SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --
The Airmen of Team Seymour have had more than 31.5 million seconds in 2017, and they used every one of them to accomplish the wing’s mission of Dominant Strike Eagle Airpower … Anytime, Anywhere.
“The 4th Fighter Wing maintained the long-standing tradition of ‘Fourth but First’ throughout 2017, showcasing readiness and airpower,” said Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander. “We look forward to overcoming any challenges 2018 may bring.”
The year began with the 4th Logistics Readiness Squadron implementing a new process to reduce the number of discrepancies in Airmen’s deployment checklists with the goal of a five-percent decrease every six months. Later in January, Sage, code-named Lion 1, received a firsthand experience in Seymour Johnson’s own Razor Talon training exercise.
In February, Team Seymour joined up with Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, for Exercise Coronet Warrior 17-01, a two-day rescue mission for a simulated F-15E Strike Eagle crash.
A few days later, 7-year-old Alexis “Crusher” Chamberlain, who had been diagnosed with leukemia, was invited by the 4th FW and the 334th Fighter Squadron to be an honorary pilot and a special guest for the day. Later in February, Airmen from Seymour Johnson showcased mission accomplishments and base improvements, including the new Razor Talon War Room, to the 9th Air Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Scott Zobrist, during his visit.
Seymour Johnson hosted Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Affairs in March giving him a firsthand view of the Strike Eagle’s capabilities. To wrap up the first quarter, nearly 1,500 SJ Airmen flooded Eagle’s Landing for the 2017 Make It Better convention seeking to join one of the 113 clubs on base.
A ceremony was held April 21 to unveil new paint jobs on two T-34C Turbo Mentor planes for the North Carolina Forest Service aviation division that members of the 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron corrosion control shop repainted. Nearly at the same time, two Airmen from the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal graduated from the U.S. Army Air Assault School at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, while deployed to Southwest Asia; this marked the first time an Airman graduated from this course while on a contingency operation deployment.
The month of May consisted heavily on preparation for the 2017 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, which attracted more than 230,000 over the two-day span. More than 35 static display aircraft were parked on the tarmac as 20 aerial demonstrations teams performed each day.
Operation Air Force brought 10 Air Force Academy cadets to Seymour Johnson in June, allowing them to shadow Airmen in different career fields, including security forces, maintenance, operations and force support.
Also in June, Airmen from various SJ units participated in a survival, evasion, resistance and escape augmentee program, which gave “non-flying” Airmen the opportunity to receive the same training as the aircrew so they understand the pilots and weapon system officers’ thought processes, and help train aircrew in their refresher courses.
Exercise Thunderdome 17-02 tested SJ Airmen’s ability to deploy rapidly in July, to ensure they are prepared to provide air superiority at a moment’s notice should the necessity arise in any current or future conflict.
At the same time as Thunderdome, North Carolina’s Governor, Roy Cooper, visited the installation to gain a better understanding of the 4th FW’s mission and its ability to project airpower. This marked the first time Governor Cooper had visited SJ since his election in January 2017.
Members of the 4th Security Forces Squadron teamed up with students from Wayne Community College and the Goldsboro Police Department in August to practice basic SWAT techniques. For the first time in almost a century, a solar eclipse crossed the United States from coast to coast and SJ witnessed a maximum of 94 percent obstruction of the sun over the nearly three-hour event.
In early September, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is officially designated as the next destination for the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus Aerial Refueling Tanker. Later in the month, the 4th FW celebrated its 75th anniversary, as it was activated Sept. 29, 1942, in Debden, England during World War II. The wing celebrated the occasion by excavating a 25-year-old time capsule including photos, unit patches and audio recordings by wing leadership from 1967. The base also hosted base tours for people interested in touring the base to learn more about the heritage aircraft that have flown here, to socialize with current-serving Airmen, to watch demos from support agencies and operations units throughout the base. The Battle of Britain ceremony was the stage for Sage, Dr. Roy Heidicker, 4th Fighter Wing Historian, and Maj. Christopher Rugg, Royal Air Force exchange officer, to speak about the significance of the 75th Anniversary, then units burned multiple donated pianos as part of tradition from the Royal Air Force. Also during the Battle of Britain ceremony, the wing unveiled a heritage aircraft paint scheme on an F-15E Strike Eagle. A formal gala honored the milestone and the wing’s achievements throughout its history. Also during the gala, Sage joined six former 4th FW commanders to include Gen. Mike Holmes, current commander of Air Combat Command, as they were honored for their contributions toward the wing’s accomplishments.
As the final quarter of the year began, the wing announced that it had met and exceeded the allotted sorties and flying hours organized through the flying hour program. During this period, 4th Maintenance Group Airmen worked alongside Boeing’s mechanics to continue the F-15E’s radar modification upgrades, a process that will continue over the next several years.
In October, more than 500 members of Team Seymour deployed to Southwest Asia to support Operation Inherent Resolve.
Working dogs and their handlers from across North Carolina came to SJ in October to take part in the East Coast Iron Dog Competition, which consisted of a narcotics and an explosive detection course, a high-risk patrol scenario including tactical movements, the hardest-hitting dog contest, and a 2-mile team endurance challenge with a veterinarian questionnaire for the handler.
At the end of October, the base hosted the final official reunion of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, an association that was established more than 20 years ago to bring together those who served in the war, by helping them travel across the U.S. and see different aircraft at different bases.
Nearly 150 Airmen from Team Seymour marched in the Goldsboro Veterans Day parade Nov. 11. Sage was one of the keynote speakers during the event.
The year concluded with the SJ Officer and Civilian Spouses Club collecting thousands of donated cookies for the annual Airmen Cookie Drive, which benefited Airmen residing in the dorms and several workcenters through the base. Several dozen SJ Airmen and family members volunteered Dec. 15 at the Wreaths Across America event in Princeton, North Carolina, as they laid wreaths at the head stones of fallen servicemembers.
In 2018, Team Seymour looks forward to a new year and will remain ready to project Dominant Strike Eagle Airpower … Anytime, Anywhere.