1966 . , . However, at the start of the Korean Conflict in July 1950, North Korean forces occupied Kunsan Air Base. Generations of U.S. Air Force members have aspired to become members of the Wolf Pack (8th Fighter Wing), to be stationed at Kunsan and for the opportunity to get after the mission with our ROK brothers and sisters. Chris Drager (left), 8th Healthcare Operations Squadron physical therapist, guides a patient lifting weights at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 25, 2023. Peter has written books about NAS Fallon, Red Flag and the Japanese Airforce. Martina Shannon-Young, 8th OMRS mental health technician, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 25, 2023. The Badgers took part in two large-scale exercises during their three months in Korea, working together with the active 80th & 35th FS. Sudden media attention became focused on the 8th TFW and Robin Olds following Bolo. She became the first to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1981, together with its sister squadron; the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron. 8 (Robin Olds) . The first operational squadrons in place at Ubon in the early months of 1966 were the 433rd and the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. Olds had flown 152 missions, 105 of them over North Vietnam. The first assigned aircraft wing at Kunsan was the 3rd Bombardment Wing, on August 22, 1951. Upgraded F-16 rejoins 8th FW > Tinker Air Force Base > It was originally an aircraft maintenance squadron, as the unit served in France from 1917 to 1919. 24 of its pilots (Head Hunters) became aces, of which Captain Richard L. Bong became the American ace-of-aces. 8th OSS forecasting the fight > Pacific Air Forces > Article Display Our goal is the same: peace on the peninsula. The Wing remained in Japan through the Cold War, briefly relocated to George AFB, CA in 1964, and then moved to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand in December, 1965. Its mission includes air interdiction, close air support, This was of great help to the eager and willing to learn Airmen of the 8th FW. Redesignated the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing and flying USAF's newest fighter aircraft, the F-4C Phantom, the wing joined other USAF, Navy and Marine bases in the SEA theater flying combat missions to North Vietnam. It was during this period that a new 5,000ft runway was built. The cumulative losses forced the North Vietnamese Air Force to ground their remaining aircraft, reassess tactics and retrain crews for four full months. When the 80th was attached to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, the unit became the first to fly jet aircraft in combat. The mental health clinic at Kunsan has implemented a frontline care strategy to be more accessible to base personnel by meeting them where they work. It was the start of the most impactful and far-reaching assignment of his 30-year USAF career. The TSP demonstrated the U.S. commitment to stability and security in the region but also ensures that the Wolf Pack remains ready to Fight Tonight. North Koreas state media said that the drill pushes the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. 908th Airlift Wing > Home 8th Tactical Fighter Wing - Wolf Pack - Air Force Unit Directory Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and get notified when new articles are published. 8 (Wolf) . In the spring of 1967, North Vietnam put a bounty of $25,000 on Col. Olds' head, payable to any pilot who could shoot down and hopefully cause the high-visibility capture of the North's "most-wanted" enemy. The 8th TFW pilots (mostly in their early to mid-twenties) looked with distrust at this "old" guy who hadn't flown combat since WWII. Feel free to contact us using the form below: Late October, its around 70F and slightly foggy. Kunsan Air Base: The Den of the Wolf Pack - Aviation Lt. Col. Elisa Bones Hammer, 8th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron commander, checks in on a group of Airmen from the bio-environmental engineering (BEE) flight at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 25, 2023. The following day, a cartoon appeared in newspapers around the country, showing LBJ holding his fainting Official Vietnam Line, admonished by a scolding, heavily-medaled and mustachioed old fighter pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by 1st Lt. Cameron Silver), An official website of the United States government, SLIDESHOW | 0 images | BSC: Looking after the Wolf Pack, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron joined later in June 1967. 8th Tactical Fighter Wing - ROBIN OLDS He regularly writes books for Veldhuis Media Group. the capability of the ROKAF/USAF has improved exponentially. It was here that the squadron converted from the P-51 to the F-80. ( ! When U.S. forces left Korea in 1949, the base was turned over to the Republic of Korea Air Force. https://www.airforcemag.com/article/1198sweep/), NMUSAF PR Video: Robin speaking of his love for his ground crews. 8th Fighter Wing [8th FW] - globalsecurity.org Wolf Pack tail no. It is rather strange to be here, maybe its just me but you can feel the tension. Kunsan AFB and its 8th FW is home to more than 2,800 active-duty personnel, mostly U.S. Air Force (2750) but also U.S. Army (185), U.S. DoD civilians (28), Korean nationals (450) and family members (50-100). (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by 1st Lt. Cameron Silver), Maj. Brock McNabb (left), 8th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron (OMRS) mental health flight commander, laughs with Tech. Rotational Deployment in Korea of the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing was completed on November 8, 2017. 8th After receiving the first phase of one of the largest modernization efforts in U.S. Air Force F-16 program history, an upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcon rejoined the 8th WebThe 8th Fighter Wing is responsible for conducting air-to-ground and air-to-air missions in the 45 F-16s assigned to the wing. Their major goal: Making the 8th FW & 7th AF commanders feel that they were a viable asset and of great support to the active duty squadrons. Regardless of the location of the 8th FW F-16 assets, Airmen at the 8th OSS weather flight continue to support the Wolf Packs flying mission. The 80th Fighter Squadron, one of two fighter squadrons assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing. Even though operations differ between National Guard, Reserve and active duty units, the advantage for the 176th turned out to be experienced instructor pilots. The unit was, among others, based in Australia and New Guinea. Peter van den Berg is from Coevorden, Netherlands. We can produce forecasts all day, but if nobody uses them, that's kind of pointless, Verleur finished. All military members live on base in dormitories. Met by a large group of Pentagon officials, journalists, and photographers, he embraced his wife and daughters before posing for photos. Aforementioned 3rd Bombardment Wing returned to Japan at the end of the Korean Conflict. ) . Re-designated the 35th Fighter Bomber Squadron, it entered combat as the Korean War began. The aircrews' initial scepticism quickly turned to respect for the "old guy's" leadership style and obvious proficiency in the F-4. The war games came a week after North Korea test-fired its most powerful missile ever, an ICBM that may be able to target the eastern seaboard of the United States. The first airbase where he photographed was Soesterberg, Netherlands where the 32 TFS was stationed with the F-15. WebThe Official Website of the 908th Airlift Wing. Its mission is to deliver lethal airpower when and where directed, including interdiction, close air support, counter air, air superiority and suppression of enemy air defenses. Upgraded F-16 rejoins 8th FW > 15th Wing > Article Display Following the wars end, they moved to Fukuoka Air Base in Japan to fly the P-51 Mustang. 70 . The deployment became a great teaching opportunity, seeing that the guard had a lot of knowledge due to most of the crew having up to 20 years of experience. This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (August 2015) The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Contents of this website may not be used without prior written permission. The 35th changed base multiple times throughout Korea, including Pyongyang, flying the F-80 Shooting Star (and later the F-86 Sabre). Wolf Pack welcomes Wolf 61. As the family left together in an Air Force staff car, Robin was informed he had to report immediately to his boss in the Pentagon, followed by a visit to the White House. The 80th Fighter Squadron was activated during WWII, in 1942, as the 80th Pursuit Squadron at Mitchell Field, NY. (Capt.) December also began the planning for Operation BOLO, a tactic to disguise flights of F-4s as F-105s, which were flying bombing missions so routine (as ordered by Washington) that North Vietnamese MiGs and SAM missles easily shot them out of the sky. Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, Accessibility team build foundation Less than a year later, on 1 July 1958, the Air Force redesignated the wing as the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. During its tenure at Itazuke, the wing flew several different aircraft, including the North American F-86 Sabre, North American F-100 Super Sabre, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, and Republic F-105 Thunderchief . By the end of the war, the 8th TFW led the USAF wings in SEA with a total of 38.5 MiGs destroyed. MiG pilots avoided engaging the powerful, heavily armed and more maneuverable F-4s. The pilots surged out of the briefing toward their waiting F-4s and ground crews with new fervor and a brand new identity. The squadron started flying F-100s after the Korean War had ended. The airmen, nicknamed the Badgers, have frequently been active in the region since 2004. The squadron received P-38 Lightning aircraft in January of 1943, which it operated throughout the rest of the war. Together they formed a legendary team known as "Blackman and Robin". The Squadron flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon out of Kunsan Air Base and is assigned to the Wolf Pack (8th Fighter Wing). This goes to show the tension and threat, something that I certainly felt during my time at Kunsan. One photograph in particular showed his youngest daughter, Susan, playfully mimicking her father's mustache with a strand of long hair above her upper lip. The squadron performs a wide variety of activities such as air-and-space control, counter air, strategic attack, interdiction and close-air support missions. As part of a reorganization program, the 80, Re-designated the 35th Fighter Bomber Squadron, it entered combat as the Korean War began. Air Force maintainers from the 8th Fighter Wing maneuver an F-16 Fighting Falcon into a hardened aircraft shelter during the Fiscal Year 2023 More 8FWPA Images The base is established on the west coast of the country, close to Gunsan City. The 35th Fighter Squadrons mission is to provide combat-ready F-16 C/D fighter aircraft to conduct air operations throughout the Pacific. It was mainly tasked with escorting light to medium bombers and ground support attacks. G. Shoemaker once mentioned: , Post war, the squadron moved to Itazuke AB, Japan. The airmen, nicknamed the Badgers, have frequently been active in the region since 2004. WebKunsan Air Base is home to the 8th Fighter Wing which is known as the Wolf Pack, a nickname given during the command of Colonel Robin Olds back in 1966. WebU.S. In mid-January 1967, increasingly frustrated by missions planned and ordered by the White House and Pentagon brass back in Washington, Robin decided to grow a mustache deliberately out of limits, knowing it would inflame his bosses and inspire his crews. This iconic mustache became the visible symbol of the fighting spirit of the Wolf Pack and its renegade leader. Kunsan Air Base, located in the Republic of Korea, is home to the 8th Fighter Wing, known as the Wolf Pack. As mentioned, its first combat base was in New Guinea, after which it moved through Borneo and the Celebes Islands. During the second half of 2017, the 118th Fighter Wing was stationed here for several months. It scored the final American aerial victories of the war on the 14th of August, 1945. It was in 1981 that the 80th became the first overseas squadron to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon. As the squadron was re-designated the 35th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) and moved to Mitchell Field, N.Y., they started flying the P-40 Warhawk. The legend of the maverick Robin Olds had been fully born. The 8th Fighter Wing consists of four groups, each carrying the responsibility for the wings operations, maintenance, support & medical functions. (Operation BOLO) Wolf Pack( ) . . The Robin Olds Factor; Air Force magazine June 1, 2008. https://www.airforcemag.com/article/1198sweep/, https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001329821/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-010.pdf, https://www.airforcemag.com/article/0608olds/. A variety of Air Base Groups and Squadrons operated and maintained the base in the decades after the Korean Conflict. (For detailed description of Operation Bolo, see: MiG Sweep by Walter Boyne, November 1, 1998, Aces & Aerial Victories, US Air Force in Southeast Asia 1965-. It is one of two All 8th TFW squadrons flew F-4Cs until F-4Ds replaced the older aircraft in 1967. Both meetings were contentious. This battalion is equipped with Patriot Advanced Capability, or PAC-3, missiles. It was April 1951 that the 27th Air Base Group became the first Air Force unit assigned to the base. The 8th Medical Group is tasked with managing the medical clinic, offering flight & general medicine, dentistry and military public health services. 8th December also began the planning for Operation BOLO, a tactic to disguise flights of F-4s as F-105s, which were flying bombing missions so routine (as ordered by Washington) that North Vietnamese MiGs and SAM missles easily shot them out of the sky. It was later re-designated the 8th Fighter Wing in 1992. Members of the Air Force bioenvironmental engineering career field work to ensure healthy and safe working conditions for Airmen through the management and monitoring of various programs such as industrial hygiene, radiological health and environmental protection. Block 40 F-16s were received in 2000, these aircraft carried Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pods, enabling the Wolf Pack to take the fight into the night.