Wolf Pack celebrates AF 60th Birthday

  • Published
  • Courtesy of 8th Fighter Wing History Office
KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea --  Members of the 8th Fighter Wing will participate in the celebration of the Air Force's 60th anniversary Sept. 15. The Air Force Ball will be held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. There  be a cake cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Sept. 18 at the Loring Club. All Wolf Pack members are invited to attend.
The 8th Fighter Wing has a rich history, dating back 60 years. The following is a snap shot of events throughout the years.

Birth of the 8th Fighter Wing
The Air Force established the 8th Fighter Wing Aug. 10, 1948. On Aug. 18 of that year, it was formally activated at Ashiya Air Base, Japan. While the wing itself did not serve in World War II, it shares ties with the 8th Fighter Group of that era. In the late 1940s, the Air Force replaced operations groups with wings and sought to preserve the lineage and honors of the World War II organizations by bestowing the campaign credits and awards of the groups on their like-numbered wings.

The Korean War
On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, beginning a war that would last three years. The 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing was the first fighter wing to fly combat missions, providing air cover for the evacuation of Americans from Korea on June 26, 1950, the day after the invasion. In these early operations, the wing flew the F-80 Shooting Star jet fighter and propeller driven aircraft such as the F-51 Mustang and F-28 Twin Mustang. In addition to the 35th, 36th and 80th Fighter Squadrons, the wing had several squadrons attached to it during the first several months of the war. The first aerial victory of the Korean War went to 1st Lt. William G. Hudson, of the 68th Fighter All-Weather Squadron, which was attached to the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing. The 35th Squadron's F-80s scored the Air Force's first confirmed kills from jet aircraft. Throughout the war, the wing was principally tasked with air-to-ground operations, providing close air support to United Nation's ground forces and attacking targets such as supply centers and transportation assets. The wing finished the war flying the F-86 Sabre and assumed responsibility for South Korean air defense until it relocated to Itazuke Air Base, Japan in Oct. 1954.

Vietnam conflict
The 8th Fighter Wing was stationed in Thailand, at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand throughout the Vietnam conflict. Operations varied considerably throughout the period. The wing was called upon to perform combat air patrols, air interdiction, ground support and armed reconnaissance missions. The wing brought tremendous experience and confidence to the fight. Colonel Robin Olds, the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing commander, and first "Wolf," had 12 enemy kills from World War II under his belt. Other pilots had similar levels of experience. In the final pre-flight brief on New Year's Day 1967, Colonel Olds told his pilots, "All right you Wolf Pack, let's go get them."

Arrival at Kunsan
The 8th ceased combat operations in Aug. 1973. It remained at Ubon until Sept. 1974, maintaining a combat-ready force in the region. On Sept. 16, 1974, the 8th moved to Kunsan Air Base where they became designated the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. With the move, the 8th TFW became reunited with two squadrons that had previously been associated with the wing, the 35th and 80th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. The wing flew the F-4 Phantom, providing air defense over South Korea. On Oct. 1, 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 new few years, until the wing transitioned from the F-4 to the new F-16 Fighting Falcon. The first F-16 arrived here May 29, 1981. By July 19, 1982, the 35th and 80th Tactical Fighter Squadrons completed the aircraft conversion making the 8th TAC, the first active-duty overseas F-16 wing.

New structure
After the arrival of the F-16s, for the next 10 years, the wing used the F-16s to maintain combat readiness for the defense of Korea. While the overall mission remained unchanged, the wing reorganized Feb. 3, 1992. The 8th TFW became the 8th Fighter Wing and 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. The squadrons were assigned directly to the wing. In 1992, the wing adopted a multi-group structure. The Wolf Pack entered a new era in Nov., 2000. It was then the 35th FS received its first Block 40 F-16s. The 35th completed its conversion in February 2001.

For more than 50 years, the Wolf Pack has served in the U.S. Pacific Theater, a proud, responsive lethal defender of freedom and the premier combat wing in the U.S. Air Force.