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4th Fighter Wing
| 4th Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
 4th Fighter Wing emblem[1] | |
| Active | 1942–1945, 1946–1957, 1991–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina |
| Motto(s) | Fourth But First |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col. Morgan Lohse |
| Command Chief | CCM Eric M. West |
| Notable commanders | Walker M. Mahurin John C. Meyer Chuck Yeager Robert C. Richardson III John E. Ralph[2] Hal M. Hornburg Lance L. Smith Norman R. Seip Steven L. Kwast Jeannie Leavitt Lawrence E. Huggins William E. Bryan Jr. |
The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit.
The wing is one of two Air Force units that can trace its history to another country. The wing's 4th Operations Group had its origins as the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons (Nos. 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons).[3] When the United States entered World War II, these units, and the American pilots in them, were transferred to the United States Army Air Forces VIII Fighter Command, forming the 4th Fighter Group on 12 September 1942.
The 4th Fighter Group was the first fighter group to use belly tanks, the first to penetrate Germany, the first to accompany bombers to Berlin, the first to accomplish the England-to-Soviet Union shuttle and the first to down jet fighters.[3] The group was credited with the destruction of 1,016 (including strafing kills) enemy aircraft, more than any other American fighter unit, and produced 38 aces.
The current commander of the 4th Fighter Wing is Colonel Luke Teel.
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (6 February 2015). "Factsheet 4 Fighter Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "AFL Biography: MAJOR GENERAL JOHN E. RALPH". Retrieved 11 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Factsheet: 4th Fighter Wing History". 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
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