The history of the 8th Fighter Wing began on 10 August 1948, when the Air Force established the unit, making it available for activation. The wing existed only on paper awaiting assignment of personnel and equipment. The actual activation took place the next week, on 18 August 1948, at Ashiya Airfield, Japan.
Kunsan Air Base is located on the shores of the Yellow Sea, on South Korea’s west coast, some eight miles from Kunsan City. The city has about 280,000 residents. It’s some 150 miles southwest of the country’s capital, Seoul. And it’s only about a 15-minute jet flight from North Korea. Kunsan AB is often referred to as the last of the "warrior bases". As an unaccompanied remote tour, servicemen and women spend a quick 12 months at the "tip of the spear", fulfilling the wing's mission, "To deliver lethal airpower when and where directed by the Air Component Commander".
Kunsan AB, located on the peninsula's southwest coast, sits 109 miles south of the DMZ. The base is within easy reach of North Korean weapons capable of delivering chemical munitions. Hence, the need for chemical warfare classes for everyone immediately upon arrival. And, if anyone dares to forget, Army Patriot missile sites and machine-gun bunkers serve as constant reminders that the front lines of battle could be as close as the front door.
Main
phone numbers: 011-82-63-470-1110 or DSN 782-1110
Mailing
Address: 8 Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, APO AP 96264
