104th Deploys

In what I believe is the first deployment with the F-15 since the conversion from the A-10 The Massachusetts ANG 104th FS deployed last week to Southwest Asia along wit helements of the 159th FS, Florida ANG.

The ANG fighter squadrons form an integral spoke in our national defense. These citizen Airmen preform a vital mission is the defense of the United States and deserve our full support.

Fourth But First

From the Air Force web site, a big day in store for the 4th Fighter Wing today. A great Wing that traces its heritage back to the RAF Eagle Squadrons. The Fourth has fought in every conflict since WWII. I retired out of the 334 FS one of the original Eagle Squadrons.

Members of the 4th Fighter Wing will pay homage to World War II history at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, NC, Monday, April 16th by launching 70 F-15E Strike Eagles in a training mission to destroy more than 1,000 targets on bombing ranges across North Carolina. They do so to commemorate a pivotal day in history. During World War II on April 16, 1945, the 4th Fighter Group destroyed 105 enemy aircraft as part of an 8th Air Force mission involving 1,252 bombers and 913 fighters. This mission catapulted the 4th Fighter Group to 1,016 enemy aircraft destroyed, more than any group or wing in U.S. Air Force history. On the same day, nearly 70 years later, the 4th Fighter Wing will launch 70 aircraft to achieve this same objective, officials said. In 1945, it took thousands of aircraft to destroy 1,016 targets; the 4th Fighter Wing will achieve the same goal in 2012 with only 70 F-15Es. Col. Patrick Doherty, the 4th Fighter Wing commander, will lead the launch. The 4th Fighter Wing is home to four fighter squadrons, three of which were part of the original Eagle squadrons, American volunteers who flew as part of the Royal Air Force in the early days of the war. "We proudly carry on the legacy of the 4th Fighter Group's victory today with the F-15E Strike Eagle," Doherty said. "Even though today's fight is different, the dedication of our Airmen has not wavered, and we are still 'Fourth but First.'"

Air Force names top fighter squadron

The 67th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Okinawa has been awarded the prestigious Raytheon Trophy. The Trophy is awarded annually to the Air Force's Top Fighter Squadron. It's nice to see an F-15 unit win again. My hats off to the maintainer's keeping these 30 year old airframes in top notch flying order.

Air Force Anounces Combat Air Force Restructure

We are now at the stage that Colonel Everest E. Riccioni predicted in his Aug 2, 2001 article titled Is the Air Force Spending Itself into Unilateral Disarmament?.
It is a sad state that the combat Air Forces find themselves in thanks to years of mismanagement of procurement funds and the lack of vision by senior leadership.
The lock step demand for the F-22 now capped at a ridiculously small number has made what used to be a force to feared now questionable against potential adversaries. With Gen Schwartz’s own statements made Feb 17 that F-22 FMC rates are in the 60 percent range thanks to LO issues and then only climb into the low 70’s when LO is not taken into account is another sad legacy of the silver bullet theory. A force like the PLAF, which has 700 4th generation jets, and growing must gaze in wonder and ask what happened to the USAF? To think that we have managed to take an active duty force that at one time possessed over 1600 admittedly aging F-15 and F-16 aircraft and are trying to replace them with 189 F-22 and a yet to be determined number of F-35’s, is absurd. We have no one to blame except for what used to be called the perfume princes in the Pentagon for this debacle.
Click the title for the Air Force link article