Kunsan Air Base -- How It Was...
8th Fighter Wing (1974-Present)
ROKAF 38th Fighter Group (1953-Present)

• 8th Pursuit Gp History (1931-1945)
  
  • Heraldry and Notes on Selected Squadrons -- 35th Aerosquadron; 36th Aerosquadron; 80th Pursuit Squadron
    

  • 8th Pursuit Group Activated -- 35th & 36th Pursuit Squadrons at Langley Field
    
  • 8th Pursuit Group in World War II
    -- 80th Pursuit Squadron joins 8th PG; Aircobra; New Guinea; P-38 Lightning; Mindoro, Phillipines; Ie Shima, Ryuku Islands
    

  • Aces of the 8th Fighter Group -- List and writeups on J.T. Robins, Dan Roberts, & George Welch
    
• 8th Fighter Bomber Wing History (1946-1952)
  
  • 8th FBG at Ashiya, Japan (1946-1948)
    
  • 8th FBG at Itazuke, Japan (1948-1952) -- Transition to P-51D Mustang; Transition to F-80C Shooting Star; Creation of the 8th Fighter Wing (1948-1951)
    
    
    • Overview of the First Days of the Korean War (1951) -- Bout One; First Days of War; List of 8th FW kills
      
    • First Kill of the Korean War to 68th All-Weather Fighter Squadron -- Attached to 8th FW
      
  • 8th Fighter Bomber Wing: From Pyongyang to Itazuke to Kimpo
    
    • 35th and 36th FBS F-51Ds Move to Tsuiki AB -- 8th FW splits; Formation of the "Hobo Squadron"
      
    • Pohang: "Hobo" Squadron Goes to Yonil Airfield
      
      

    • Evacuation of Pohang
      
    • Pusan Perimeter
      
    • Hobo Squadron Heads North -- Inchon Landing
      
    • Hobo Squadron Falls Back to Itazuke -- Chinese counterattack
      
    • 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing Returns to Kimpo -- Allies retake Seoul
      
• 8th Fighter Bomber Wing History (1952-1955) -- Suwon AB, Korea
  
  • Move to Suwon (Aug 52)
    
  • Morale Building
    
  • Hobo Name Fades from Memory
    
  • Air Interdiction: The Name of the Game
    
  • Attack on Pyongyang (Jul 52) -- Article: "Hot Sky Over Pyonyang"
    
    

  • Training Mission -- Article
    
  • Major Charles Loring (Nov 52) -- Article: "Sacrifice at Sniper Ridge"
    
  • Bridges at Sinanju and Yongmidong (10-15 Jan 53)
    
  • Conversion to F-86F Sabre
    
    

  • 35th FBS "Black Panthers" -- Ken Creasy's narratives and photos: Korean Conflict Honors; After the Armistice; MiG kills (May 55); F-94B Night Fighters at Suwon;
    
    

  • Base Ops at K-13 (1954) -- Article: Night Flight
    
• 8th Fighter Bomber Wing History (1955-1974)
  
  • 8th FBW at Itazuke, Japan -- Conversion to F-100
    
    
    • 8th FBW (1957-1961) -- TDY at Kunsan; Nuclear alert moves to Osan AB, Korea
      
    • 8th FBW (1963) -- Conversion to F-105 Thunderchief
      
    

  • 8th TFW at George AFB, CA (1964) -- Conversion to F-4D Phantom II
    
    

  • 8th TFW at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand (1965) -- Birth of the Wolfpack; MiG Kills; Operation Bolo; Robin Olds & Chappie James; 16th SOS; 13th TBS; Battle Damage; Crashes; Maintenance
    
    

• 8th TFW at Kunsan AB, Korea (1974-1975)
  
  • 1974 -- Move to Kunsan AB in name only; 3rd TFW moves to PI
    
    • 35th Fighter Squadron (Sep 74 - Present) "Pantons"
      
    • 80th Fighter Squadron (Sep 74 - Present) "Juvats"
      
    • ROK Air Force: 111st Fighter Squadron (1959-Present)
      
  • 1975 -- Prefab buildings; Combined exercises Ulchi-Focus/Foal Eagle; Reductions in funding and manning in Post-Vietnam era
    
    

• 8th TFW (1976-1989)
  
  • 1976 -- First Team Spirit; Tree Cutting Incident; Operation Paul Bunyon; Heightened alert
    
  • 1977 -- Helicopter shot down; ROK upgrades; U.S. grassroots movement to leave Korea
    
  • 1978 -- Infrastructure; Phases; C-pad; Off-base (A-town); Phantom Phyxers (Maintenance)
    
    • 8th TFW FOL (Taegu): 497th TFS "Hooters" (Feb 78-Jan 82)
      
    

  • 1979 -- Jimmy Carter withdrawal from Korea; Assassination Park Chung-Hee; Overthrow of govt by Chun Doo Hwan
    
  • 1980 -- Student Unrest; Kwangju Riots; Turtle ship fraud; Creation of Combined Forces Command
    
    • Political Unrest & Assassination of Park Chung Hee
      
    • Student Unrest & Kwangju Riots
      
  • 1981 -- Conversion to F-16A/B; SR-71 fired upon; Troop withdrawal plan shelved
    
  • 1982 -- Aircraft Generation Squadron; Pilot lost; 497th TFS transfers to 51st Composite Wing (Osan)
    
  • 1983 -- EMS Phase Dock; KAL007 downed by Soviets; North Korean bombing in Burma
    
  • 1984 -- Security Police; CRS Engine Shop; Team Spirit 1984
    
    

  • 1985 -- ROK military upgrades; ROK relations thaw
    
  • 1986 -- EMS Phase Dock; Korean conscription; ROK military upgrades showing results
    
  • 1987 -- F-16 fatality; North Korea bombs KAL airliner
    
  • 1988 -- Seoul Olympics; Protests at Main Gate; Cost sharing in Middle East
    
  • 1989 -- ROK military upgrades; Copyright Infringement Accusations
    
• 8th TFW (1990-1995)
  
  • 1990 -- Protests in Kunsan City; Collapse of Communist Empire; Planned Reduction in forces; Upgrade ROK Military hardware; Discovery of Tunnel #4; Desert Storm
    
  • 1991 -- Kunsan Airport opens; Student Protests & Job Market; ROK responsible for all of DMZ; Korea declared "Nuclear Free"
    
  • 1992 -- 8th Fighter Wing; New Main Gate; Removal of Nuclear weapons; Team Spirit shelved; Combined Field Army dissolved
    
    

  • 1993 -- MARS Operations move; 1982nd Comm Squadron disbands; North Korea nuclear tension; Team Spirit shelved indefinitely; Kim Young-Sam's disastrous Presidency; Kunsan downsizing and attriting Korean workers; F-16 collision; Somalia fiasco; ROK enters Peace-keeping missions
    
  • 1994 -- Patriots arrive at Kunsan; 8th Medical Group; "White Badge" Korean film; POW released after 50 years; Kim Il Sung dies; North-South economic ties
    
    • Patriot Missile: 143rd ADA/6th Cavalry "Blackhorse" (Apr 94 - Present)
  • 1995 -- Military-funded construction; Loring Club; Death of Kim Il-Sung Ramifications
    
    • Ramifications of Kim Il-Sung's Death -- Article: Korea Watch; Disastrous floods and famine in North Korea; KEDO; Aviation Pact; North Korean Missile threat
      
• 8th TFW (1996-1999)
  
  • 1996 -- Terrorism Measures at Kunsan; Defection & DMZ incursions; Article: Airman Mag; Waterline failures; Depressed money; IMF hits; North Korea abandons DMZ; North Korean submarine
    
  • 1997 -- Bomb dump; North Korean missile threat; Downsizing; Win-lose scenario; Protests; Kim Dae-Jung's strange politics
    
    • North Korean Defection and Spy Ring Operations
      
  • 1998 -- 3rd Aerospace Expeditionary Group to Kwangju; Protests; Kunsan AB signs off on Saengmangun Project; CERI Exercise; Ammo Bowl; POL Operations; Foal Eagle '98; North Korea famine worsens; North Korea missile overfire of Japan; POW returns; Midgit sub intrudes
    
    

  • 1999 -- Freedom Bird; Rodeo on Kunsan; Foal Eagle '99; F-16 mishaps; Typhoon Olga; ECM Backshop; Base Finance Manager becomes "Auggie Doggie"; North Korean famine worsens; Kim Dae-Jung visits North Korea
    
    • Main Gate Protests
    • Korea Should Start Paying Their Own Way -- USA Today article
• 8th FW (2000):
  • Quality of Life Issues -- Dormitories floor plans; Airman Mag article
  • Downsizing and Mission Impacts -- Discussion of Clinton budget cuts and future impacts
  • Are the Follow On Ready? -- Distressing reports in 2000
  • 8th FW Operations Center (WOC) -- Tour of the WOC from Scott Mounger
  • Biological Warfare Threat -- Is it a realistic threat in the Korean environment?
  • Main Gate Demonstrations -- Shift in strategy for Protest Groups
  • SOFA Negotiations -- Koreans continue to call the SOFA "unjust" but are unwilling to pay their fair share
  • Hope for Peace -- Kim Dae-Jung's Sunshine Policy
  • US Military at odds with Sunshine Policy
  • Flooding of Kunsan AB
  • Block 40 F-16s arrive -- Lantirn takes fight to the night
  • Foal Eagle 2000 -- Base Defense Exercise. Is it Realistic?
  • Decal Scandal -- Selling of Base Decals to unauthorized Koreans.
  • 8th Attack Squadron Assoc. honors Kunsan AB Medal of Honor Recipient -- Kunsan AB's MOH winner, Capt James Walmsley, honored with a plaque given to 8th FW. 38th TFG signs Letter of Appreciation for K-8 vets.
• 8th FW (2001): Part I
  • Decal Scandal continues -- Selling of Base Decals to unauthorized Koreans.
  • Heavy January snows
  • Quality of Life Issues -- Facilities; Slot Machines; Base Retention Rate; Sexual Assaults
  • Facility Upgrades
  • Community Service -- Article, Cleanup, Volunteer at Orphanage, Humanity for Habitat, Grave relocation
  • Kunsan Revisited by former Marine (Sep 2001)
  • SOFA -- Lots of eyewash
  • Hope for Peace and Rising tensions between U.S-North Korea
  • Is the US Presence in Korea changing?
• 8th FW (2001): Part II
  • Block 40 Changeout
  • The New Military -- Opinion: Problems of visions versus reality. High tech military and high budget costs.
  • Win on One Front" and Korean worry of US Eurocentric Views -- Koreans no longer view the US and their stalwart ally -- though they keep mouthing the words of solidarity. Look under the surface and see Korea's steady distancing of itself from US military support.
  • F-16 pilot loss: Lt. Murff (June)
  • Protests at Kunsan AB -- Main Gate demonstrations normally "fair-weather" protestors, but turns violent. (Links to videos of 2001 Main Gate protest videos).
  • Sept 11, 2002: America Under Attack -- Chronological events after the WTC bombing to the end of the year in Korea and at Kunsan AB.
  • Bioterrorism Suddenly a Concern in Korea -- Koreans have NEVER believed North Korea would use bioterrorism, but the new reality is that other terrorists might.
  • Is the South Korean populace prepared for a Chemical Attack? -- Answer NO!!!
  

• 8th FW (2002): Part I
  • Kunsan AB Information - Info, maps, slideshows
    
  • Reviews of Books on Kunsan AB
    
  • Winter Returns -- Concerns of Summer drought
    
  • Kunsan AB (K-8) MIA from Korean War Interred in Arlington National Cemetary with Honors -- There has been no recognition from the 8th FW. "Red" Harrel was returning to K-8 after his mission over North Korea.
    
  • Building 1100 Demolished: The Old NCO Club (1952-1976) -- Its past forgotten, it was simply another old building to be torn down.
    
  • Mike Yi of Kunsan AB Miraculously Finds His Korean War Savior -- Mike Yi of the Skill Development Center finds the GI who pulled him from the snowbank at Kimpo AB in Dec 50.
    
  • Quality of Life Issues -- Renovations Seabreeze & Rec Center; Best in AF for Loring Club; Sexual Assaults; Kunsan AB Civic Actions
    
• 8th FW (2002): Part II
  • Kunsan AB Protests -- Unlike prior to Sept 11th, 2002 has been relatively peaceful. (Links to video footage of 2002 Main Gate protests)
    
  • World Cup 2002 in Kunsan -- A rare phenomenon of a nation uniting as one in front of the world's eyes
  • Land Partnership Plan -- Old issue with new twists
  • Not Surprising News: "US Soldiers Avoid Service in Korea" -- Article on a self-evident truth
  • Impacts after the 9-11 Tragedy? -- A look at the Korean Viewpoint of the events after 9-11
  • North Korea Amassing Chemical Weapons, Continuing its Nuclear Weapons Program & Asks for Russian Military Aid -- Same story of why North Korea remains one of George Bush's "Axis of Evil" hit list
    
• 8th FW (2002): Part III -- Korea Marches to Its Own Drummer -- A hodge-podge of information on the various ROK programs and the underfunding that is occurring. Under Chun Doo-hwan, the military spent approx 8 percent of GDP on the military, but after Roh Tae-woo there has been a steady eroding of the percentage of GDP. Kim Young-sam cut deeply into the percentage, but the biggest cuts came during Kim Dae-jung -- and was continued by his successor, Roh Moo-hyun. In 2003 it stood at 2.8 percent of GDP, but the USFK was pushing for the ROK to increase it to 3.2 percent of GDP. It should be noted that most front-line hot spots spend 6 percent of GDP. Includes the Battle Order for the ROK and USFK.
• 8th FW (2002): Part IV
  • Cuts in Military Strength Shelved, Cuts in Military Hardware Continue & Growing Rift in Defense Department -- A look at the military program cuts and growing rift caused by Rumsfield's objective to not only modernize the military, but also reign in the Pentagon under civilian control.
  • War on Terrorism changes to War on Iraq -- A look at the developing "War" to topple the Saddam Hussein regime
• 8th FW (2003): Kunsan AB Activities -- Spot Notes; Kunsan Civic Actions (Volunteer Programs, NEO farce, etc.); Pro-US Rally; Kunsan AB Protests; 4th of July USO Show; Armistice Show; Passing of a Friend: Marvin G. Widener, former 90th Bomb Squadron Flight Engineer at Kunsan; Passing of an Occupation Forces Vet: Robert Grenig, former S-3 of 3rd Battalion, 63rd Inf Regiment at Camp Hillenmeyer (now Kunsan AB); Quality of Life Issues
• 8th FW (2003): Part II: Military Affairs -- WRM/AME; Code One article; Exercises; RSOI and Foal Eagle combined; F-117A Stealth Visits Kunsan; Low-key buildup (USS Carl Vinson arrives in Pusan); PAC-3 deployed in Korea; Chemical Suit shortage; USFK Relocation (by month chronicle of events dealing with tense issue)
• 8th FW (2004): Kunsan AB Activities
  • Spot Notes (2004) -- Chronological list of events at Kunsan or affected the lives of Kunsan personnel (with links to main articles) (Updated: December 2004) NO LONGER UPDATED
    
  • Kunsan AB Civic Actions & Community Affairs (2004) -- Our Opinion: The New Reality the Wing Commander Needs to Face; Orphanage Support; Local Residents Tour base (Dec 2003); Suggestions to Improve Community Relations; 8th FW volunteers to teach English; (Updated: December 2004) NO LONGER UPDATED
    
  • Off-base issues Affecting Kunsan AB -- ROK Ordered to Pay Compensation for Noise Pollution of Kunsan AB; Residents near Kooni Range Compensated and Range Slated for Closure; Saemangeum Project Stopped by Courts, but Continued by Government; Emergency Lines to Reduce Language Barrier Problems; Earth Day (Apr 2004); (Updated: December 2004) NO LONGER UPDATED
    
  • Military Issues Affecting Kunsan AB (2004) -- New ID Cards Not Wearing Well; Patriot Service to Cease in 2006; Unit Compliance Inspection (UCI); NEO Plan Adequacy Questioned; AF Needs to Cut Manning by 16,600; Renter Beware; New Air Force Uniform; Change of Command from Col. Rand to Col. Uhle; Anthrax/Smallpox Vaccinations expanded; F-117 Nighthawks Come to Kunsan; Kunsan Runway Closed in Oct 2004; New Main Gate Security Measures in place, BUT...; (Updated: December 2004) NO LONGER UPDATED
    
  • Quality of Life Issues (2004) - Facilities; New Commissary Completion; Old Food court a historic building: More Airmen may live off-base???; Community Standards; Curfews; Recycling in dorms; Wolf Pack Warrior "Crime Watch" Censored to Worthlessness; Kunsan Welcoming Committee; 35th FS Move to new facility; Eagle Eye Program; Passing of a Kunsan POL Icon: Kwang Tok Pak; Curfew Imposed because of Terrorist Threat (Oct 2004); New Fitness Test; October Absentee Voting; (Updated: December 2004) NO LONGER UPDATED
    
    
    • Off-Base Issues: Prostitution and A-Town - Wolf Pack to combat prostitution -- an object lesson in futility -- and on-base rapes increase; A-town Off-limits -- the makings of a scandal; Wolf Pack Sexual Assaults hot DoD special interest item; USFK anti-prostitution campaign; Russians cleared from A-town (Jul 04); Bar owners selling out and A-town is changing (Sep 04); ROK prostitution goes to the internet; ROK anti-prostitution campaign eyewash? (Sep 04); Crackdown causes prostitutes to rally to reopen industry (Oct 04); Sexual Abuse Special Interest Item; New proposed ruling of tough action under UCMJ in 2005 for solicitation will spell death knell for A-town (Updated: Feb 2005)
      
      NOTE: WE MOVED AWAY FROM KUNSAN IN NOV 2004. WE WILL NO LONGER COVER KUNSAN AB EVENTS.
      

• 8th TFW Tenant Units (1975-Present)
  
  • 1982nd Communications Squadron (1969-1993)
    
  • Detachment 1, 54th CES (HR) (Red Horse) (1975-1985)
    
  • Co C USASTRATCOM Long Lines Battalion South
    
  • Nike Missile Battery (Kimje): Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 44 Air Defense Artillery (1962-1977)
    
  • Hawk Missile Battery (Kunsan): Battery B, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery (1968-1980)
    
    

  • Patriot Missile: 143rd ADA/6th Cavalry "Blackhorse" (Apr 94 - Present)

• ROK Air Force Detachment (1953-1957)
  38th Tactical Fighter Group/111th TFS (1958-Present)
  
  • Early ROKAF - Original ROKAF Aircraft - Training Problems
    
  • ROKAF at Kunsan in 1960s - F-86F Specifications
    
  • ROKAF at Kunsan in 1970s & 1980s - Transition to F-4D/E - F-5A/B & F-5E Tiger II
    
  • ROKAF into the new Millenium - 38th Fighter Group - Differences in Defense/Offensive Strategies
    
  • Changes - North Korea - Nuclear Weapons - Changes in "Little Brother" Attitude - New Programs
    
  
  
  
  

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Copyright 2000 - Kalani O'Sullivan All Rights Reserved
email to:kalani@kalaniosullivan.com