8th Fighter Wing, US Air Force
8TH FIGHTER WING, US AIR FORCE
History: Established as 8 Fighter Wing on 10 August 1948. Activated on 18 August 1948. Redesignated as: 8 Fighter-Bomber Wing on 20 January 1950; 8 Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958; 8 Fighter Wing on 3 February 1992. Air defense in Japan, August 1948-June 1950. Combat operations in Korea, June 1950-July 1953. Provided air cover for the evacuation of civilians from Seoul, 26-28 June 1950, then conducted interdiction and close ground support missions. The tactical group and its squadrons moved to South Korea on 11 August 1950, while the wing remained in Japan and assumed operational control of other combat units. Wing and group reunited on 1 December 1950, performed a variety of missions, including some strategic bombardment, air cover for bombers, armed reconnaissance, and low-level bombing and strafing for interdiction and ground support. Air defense in South Korea, July 1953-October 1954. Air defense in Japan, and maintenance of a quick-reaction strike force, October 1954-May 1964. On 18 June 1964, the wing moved without personnel or equipment to California, absorbing resources of the 32 Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW). Trained with F-4 aircraft until it moved to Thailand in December 1965 to commence combat operations, including bombardment, ground support, air defense, interdiction, and armed reconnaissance. In May 1968, the wing was the first to use laser-guided bombs (LGBs) in combat. During its final years of combat, the wing used B-57s for night attacks, AC-130 gunships for ground support and armed reconnaissance, and F-4s for fast-forward air control, interdiction, escort, armed reconnaissance, and other special missions. After North Vietnam invaded the Republic of Vietnam in March 1972, the 8th Wing was augmented by additional F-4 units. To make room for these forces, the B-57 squadron moved to the Philippines. The wing continued combat in Vietnam until mid-January 1973, in Laos until 22 February 1973, and in Cambodia until 15 August 1973. The last scheduled F-4 training flight occurred on 16 July l974, and on 16 September the wing moved without personnel or equipment to Kunsan AB, South Korea, where it absorbed resources of the 3 TFW and became responsible for air defense of South Korea. Transitioned to F-16 aircraft in 1981 and became the first active-duty overseas F-16 wing. Performed air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in support of taskings throughout the Pacific, c. 2000-.
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Origin/meaning
Approved for 8th Group on 6 September 1934 and for 8th Wing on 3 July 1952.
Literature: Images from Wikimedia Commons. Information from https://www.afhra.af.mil/