4th Operations Group 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 . The 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 . Assigned Units . The 4th Operations Group ( Tail Code : SJ ) consists of the following squadrons : History . World War II . The unit was activated in England in September 1942 . The initial cadre for the group were former U . S . members of RAF Eagle Squadrons . Served in combat over Europe from October 1942 to April 1945 . The American fliers of the Eagle Squadrons , which had begun fighting ten months before Pearl Harbor , were taken into the U . S . Army Air Forces to form the 4th Fighter Group ( FG ) - based upon VIII Fighter Command ( FC ) order of 12 September 1942 . This VIII FC order originated based upon the recommendation and urgent requirements provided by Brigadier General Hunter and his USAAF staff at Bushey Hall , Hertfordshire . An official ceremony was conducted at the RAF North Weald Airfield , in Debden , near to the Essex town of Epping , at noon , Tuesday , 29 September 1942 - following a typical brisk English rainstorm that left a misty , overcast sky and wet grounds for the remainder of the day . This joint RAF / USAAF ceremony was held adjacent to the airfield administration building on the concrete parking area . Present at this ceremony included USAAF leaders Brigadier General Frank O ' D . Hunter and Major General Carl A . Spaatz , Brigadier General Ira Eaker , U . S . and English war correspondents , Air Marshal Harold " Gus " Edwards RCAF , along with Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas , RAF . The ceremony officiated both the commissioning of the 4th Fighter Group under the command of Colonel Edward W . Anderson ( Manhattan , Kansas ) USAAF , and the establishment of the airfield as a new airbase of the 4th Fighter Group . With such ceremonies presentation of awards are usually conducted . Along with Colonel Anderson , Brigadier General Hunter stepped forward and awarded these combat - experienced American pilots . Squadron commander William James Daley ( Hemphill , Texas ) was made a major in the USAAF and given his USAAF pilot wings , commencing command of the 335th FS that afternoon . The two other squadron commanders promoted to major and given their USAAF pilot wings of the USAAF were Carroll Warren McColpin ( Buffalo New York ) of the 336th FS , and Gregory A . " Gus " Daymond ( Great Falls , Montana ) of the 334th FS . The remaining 31 American pilots received their USAAF wings , as well . Following this award presentation , Air Marshal Douglas , who had earlier complained to Lieutenant General Henry H . " Hap " Arnold accusing these very same combat - experienced American pilots as prima donnas , stepped forward to the BBC and U . S . microphones with his typed - speech in hand and spoke to the assembled joint air force officers and enlisted personnel standing at attention on the wet concrete flightline . Paying tribute to these American pilots in his typical clipped , political speech : " I want to wish on that , my first opportunity of addressing the Eagle Squadrons , together on one station , my words should have been other than words of farewell . We of Fighter Command deeply regret this parting . The U . S . Army Air Corps - their gain is very much the Royal Air Force ' s loss . The loss to the Luftwaffe will no doubt continue as before . You were the vanguard of that great host of your compatriots who are now helping us to make these islands a base from which to launch that great offensive which we all desire . Goodbye and thank you Eagle Squadrons , numbers 71 , 121 and 133 , and good hunting to you . " Douglas was followed by General Spaatz who gave an official welcome to his battle - proven American fighter pilots : " Men of the Eagle Squadrons , I welcome you to the 8th Air Force . Before turning you over to your new commanding officer , General Hunter , I must express my appreciation for the contribution which the ranks of the Royal Air Force have with you filled up your splendid organization . Its with pleasure and pride I welcome you into the VIII Fighter Command - the United States Army Air Forces . " After these two speeches , the Royal Air Force and newly established 4th Fighter Group personnel marched by in " pass & review " . Following the closing of this ceremony , pilots and guests were shown the new USAAF star that was earlier painted over the RAF emblem on the Spitfire V aircraft of the newly created 334th , 335th and 336th USAAF squadrons . The 4th Fighter Group destroyed more enemy planes in the air and on the ground than any other fighter group of Eighth Air Force . The group operated first with Spitfire s but changed to P - 47 s in March 1943 and to P - 51 s in April 1944 . On numerous occasions the 4th FG escorted B - 17 / B - 24 bombers that attacked factories , submarine pen s , V - weapon sites , and other targets in France , the Low Countries , or Germany . The group went out sometimes with a small force of bombers to draw up the enemy ' s fighters so they could be destroyed in aerial combat . At other times the 4th attacked the enemy ' s air power by strafing and dive - bombing airfields . They also hit troops , supply depots , roads , bridges , rail lines , and trains . The unit participated in the intensive campaign against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during Big Week , 20 – 25 February 1944 . They received a Distinguished Unit Citation for aggressiveness in seeking out and destroying enemy aircraft and in attacking enemy air bases during the period 5 March – 24 April 1944 . The 4 FG flew interdiction and counter - air missions during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and supported the airborne invasion of Holland in September . They participated in the Battle of the Bulge , December 1944 – January 1945 , and provided cover for the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945 . Cold War . The 4th Fighter Group was inactivated at Camp Kilmer , New Jersey on 10 November 1945 . The unit was reactivated at Selfridge Field , Michigan , 9 September 1946 , as the United States began to rearm due to Cold War pressures . On 15 August 1947 , under the Wing / Base ( Hobson ) reorganization plan , the 4th Fighter Wing was formed , and the 4th Fighter Group became its subordinate operational flying component . Following a period of training with F - 80 Shooting Star aircraft , the 4th Fighter Group transitioned to F - 86 Sabre jets in March 1949 , just in time for advanced training and entry into the Korean War . In December 1950 , the 4th Fighter Wing ' s flying component ( now the 4th Fighter - Interceptor Group } was the first unit to commit F - 86 Sabre jets to that conflict . Lt Col Bruce H . Hinton shot down a MiG - 15 on 17 December during the first Sabre mission of the war . Four days later , Lt Col John C . Meyer , a World War II ace , led a flight of eight sabres against 15 MiGs in the first major all - jet fighter battle in history . The flight downed six MiGs without sustaining any losses . By the end of the war airmen of the 4th Operations Group had destroyed 502 enemy aircraft ( 54 percent of the total ) , becoming the top fighter unit of the Korean War . Twenty - four pilots achieved ace status . With the 4th Fighter - Interceptor Wing , the group moved to Japan following the Korean armistice in 1953 , continuing training and tours to Korea . The group was inactivated on 8 December 1957 with its component squadrons assigned directly to the wing as the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri - deputate structure . Modern era . On 22 April 1991 , the 4th Operations Group was activated as a result of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization . Upon activation , the 4 OG retained the lineage and history of the 4th Fighter Group . The 4 OG was assigned the 334th , 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons upon activation , all equipped with the F - 15E Strike Eagle . In addition to the objective wing organization , the 4 TFW became the Air Force ' s first composite wing and was redesignated the 4th Wing . The 4th Wing incorporated under it all the people , KC - 10 aircraft , and assets of the 68th Air Refueling Wing , a Strategic Air Command unit , with the 344th and 911th Air Refueling Squadron ( ARS ) being assigned to the 4 OG . With the reorganization of the USAF major command structure , the unit ' s parent organization became part of the new Air Combat Command on 1 June 1992 . More changes occurred in the early 1990s . The 911 ARS was reassigned to Air Mobility Command bases in 1994 and 1995 and the F - 15E formal training unit moved to Seymour Johnson in 1994 and 1995 . The 333d Fighter Squadron returned to Seymour Johnson to accommodate the training mission and was assigned to the 4 OG . To accommodate the need to train more F - 15E aircrews , the 334th Fighter Squadron became a training squadron on 1 January 1996 . Fewer resources and the need to use all Air Force assets to meet increased operational commitments called for yet another reorganization as the 20th Century came to a close . The expeditionary aerospace force concept was implemented to conform to the Air Force vision to organize , train , equip , deploy and sustain itself in the 21st Century global security environment . Under the concept , the 4 OG is one of two on - call rapid response aerospace expeditionary groups . The Fourth was the first to assume this on - call mission on 1 October 1999 . Global War on Terrorism . In October 2001 , in response to the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States , the 4 OG began flying OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE sorties , the first of its kind for the wing , providing coastal protection for Homeland Defense . In January 2002 , the 4 OG arrived in Kuwait in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and ENDURING FREEDOM , flying missions over Iraq and Afghanistan . On 1 March 2002 , Operation ANACONDA was launched , and the group ' s mission was to provide close air support into Afghanistan . Operation ANACONDA ended 21 March 2002 with the 4 OG ' s greatest highlight being their performance at Roberts Ridge . Members of the 335th Fighter Squadron successfully suppressed enemy fire from al - Qaida troops , as Army and Air Force personnel retrieved stranded and fallen comrades . In January and February 2003 , in response to the threat of Iraq ' s ability to produce weapons of mass destruction ( WMD ) and their elusiveness with United Nation weapon inspectors , the 4th Operations Group joined other operational units in Southeast Asia . Two F - 15E fighter squadrons deployed to Southwest Asia in support of OSW , which would later transition into support for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM . On 18 April 2003 , members of the 4th Operations Group returned to Seymour Johnson AFB after contributing to the initial U . S . led coalition invasion in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM .