Lineage

Established as 4th Fighter Wing on 28 Jul 1947. Organized on 15 Aug 1947. Redesignated: 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 20 Jan 1950; 4th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 8 Mar 1955; 4th Fighter-Day Wing on 25 Apr 1956; 4th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 Jul 1958; 4th Wing on 22 Apr 1991.

Assignments

Strategic Air Command, 15 Aug 1947; Fourteenth Air Force, 1 Dec 1948 (attached to First Air Force, 15 Jan?22 Feb 1949); Ninth Air Force, 23 Feb 1949 (attached to Eastern Air Defense Force, 10 Nov 1949?; further attached to 26th Air Division [Defense], 20 Feb 1950?); First Air Force, 1 Aug 1950 (remained attached to Eastern Air Defense Force and further attached to 26th Air Division [Defense]); Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 Sep 1950 (remained attached to 26th Air Division [Defense] to c. 19 Nov 1950; attached to Fifth Air Force, 28 Nov 1950?7 Mar 1955; further attached to 314th Air Division, 22 Dec 1950?7 May 1951; further attached to 39th Air Division, 1?7 Mar 1955); 39th Air Division, 8 Mar 1955; Ninth Air Force, 8 Dec 1957; Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jul 1960; Ninth Air Force, 1 Jan 1962 (attached to 2d Air Division [Provisional], 21 Oct?c. 29 Nov 1962); 833d Air Division, 1 Oct 1964 (attached to Fifth Air Force ADVON, 29 Jan?c. 29 Jul 1968); Ninth Air Force, 24 Dec 1969?.

Components

Wings. 354th Tactical Fighter: attached 5?24 Jul 1968

Groups. 4th Fighter (later, 4th Fighter-Interceptor; 4th Fighter-Bomber; 4th Fighter-Day; 4th Operations): 15 Aug 1947?8 Dec 1957; 22 Apr 1991?. 363d Tactical Reconnaissance: attached 26 Apr 1949?c. 1 Aug 1950.

Squadrons. 7th Fighter-Bomber: attached 21 Mar?1 Jul 1957. 333d Fighter-Day (later, 333d Tactical Fighter): 8 Dec 1957?4 Dec 1965 (detached 10 Mar 1964?c. 15 Mar 1965). 334th Fighter-Day (later, 334th Tactical Fighter): 8 Dec 1957?22 Apr 1991 (detached 1 Apr?13 Aug 1963, 15 Feb?29 May 1965, 28 Aug 1965?5 Feb 1966, 13 Dec 1969?c. 31 May 1970, 11 Apr? 5 Aug 1972, 30 Sep 1972?18 Mar 1973, 29 Aug?29 Sep 1980, 26 Aug? 29 Sep 1981, 22 May?20 Jun 1984). 335th Fighter-Day (later, 335th Tactical Fighter): 8 Dec 1957?22 Apr 1991 (detached 1 May 1960?22 Nov 1961, 16 Nov 1964?21 Feb 1965, 3 Jul?15 Dec 1965, 4 Dec 1969?c. 25 May 1970, 6 Jul?22 Dec 1972, 2 Sep?2 Oct 1978, 28 Aug?29 Sep 1979, 27 Dec 1990? 22 Apr 1991). 336th Fighter-Day (later, 336th Tactical Fighter): 8 Dec 1957? 22 Apr 1991 (detached 12 Aug 1963?7 Jan 1964, 25 May?30 Aug 1965, 12 Apr?30 Sep 1972, 9 Mar?7 Sep 1973, 25 Mar?17 Apr 1977, 11 Sep? 13 Oct 1978, 31 Aug?1 Oct 1979, 26 Aug?26 Sep 1980, 5 Sep?3 Oct 1983, 26 Aug?26 Sep 1985, 9 Aug 1990?13 Mar 1991). 337th Tactical Fighter: 1 Apr 1982?1 Jul 1985. 339th Fighter-Interceptor: attached 18 Nov 1954? 15 Sep 1957. 476th Tactical Fighter: 25 Sep 1968-18 Mar 1969. 558th Tactical Fighter: attached 4 Feb?10 Mar 1968 and 26 Mar?22 Jul 1968.

Stations

Andrews AFB, MD, 15 Aug 1947; Langley AFB, VA, 26 Apr 1949; New Castle County Aprt, DE, 8 Sep?19 Nov 1950; Johnson AB, Japan, 28 Nov 1950; Suwon AB, South Korea, 7 May 1951; Kimpo AB, South Korea, 23 Aug 1951; Chitose AB, Japan, 1 Oct 1954?8 Dec 1957; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, 8 Dec 1957?.

Commanders

Brig Gen Yantis H. Taylor, 15 Aug 1947; Col Arthur C. Agan, Jr., 17 Feb 1949; Col Robert W. C. Wimsatt, 26 Apr 1949; Col Henry B. Fisher, 14 Jun 1949; Col Albert L. Evans, Jr., 13 Aug 1949; Col Bela A. Harcos, 22 Aug 1949; Brig Gen George F. Smith, 3 Oct 1949; Col Herman A. Schmid, May 1951; Col Harrison R. Thyng, 1 Nov 1951; Col Charles E. King, 2 Oct 1952; Col James K. Johnson, 11 Nov 1952; Col Donald P. Hall, 9 Aug 1953; Col Neil A. Newman, 30 Jun 1954; Col Alvin E. Hebert, 10 Aug 1954; Col Grover C. Brown, 1 May 1955; Col Robert P. Montgomery, 17 Aug 1956; Col Earle R. Myers, 6 Jun 1957; Col James M. Smelley, 2 Jul 1957; Col Robert C. Richardson III, 8 Dec 1957; Col Timothy F. O?Keefe, 5 Jan 1958; Brig Gen Joseph H. Moore, 28 Feb 1959; Col Albert L. Evans, Jr., 18 Oct 1961; Brig Gen Gordon M. Graham, 15 Jul 1962; Col John R. Murphy, 16 Oct 1963; Col William E. Bryan, Jr., 4 Jan 1965; Col Homer C. Boles, 27 Jan 1966; Col William R. Eichelberger, 30 May 1966; Col Robert V. Spencer, 1 Jul 1966; Col William R. Eichelberger, 28 Jan 1967; Col Paul C. Watson, 17 Feb 1967; Col Everett N. Farrell, 6 Jan 1968; Col Jack W. Hayes, Jr., 26 Jan 1968; Col Charles E. Yeager, 23 Mar 1968; Col Marion L. Boswell, 30 May 1969; Col Walter P. Paluch, Jr., 16 May 1970; Col James R. Hildreth, 19 Feb 1971; Col John E. Ralph, 21 Apr 1972; Col Len C. Russell, 21 May 1973; Col James N. Portis, 11 Feb 1974; Col Robert D. Russ, 7 Aug 1975; Col Robert S. Beale, 6 Jun 1976; Col Craven C. Rogers, Jr., 2 Jun 1978; Col Peter T. Kempf, 19 Jun 1980; Col Lawrence E. Huggins, 24 May 1982; Col Gerald A. Daniel, 29 May 1984; Col William J. Ball, 19 Mar 1986; Col John O. McFalls III, 18 Mar 1988; Col Hal M. Hornburg, 23 Apr 1990; Col James C. Wray, 10 Aug 1990 (acting); Col Hal M. Hornburg, 15 Mar 1991; Maj Gen Eldon W. Joersz, 31 Jul 1992?.

Aircraft

P (later, F)?80, 1947?1949, 1954; RB?26, 1949?1950; B?45, 1949?1950; FP?80, 1949?1950; RF?80, 1949?1950; F?86, 1949?1957, 1957?1958; F-100, 1957?1960; F?105, 1958?1966; F?4, 1967?1991; F?15, 1988?; KC-10, 1991?; T?38, 1993?.

Operations

Performed tactical operations as part of air defense in the United States, 1947?1948. Flew air defense with own components, and reconnaissance and bombardment with attached 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group (which itself had two fighter-bomber squadrons attached), 1948?1950. Moved to Japan in Nov 1950. The tactical group moved to South Korea for combat in Dec 1950, but the wing remained in Japan, performing air defense operations. Moved to South Korea in May 1951 and primarily conducted air superiority operations, 7 May 1951?27 Jul 1953. Wing components accounted for more than 500 air-to-air kills, and produced 25 aces. Also performed bomber escort and interdiction missions. Provided air defense and reconnaissance in Korea, Japan, Formosa, and the Philippines, 1953?1957. Returned to the United States in Dec 1957. Participated in tactical evaluation of the F?105 aircraft, May 1958?Oct 1961. Deployed in Florida during the Cuban missile crisis, 21 Oct?29 Nov 1962. Operated an F?105 replacement training function, Mar?Nov 1966. Deployed at Kunsan AB, South Korea, following the Pueblo crisis, Jan?Jul 1968. Rotated tactical squadrons to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, as augmentees of the 8th TFW for combat operations, Apr 1972 until the end of the Southeast Asian conflict. Executed short-term deployments to Korea and Germany during 1977 and assumed a dual-based mission that required annual deployments to Europe through 1985. Continued deployments to Denmark and Germany in 1987 and 1989. Began conversion to F?15E aircraft in Dec 1988. At the height of transition training, deployed 335th and 336th squadrons and support personnel to Saudi Arabia, to participate in the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait, beginning in Aug 1990. Continued rotating squadron elements to Saudi Arabia 1991?present. In Apr 1991 added two air refueling squadrons equipped with KC?10 aircraft.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Korea: CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer?Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer?Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea Summer, 1953. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Air Force Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1967?30 Jun 1968; 16 Sep 1973? 15 Apr 1974; 22 Nov 1974?31 Dec 1975; 2 Feb 1976?18 Apr 1977; 1 Jun 1982?31 May 1984; 1 Jan 1987?30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1989?22 Apr 1991; 23 Apr 1991?31 Mar 1993. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations: 1 Nov 1951?30 Sep 1952; 1 Oct 1952?31 Mar 1953.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 4th Operations Group prior to 15 Aug 1947.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: France, 5 Mar?24 Apr 1944.

Emblem

Azure, on a bend Or, a spear garnished with three eagle feathers and shaft flammant to base all proper, all within a diminished bordure Or. Motto: FOURTH BUT FIRST. Approved for 4th Group on 26 Sep 1949 and for 4th Wing on 7 Oct 1952 (K 4941).