4th Operations Group | |
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Active | 1942–1945, 1946–1957, 1991–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Type | Operations Group |
Garrison/HQ | Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina |
Motto(s) | Fourth But First |
Engagements |
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Decorations | |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel Michael Alfaro |
Notable commanders | Colonel Donald Blakeslee General John C. Meyer LtCol Bud Mahurin LtCol Ralph Jodice |
Insignia | |
4th Operations Group emblem |
The 4th Operations Group (4 OG) is the flying component of the 4th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The 4 OG is a direct descendant of the World War II 4th Fighter Group, the United States Army Air Forces VIII Fighter Command unit formed from the members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Eagle Squadrons. These fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed prior to the United States entry into World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States.
When the United States entered the war these units, and the American pilots in them, were transferred to the United States Eighth Air Force, with the RAF Nos. 71, 121, and 133 Squadrons becoming the 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group, 65th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command.
Today, the 4 OG consists of two operational fighter squadrons, the 335th and 336th; two fighter training squadrons, the 333d and 334th; and two support squadrons. The group provides command and control for two operational F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons and is responsible for conducting the Air Force's only F-15E training operation, qualifying crews to serve in worldwide combat-ready positions.