC-10 aircraft, and assets of the 68th Air Refueling Wing, a former Strategic Air Command unit.
The 4th began a force structure change in 1994. The KC-10s were reassigned to Air Mobility Command bases in 1994 and 1995 and the F-15E formal training unit moved to Seymour Johnson in 1994 and 1995.
On 1 October 1994, the 333d Fighter Squadron was transfered back to the 4th Fighter Wing, after a 29-year absence, from the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona to accommodate the training mission. The 333d was transferred to the 355th TFW while at Takhli RTAFB during the Vietnam War. This meant that all four origional 4th Fighter Wing squadrons were reunited at Seymour Johnson AFB for the first time since July 1965.
Following the departure of KC-10s, the 4th Wing was redesignated the 4th Fighter Wing on 1 December 1995. To accommodate the need to train more F-15E aircrews, the 334th Fighter Squadron became a training squadron on 1 January 1996.
On 20 June 2000, the 23rd Fighter Group became a part of the 4th Fighter Wing, during a reassignment ceremony at Pope Air Force Base, flying the A-10 Thunderbolt IIaircraft. Their primary mission was forward air control, close-air support, interdiction and combat search and rescue operations. The ceremony brought together two organizations whose histories predate the United States involvement in WWII, when both units served as American volunteer groups. In 2006, the 23d Fighter Group was transferred to the 23d Wing at Moody Air Force Base, reuniting the wing with its operational fighter group.
In October 2001, in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, the 4th Fighter Wing began flying OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE sorties, the first of its kind for the wing, providing coastal protection for Homeland Defense.
In March 2002, A-10s assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group arrived in Jacobabad, Pakistan, and later became the first USAF fixed winged aircraft to enter Afghanistan to fight the war on terrorism.
In January and February 2003, in response to the threat of Iraq's ability to produce weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their elusiveness with United Nation weapon inspectors, the 4th Fighter Wing joined other operational units in Southeast Asia. Two F-15E fighter squadrons deployed to Southwest Asia in support of OSW, which would later transition into support for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. On 18 April 2003 members of the 4th Fighter Wing returned heroically to Seymour Johnson AFB after contributing to the resounding U.S.-led collation victory over Iraq.
[edit] Strategic Air Command
In 1958, Strategic Air Command began dispersing its B-52 bombers. Prior to that each bomb wing had 3 squadrons of 15 aircraft. Each became a strategic wing and was dispersed to another base. The 73d Bomb Squadron of the 72d Bombardment Wing was used to create the 4241st Strategic Wing, being assigned to Seymour Johnson on October 1, 1958.
The 68th Bombardment Wing, Medium transferred without personnel or equipment to Seymour Johnson on April 15, 1963 from Chennault AFB, Louisana, replacing the 4241st Strategic Wing and redesignated as the 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy. It conducted strategic bombardment training with B-52 Stratofortresses and air refueling operations with KC-135s. Deployed at Loring AFB, Maine from July 28 to August 1965 and from May 27, 1972 to July 15, 1972. During this time, all wing aircraft, most aircrew and maintenance personnel and about half of the wing's support people were loaned to other SAC units for combat operations in Vietnam.
The 68th Bomb Wing was inactivated on September 30, 1982.
[edit] BRAC 2005
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. It would distribute the 319th Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135R aircraft to the 916th Air Refueling Wing (AFR) at Seymour-Johnson AFB. The 916th would also host an active duty associate unit.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
This article includes content from Seymour Johnson AFB Website's history page.
- Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on September 17, 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989
- Donald, David, "Century Jets - USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War", 1994
- Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
- Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
- Menard, David W., USAF Plus Fifteen - A Photo History 1947 - 1962, 1993
- Martin, Patrick, Tail Code: The Complete History Of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings, 1994
- Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
