| 4th Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
4th Figher Wing emblem |
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| Active | August 1942 |
| 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 |
| Decorations | AFOUA ROK PUC |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
John C. Meyer Chuck Yeager Robert C. Richardson III Hal M. Hornburg Lance L. Smith Norman R. Seip |
The 4th Fighter Wing (4 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit.
The 4 FW is home to the multi-role, all-weather F-15E Strike Eagle and provides worldwide deployable aircraft and personnel capable of executing combat missions in support of the Aerospace Expeditionary Force. The wing also provides logistical support to an Air Force Reserve KC-135R Stratotanker unit. The wing is also responsible for managing the storage and beddown of the Southwest Asia prepositioned vehicle package. The general manages and controls assets in excess of $4.8 billion and executes an annual operations and maintenance budget of $193 million.
The 4 FW is one of two Air Force units that can trace its history to another country. The wing's 4th Operations Group has its origins as the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons (Nos. 71, 121 and 133). When the United States entered World War II, these units, and the American pilots in them, were transferred to the United States Army Air Force VIII Fighter Command, forming the 4th Fighter Group on 12 September 1942. It was the first fighter group to use belly tanks, the first to penetrate Germany, the first to accompany bombers to Berlin, the first to accomplish the England-to-Russia shuttle and the first to down jet fighters. The group was credited with the destruction of 1,016 enemy aircraft, more than any other 8th Air Force unit, and produced 38 aces.
Initially formed as part of Strategic Air Command in 1947, during the Korean War, the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was first unit to commit F-86 Sabre jets to that conflict. 4 FIW Sabre pilots destroyed 502 enemy aircraft (54 percent of the total), becoming the top fighter unit of the Korean War. Twenty-four pilots achieved ace status. In April 1972, operating from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, as the first F-4E Phantom II wing to augment elements of Pacific Air Forces, aircrews of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing flew more than 8,000 combat missions, many into the very heart of North Vietnam.
As part of the Global War on Terrorism, in January 2002, elements of the 4th Fighter Wing deployed to Air Expeditionary units in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, flying combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.
The commander of the 4th Fighter Wing is Colonel Patrick J. Doherty. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Blake A. Malpass.
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The wing consists of four groups—4th Maintenance Group, 4th Mission Support Group, 4th Operations Group and 4th Medical Group—and is assigned over 6,400 military members, about 600 civilians and 95 F-15E Strike Eagles.
Established as 4th Fighter Wing on 28 July 1947. Initially performed tactical operations as part of Air Defense Command, 1947–1948. Flew air defense with own components, and reconnaissance and bombardment with attached 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group (which itself had two fighter-bomber squadrons attached), 1948–1950.
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.
Operational Units:
The 4 FIW, moving from the United States, arrived in Japan in late November with its F-86 Sabres aboard aircraft carriers. The primary mission of the wing was air superiority, and the Sabre was capable of battling the Soviet-built MiG-15 on equal terms. From Johnson AB, Japan, detachments deployed in mid-December to bases in South Korea, rotating between South Korea and Japan through February 1951. Then, the 4 FIW moved in stages to Korea, with all elements rejoined by May 1951. The 4 FIW was the deadliest interceptor wing of the Korean War. Wing, group, and squadron personnel accounted for 516 air-to-air victories, representing more than half of the enemy aircraft for which USAF credits were awarded. The wing boasted twenty-five aces by the end of the war.
The 4 FIW moved to Japan following the Korean armistice in 1953, then was inactivated in place on 8 December 1957.
On 8 December 1957, the 83d Fighter-Day Wing was deactivated in place at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, being replaced by the 4th Fighter-Day Wing being activated in place and absorbing its assets. Squadrons of the 4th FDW were:
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 first squadron to receive the F-105B was the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and the squadron began to work up with the F-105B in August 1958, and in January 1959 was declared operational.
Since various delays had precluded the completion of all the pre-operational tests, the 335th had to carry out some of these tests. However because of maintenance difficulties and production slippages the 335th did not become fully operational with the F-105B until 1960. There were significant problems with the autopilot, the central air data computer, and the MA-8 fire control system. In addition, there was an acute shortage of spare parts which kept many aircraft from flying. In early 1960, all the F-105Bs flying with the 335th had to be grounded for various regions, including a lack of spare parts. Nevertheless, the squadron did manage to complete its first year of service without a single major accident, becoming the first aircraft in USAF service history to be so fortunate.
The other two squadrons (the 334th and 336th) received F-105Bs by the end of 1960. These squadrons were destined to be the only USAF operational combat units to use the F-105B. The fourth squadron of the 4th TFW (the 333rd TFS) was not reequipped until 1961, when the first F-105Ds became available.
At the same time, the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron exchanged its F-105Bs for the new F-105D-model in June 1960. These planes were essentially flight test machines and did not have much of the equipment that was planned for the F-105D The 335th was again forced to carry out part of the evaluation program with the F-105D, just as they had with the B. The F-105D was the major production version of the Thunderchief series. It was essentially an all-weather version of the basically day-only F-105B.
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.
The F-105B's service with the 334th and 336th TFSs was relatively brief, being superseded by the all-weather F-105D version beginning 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.
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 333d TFS deployed to Korat RTAFB for combat operations. However, the 333d then transferred to Takhli to relieve the 335th TFS. On 3 December 1965, the 333d 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.
The 4th transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II in early 1967. The readiness posture of the wing was given a true test in early 1968 when the North Koreans seized the USS Pueblo, an American intelligence-gathering ship, just off the coast of North Korea. Elements of the 4th moved to Korea within 72 hours. The 4th Fighter Wing continued to sustain a highly visible mobility posture with development of the first operationally ready bare-base squadron in 1970, followed by multiple deployments to Southeast Asia beginning in April 1972. Operating from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, as the first F-4 wing to augment elements of Pacific Air Forces, aircrews of the Fourth flew more than 8,000 combat missions, many into the very heart of North Vietnam. The wing ended deployments to in Thailand in the summer of 1974.[1]
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 worldwide weapons competition at Tyndall AFB, Florida, becoming the first F-4 unit to win the Aerospace 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. In 1980 the 4th TFW became one of the first squadrons in the Rapid Deployment Force, which committed 2 squadrons of aircraft to a 48-hour response to anywhere in the world. The 337th Fighter Squadron was activated 1 April 1982 and deactivated 1 July 1985. The overall mission commitment was restructured to reflect worldwide contingency emphasis in October 1986.[1]
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.[1]
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 exceptional, with the the 336th TFS flying 1,088 combat missions Drring Operation Desert Storm. The unit dropped more than six-million pounds of bombs on Scud missile sites, bridges and airfields. Most of the missions were flown at night.[1]
The 335th TFS flew more than 1,200 combat missions during the war. Most significantly, they made Air Force history by using a laser guided bomb to down an enemy helicopter. The 335th destroyed 45 Iraqi aircraft, 23 radio relay stations, 36 bridges, 478 armored vehicles and 48 Scud missiles. The 4th lost two aircraft during the war. Two air crewmen were killed in action and two were captured and released after the war.[1]
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. The Fourth deployed 15 times to Dhahran Airbase and twice to Prince Sultan Airbase Saudi Arabia in support of the newly designated Operation SOUTHERN WATCH (OSW). They conducted the first ever F-15E operations from Al Jaber Airbase, Kuwait, again supporting OSW. In June 1996 and Feb 1997, the 4 FW deployed as the 4 Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), to Doha, Qatar, in AEF III and IV respectively. With minimum notice, the Fourth proved their ability to rapidly deploy and conduct combat operations from a near bare base location immediately upon arrival.[1]
On 22 April 1991, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing was resesignated as the 4th Wing, 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.[1]
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. With the transfer of the KC-10s, aircrews, and support personnel to Air Mobility Command in 1994 and 1995, the 4th lost it's status as a composite wing and was redesignated the 4th Fighter Wing Dec. 1, 1995.[1][2]
On 1 October 1994, the 333d Fighter Squadron was transferred back to the 4th Operations Group, 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 the three original World War II 4th Fighter Group squadrons were reunited at Seymour Johnson AFB for the first time since July 1965. The 334th FS began transitioning from an operational squadron to an F-15E training squadron in 1995, giving the 4th two F-15E training squadrons.[1][2]
During the Balkans crisis and 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the 4th Air Expeditionary Wing deployed over 700 personnel to Körfez Airport, Balikisir, Turkey in May, and completed a 2200 man tent city with an Air Transportable Hospital in six days. Three days later, the Fourth was ready to receive F-15Es and F-16CJs to support Operation Allied Force (OAF) in Kosovo. Although the aircraft were not needed in OAF, they were used to relieve overextended units from RAF Lakenheath. In April 1999, the 336th FS deployed 4 F-15E’s and support personnel to Incirlik AB, Turkey to participate in Operation Northern Watch. The 335th FS replaced the 336th Fighter Squadron aircraft with 10 F-15E’s and both squadrons combined, completed the longest continuous deployment by the 4th FW since Desert Shield/Desert Storm in December 1990. Also in August 1999, eight F-15E Strike Eagles and 107 personnel from the 336th participated in COMBAT ARCHER,. The 336th flew 99 sorties and expended seven air-to-air missiles.[2]
Calendar Year 2000 began with the 335th and 336th deployment of 22 F-15Es and over 350 personnel in support of exercise RED FLAG, 5 to 19 February. Both squadrons performed Offensive Counter Air and Interdiction roles in a day/night high-threat scenario. Additionally, the 4th covered the core unit responsibilities for seventy additional personnel from various base support agencies during RED FLAG, including the Deployed Force Commander and Deputy Deployed Force Commander.[2]
The 4th exercised as an 4th Aerospace Expeditionary Wing during a Phase II exercise for the first time in nearly two years. The purpose of the exercise was for aircrew and support people to practice their war-fighting skills from a simulated deployed location. The focus of the exercise was to practice aircraft launches and evaluate the wings “Ability To Survive and Operate” procedures in austere situations. Specific ability to survive and operate procedures included, identification and marking of unexploded ordinance, protection of forces and proper wear of chemical protective clothing.[2]
In May 2000, aircraft and members of the 336th (Rocketeers) joined other ONW forces in actively patrolling the Iraqi northern no-fly zone. The Rocketeers flew more than 60 combat sorties and dropped more than 69,000 pounds of ordnance.[2]
Taking care of its own, the 336th and the 916th Air Refueling Wing scrambled May 19, 2000 to reroute a KC-135R Stratotanker back to Seymour Johnson to pick up Pam McGuire, wife of Staff Sgt. Robert McGuire of the 336th. Officials notified Pam McGuire that her husband, deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in support of ONW, had become seriously ill and was being medically evacuated to a hospital in Germany—Mrs. McGuire arrived 24 hours later and SSgt McGuire recovered.[2]
The 4th supported exercise ROVING SANDS 2000 June 19 to 23 2000, at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Eight aircraft, 25 aircrew, and 147 personnel comprised the 336th team. The Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense exercise consisted of both simulated and live operations conducted at multiple locations.[2]
In January 2001, the 4th Fighter Wing became the recipient of the Commander-In-Chief's Installation Excellence Award—receiving a one million dollar prize for quality of life and job enhancement.[1]
On 1 September 2002, the Fourth transitioned into its final on-call AEW. Though the 4th Fighter Wing will continue as a lead wing when deployed, it will now assimilate into the more predictable 90-day 10 AEF schedule, as opposed to waiting for the call from higher headquarters.
Currently, elements of the 4th Fighter Wing are deployed to various areas of the world in support of Air Expeditionary units engaged in combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
On 18 July 2009 an F-15 from the wing based at Bagram Air Base crashed during a training mission. The aircraft's crew, pilot Mark R. McDowell and weapons system officer Thomas J. Gramith, were killed. An investigation concluded that the crash was a result of crew error.[3]
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Wings
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Squadrons
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References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:[4][5][6]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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