SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The 4th Fighter Wing 2016-2017 fiscal year began with enduring and conducting relief efforts for Hurricane Matthew.
In May, the 2017 Wings Over Wayne Air Show brought over 250,000 visitors to the base. The air show included aerial performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration team and several other performances.
The fiscal year ended with festivities honoring the 4 FW’s 75th Anniversary. The weekend included a Battle of Britain celebration, the 75th Anniversary Gala and the unveiling of the F-15E Strike Eagle heritage paint scheme.
The wing has had a year for the books.
Even with all of the year’s events, the 4 FW has succeeded to both meet and exceed the allotted sorties and flying hours organized through the flying hour program.
“The flying hour program is a plan put forth at the beginning of the fiscal year,” said Tech. Sgt. Luen Compton, 4th Maintenance Group Staff NCO in charge of maintenance management analysis. “It is coordinated between maintenance and operations.”
Each week various departments on base meet to establish a plan for the following week.
“We have solid maintenance practices and solid maintenance planning,” said Staff Sgt. Jacaree Dezurn, 4th Maintenance Group Staff NCOIC of deficiency analysis. “You have everyone from the Aircraft Maintenance Unit analyst up to the commander sitting down planning for the next week’s flying.”
The meeting includes looking at the following week’s weather predications and F-15E maintenance concerns.
“You plan for a certain amount of deviations to occur or a certain amount of weather things to happen,” said Compton.
Who added there were far fewer deviations than anticipated, which in turn allowed for the 4 FW to meet and exceed the planned amount of both sorties and flying hours.
The 4 FW even attained additional flying hours from Air Combat Command and exceeded those hours as well.
“We got 400 hours, which equates to about 235 sorties,” said Compton. “That happened because we were so far ahead of our sorties.”
The accomplishments achieved by Team Seymour led the wing’s leadership to award the wing with a total of three goal days for the fiscal year.
A goal day is a down day for the wing.
“It’s a culmination of all the hard work,” said Capt. Matthew Kamp, 335th Fighter Squadron assistant to the director of weapons. “A nice three-day weekend to enjoy with your family, because we are away from home for quite a bit during the week and on the weekends.”
Wing leadership awards “goal days” for outstanding accomplishments.
“It feels rewarding,” said Senior Airman Rashan Moore, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew member. “I’m glad the leadership looks upon us and likes to do that for us.”
The 2017-2018 fiscal year has already begun and strives to be another outstanding year for the wing.