USAF Patch Fighter 4 u W Wing F 15E Strike Eagle

USAF Patch US Air Force 4 W Wing Crest 1991 F 15E Strike Eagle Fighter Seymour Johnson AFB Fully embroidered cut edge 74mm by 69mm two and fifteen sixteenth inches by two and three quarter inches.

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4 Fighter Group was formed by Eighth Air Force at RAF Bushey Hall on 12 September 1942 with the US pilot and personnel transferred in from the three RAF Eagle Squadrons 71 121 and 133 forming 334 335 and 336 Fighter Squadrons equipped with Spitfire fighters. 4 FG relocated to RAF Debden on 29 September 1942 and began combat operations over Europe reequipping with P 47 Thunderbolt aircraft in 1943 and P 51 Mustang fighters in 1944. At the end of the War the group returned to the US and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer New Jersey on 10 November 1945.

4 Fighter Group was reactivated at Selfridge Field Michigan on 9 September 1946 assigned to 15 Air Force with 334 335 and 336 Fighter Squadrons equipped with P 47 Thunderbolts. The Group relocated to Andrews AFB Maryland on 26 March 1947 was reassigned to Strategic Air Command and was redesignated 4 Fighter Group Jet Propelled on 23 April 1947 as it began reequipping with P 80 Shooting Star jet fighters.

With the implementation of the Hobson Wing Base plan 4 Fighter Wing was activated at Andrews AFB Maryland on 15 August 1947 assigned to Strategic Air Command with 4 Fighter Group Jet Propelled as its subordinate operational flying component. The Wings Squadrons received a number of F 51 Mustangs for training in 1948 before reequipping with F 86 Sabre fighters in March 1949. The Wing relocated to Langley AFB Virginia on 26 April 1949 and was redesignated 4 Fighter Interceptor Wing on 20 January 1950 with its components renamed accordingly.

With the start of the Korean War in June 1950 4 FIS relocated to New Castle County Airport Delaware on 14 August 1950 before shipping to Johnson AB Japan arriving on 13 December 1950 commencing combat operations with its first MiG 15 kill on their first mission on 17 December 1950. 4 FIW relocated from Japan to Suwon AB K 13 South Korea on 30 March 1951 moving to Kimpo AB K 14 South Korea on 23 August 1951.

By the Armistice on 27 July 1953 4 FIW became the top fighter unit of the Korean War with 24 Ace status pilots and 502 confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed representing 54 percent of the total USAF enemy kills. 4 FIW relocated to Chitose AB Japan on 1 October 1954 tasked with air defence continuing training and TDY deployments to Korea. The Wing was redesignated 4 Fighter Bomber Wing on 8 March 1955 and 4 Fighter Day Wing on 25 April 1956 with its components renamed accordingly.

4 FDW relocated to Seymour Johnson AFB NC on 8 December 1957 with 4 Fighter Day Group inactivated the same day under the USAF tri deputate structure with flying Squadron reassigned directly to the Wing and was immediately assigned its fourth flying Squadron 333 Fighter Day Squadron Lancers and reequipped with F 100 Super Sabre fighter bombers. 4 Fighter Day Wing was redesignated 4 Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958.

4 FTW became the first Wing to convert to F 105 Thunderchief fighter bombers commencing in 1959 and completing in 1960. The Wing deployed three of its four squadrons 334 335 and 336 TFSs to McCoy AFB Florida during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962. The Wing regularly deployed its Squadrons on rotational TDY to Europe Japan and Korea.

333 TFS was reassigned to Pacific Air Forces on 4 December 1965. 4 TFW deployed elements to Korea within 72 hours in response to the North Koreans seizure of the USS Pueblo on 23 January 1968

4 TFW reequipped with F 4D Phantom II fighters in 1969 and continued its high mobility posture with the development of the first operationally ready bare base squadron in 1970. Multiple deployments to Ubon RTAB Thailand began in April 1972 4 TFW became the first F 4 wing to augment elements of Pacific Air Forces in Operation Constant Guard with its aircrews undertaking more than 8000 combat missions many over North Vietnam.

4 TFW transferred a number of its F 4s to Israel in October 1973 under the emergency Operation Nickel Grass when 36 USAF F 4 Phantoms from 4 TFW and 401 TFW were provided to assist Israel during the Yom Kippur War following the surprise Syrian and Egyptian attacks.

The Wing increased its emphasis on short term European contingency support with elements deploying to Norway in June 1974 with two deployments to Spangdahlem AB Germany in July and September 1975. The Wing took first place in the November 1976 William Tell world wide weapons competition at Tyndall AFB Florida becoming the first F 4 unit to win the Air Defense Command event. The wing executed short term deployments to Korea and Japan during 1977 and began a dual based mission with Ramstein AB Germany in October 1977. 4 TFW won the F 4 category at the Gunsmoke competition at Nellis AFB in September 1981.

4 TFW was assigned assigned a fourth flying Squadron 337 Tactical Fighter Squadron Falcons on 1 April 1982 and again won the F 4 category at the Gunsmoke competition in October 1983. 337 TFS was inactivated on 1 July 1985.

The Wing began conversion to the F 15E Strike Eagle long range interdiction aircraft with the first arriving on 29 December 1988 and 335 TFS the first to be operational on 1 October 1989. In response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait the Wing participated in Operation Desert Shield deploying 336 TFS to Seeb International Airport Oman on 9 August 1990 relocating to Al Karj Air Base Saudi Arabia on 18 December 1990 joined by 335 TFS at Al Karj Air Base Saudi Arabia on 27 December 1990. The two F 15E Squadrons spearheaded Operation Desert Storm with strikes against Iraqi forces on the first night 16 January 1991 and continued combat operations until the ceasefire of 28 February 1991. 336 TFS returned on 13 March 1991.

4 Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated 4 Wing on 22 April 1991 becoming a composite Wing regaining its Group tier with the activation of 4 Operations Group and was assigned the KC 10 equipped 344 Air Refueling Squadron and 911 Air Refueling Squadron from the inactivating 68 Air Refueling Wing. 335 TFS returned from Operation Desert Storm on 24 June 1991 and the Wing completed its transition to the F 15E on 1 July 1991. 4 Wing began rotating Squadron elements to Dhahran and PSAB Saudi Arabia for Operation Southern Watch the enforcement of the no fly zone in Iraq.

Further structure changes came with the KC 10s of 344 and 911 ARS being reassigned to Air Mobility Command bases starting in April 1994. The F 15E FTU Formal Training Unit relocated to Seymour Johnson AFB and 333 Fighter Squadron returned on 1 October 1994 to accommodate the F 15E training mission.

With the departure of the last KC 10 4 Wing was redesignated 4 Fighter Wing on 1 December 1995. To accommodate the need to train more F 15E aircrews 334 FS was retasked as the Wings second training Squadron on 1 January 1996. 4 FW deployed F 15Es to Al Jaber AB Kuwait for OSW and to Doha Qatar as 4 AEW in June 1996 and February 1997 for AEF III and IV.

4 Fighter Wing deployed assets to Korfez Airport Balikisir Turkey in May 1999 designated as 4 Air Expeditionary Wing and constructed a 2200 man tent city with an Air Transportable Hospital in six days to receive F 15E Strike Eagles and F 16CJ Fighting Falcons three days later to support Operation Allied Force the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. In the event the aircraft did not undertake combat missions over Yugoslavia and were used to relieve overextended units from RAF Lakenheath with 336 FS deploying four F 15Es and support personnel to Incirlik AB Turkey to cover Operation Northern Watch then replaced by 335 FS with ten F 15Es. 336 FS participated in Exercise Combat Archer at Tyndall AFB Florida in August 1999.

4 FW deployed 335 and 336 TFSs to Nellis AFB for Exercise Red Flag 5 to 19 February 2000 with 336 FS deploying to Turkey for combat missions in support of Operation Northern Watch ONW in May 2000 and conducted Exercise Roving Sands at Nellis AFB in June 2000.

In response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States 4 FW undertook Operation Noble Eagle missions providing coastal protection for Homeland Defence. Rather than being on call for deployment 4 FW began a regular 90 day AEF schedule and deployed to Kuwait for OSW and Operation Enduring Freedom in January 2002 with missions over Iraq and Afghanistan with Operation Anaconda launched on 1 March 2002 the Wing provided close air support until the operation concluded on 1 March 2002. The Wing returned for OSW in January 2003 which transitioned into Operation Iraqi Freedom the invasion of Iraq on 20 March 2003 with the Wings elements in combat returning to the US on 18 April 2003. 4 FW continued AEF rotational deployments to Southwest Asia for OIF and OEF. 336 Fighter Squadron deployed to Bagram AB Afghanistan for combat operations in September 2007 replaced by 335 FS in January 2008 and continued regular deployments to Afghanistan.

This patch dates from 1991.