Mission
Defend the Base, Accept Follow-On Forces, Take the Fight North!
Personnel and Resources
Kunsan Air Base has more than 2,900 personnel assigned (Active Duty, U.S. Civilian and Korean National DoD employees, and contractors).
Almost all military members live on base in dormitories. Those who live off base have received approval to live in the local community. An assignment to Kunsan Air Base is typically a one year unaccompanied tour, meaning members come to the base without their families.
Organization The 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, and is assigned to Seventh Air Force, headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces, which is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
The 8th Operations Group equips and trains the 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons (nicknamed the "Pantons" and "Juvats," respectively) to conduct air-to-ground and air-to-air missions in the 40 F-16s assigned to the wing. The squadrons conduct interdiction, close air support, counter air, air superiority, and suppression of enemy air defense missions. The 8th Mission Support Group consists of six squadrons that support the base with civil engineering, communications, base defense, services, logistic readiness and mission support. The Maintenance Group is responsible for daily flying and maintenance operations, intermediate level maintenance, component repair, and maintenance training for the wing's 36 primary assigned aircraft. The 8th Medical Group manages the medical clinic that offers flight medicine, general medicine, dentistry, bioenvironmental services, and military public health.
History
Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, is home to the 8th Fighter Wing, known as the "Wolf Pack." Located seven miles west of Kunsan City, the base is on the west coast of the peninsula near the Kum River estuary.
Originally built by the Japanese as a fighter-interceptor base in 1938, Kunsan became the home of the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group in Korea at the end of World War II. In 1949, United States Forces left Korea, turning the base over to the then-fledgling Republic of Korea Air Force.
In July 1950, at the outset of the Korean Conflict, Kunsan Air Base was occupied by North Korean forces. The 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry, United States Army, recaptured the base and Kunsan City on Sept. 30, 1950. In April 1951, the 27th Air Base Group became the first Air Force unit assigned to the base. The 27th oversaw rehabilitation of the installation. The Army's 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion built a 5,000-foot runway to replace the sod runway constructed by the Japanese. The 3rd Bombardment Wing moved to the base Aug. 22, 1951, as Kunsan's first assigned aircraft wing.
Following the 3rd Bombardment Wing's return to Japan at the end of the Korean Conflict, Kunsan became the home to several United States Air Force units. The 6170th Air Base Group and the 6170th Air Base Squadron operated and maintained the base from 1954 to 1968. From 1968 to 1970, the 354th and later the 54th Tactical Fighter Wings operated the base. The 6175th assumed responsibility for the installation in the mid-1970s until the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing returned to Kunsan in March 1971 with designations of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. In September of 1974 the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing was assigned to Kunsan Air Base. As a part of an Air Force-wide reorganization, the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing was re-designated the 8th Fighter Wing Feb. 3, 1992.
Associate Units
Air Force Judiciary Area Defense Counsel
American Forces Network-Korea (AFN)
American Red Cross
Army Air Force Exchange Service
Army Contracting Command Korea
Contract Air Terminal Operations
Detachment 613, Air Force Office of Special Investigations
United States Army 1/45 Air Defense Artillery (Patriot) Alpha Battery
8th Fightere Wing History office
E-mail: 8fw.ho@kunsan.af.mil
