Back to Korea
Although the 8th ceased combat operations in August 1973, it remained at Ubon until September 1974, maintaining a combat-ready force in the region. On 16 September 1974, the 8th moved to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. This move took place without personnel or equipment, and the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing absorbed the assets of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. The 3rd moved without personnel or equipment to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. With the move, the 8th was reunited with two squadrons that had previously been associated with the wing, the 35th and the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. Again the wing flew the F-4 Phantom, providing air defense over South Korea. Following the "tree-cutting incident," an August 1976 border confrontation involving the murder of two U.S. Army officers by North Koreans, tensions rose between North and South Korea. In response, the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing was placed on heightened alert and the 12th and 67th Tactical Fighter Squadrons from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, temporarily joined the wing at Kunsan, bringing the strength of the 8 TFW to four squadrons of F-4 fighters. In September the tensions eased and the two augmenting squadrons returned to Kadena.
On 1 October 1978, the wing gained a third flying unit, the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at Taegu Air Base, South Korea. Operations continued unchanged for the next few years, until the wing transitioned from the F-4 to the newer F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Wolf Pack’s transition from the F-4 to the F-16 began with the arrival of the wing’s first F-16 on 29 May 1981. The wing’s first F-16 sortie was flown the following 18 September and, by 19 July 1982, the conversion of the 35th and 80th Fighter squadrons was complete as the last F-4 departed Kunsan. This aircraft conversion made the 8th the first active-duty overseas F-16 wing. On 1 January 1982, the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Taegu inactivated.
For the next ten years the wing used the F-16 to maintain combat readiness for the defense of Korea. While the overall mission remained unchanged, the wing reorganized on 3 February 1992. The wing became the 8th Fighter Wing. Further, the wing adopted a new organizational structure. Under the former tri-deputy system, the wing commander had three deputy commanders, one each for operations, maintenance, and resources. As well, the squadrons were assigned directly to the wing. In 1992, the wing adopted a multi-group structure. This reorganization re-activated the 8th Operations Group and assigned it and the 8th Logistics, Support, and Medical Groups directly to the wing. The squadrons were then assigned to their functionally aligned groups.
The 8th Fighter Wing entered a new era in November 2000. On 17 November, the 35th Fighter Squadron received its first Block 40 F-16s. The new aircraft carried Low-Altitude Navigation & Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pods. The 35th completed its conversion in February 2001. The combination of LANTIRN and night-vision goggles has allowed the Wolf Pack to take the fight into the night.
For over fifty years, the 8th Fighter Wing has served the United States in the Pacific Theater. The men and women of the wing continue to enrich history of the organization known the world over as the Wolf Pack. ATTAQUEZ ET CONQUEREZ!
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