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Published: February 2nd 2005
The Main Gate
Note the sign referring to the British RAFAir-force bases are a mystery to most civilians. Armed security personnel stand at the gates alongside cement barricades. You can see fighter jets fly overhead in the sky and hear the rumble of their mighty jet engines but without special clearance you can’t get on a military base, especially after 9-11. What kind of people live in these places? Who would want to risk their life in such a career? Who would marry someone in the military? Are they fanatics? I had a chance to visit a base and was I surprised. What a group of really fine people. You have to spend time with them to really know this. Unfortunately most of us never get the opportunity.
A Major Base off the Beaten Track Seymour Johnson AFB is located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It’s off the beaten track. It’s not a tourist destination. Ordinary people don’t visit Goldsboro or the base. Yet it’s a major Air Combat Command base. It’s the home of the 4th Fighter Wing which consists of 2 fighter squadrons that fly F-15E Strike Eagles. The 4th also flies tankers for airlift and air refueling.
Phantom
4th Fighter Wing The 23rd Fighter Group is also part of the base. The 23rd flies the single-seat A-10 Thunderbolt Warthogs. The base is unique because the 23rd is actually based at Pope AFB. The combination of 2 Operational Groups within one Air Force Wing is a rarity in Air Force organization.
Home of a British Air-Force Squadron? Another unique aspect of the 4th Fighter Wing is that it had its beginnings in England as part of the British Royal Air Force. In 1940, some young American volunteers joined the war in Europe. They enlisted in the British Royal Air Force and were formed into three Eagle Squadrons. When the United States finally entered the war, these units, and 244 American pilots, were transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force and formed the 4th Fighter Group under the 8th Air Force. (Sept. 12, 1942.) This bit of history explains why you see the sign “home of the RAF Eagle Squadrons” as you enter Seymour Johnson’s main gate.
Grace Kelly is a man! But Seymour Johnson is more than a base. It’s the home of people like “Salty” and “Chainsaw” and “Grace” Kelly! Air-force people love nicknames. The Air-force
Interfaith Chapel
Seymour Johnson AFB men and women at Seymour Johnson are loveable individuals. They’re fun to be with and they’re more of a family than a group of military co-workers. They are at their best when an Airman is in need.
Salty and Das On April 7th 2003 two airmen from the 4th Fighter Wing were killed in action during a combat mission near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. The pilot killed was Eric Das, 30, of Amarillo, Texas. His weapons system officer was “Salty” Watkins, 37, of Danville, Virginia. Das and his wife Nikki were married less than 2 years. Das had often told his wife Nikki how dangerous he considered his missions and that “you just never know when your time will be up”. Das and his wife both survived a previous deployment to the Persian Gulf for the Iraq war. Das left behind his wife, both parents, and a grandmother. Salty and his wife Melissa were married 5 years. At the time of his death they had an 11-month-old son William. Melissa gave birth to their second child four months after her husband’s death. Salty grew up in South Boston, and then moved to Florida where he played high-school football
The Local Movie Theater
On the base at Seymour Johnson and sang in the church choir. His parents said his strong faith was an inspiration to anyone who knew him.
We Take Care of Our Family When word reached Seymour Johnson that the 2 men were missing, other airmen were knocking on the door to comfort Nikki and Melissa. 1st Lt. Beverly Wock says the military is “a family” and “we take care of our family.” If you can get inside the gates at Seymour Johnson you’ll have the privilege of sharing in the life of an amazingly beautiful family.
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