I flew F-15C Eagles with the 44th Fighter Squadron Vampires at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, from late 1989 to early 1992. F-15C Eagles have been almost completely phased out of the active Air Force inventory; the few remaining at Kadena are the last. Based on what I’ve heard this week the phaseout may be almost complete, with as few as one F-15C still at Kadena.
I have a friend who’s an aeronautical engineer at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. He’s at Kadena this week, briefing USAF officials on a weapon system under development. He tells me he’s seen only one C model on base. I think it’s this one, sitting in a maintenance hanger alongside a temporarily-deployed F-22 Raptor. The photo was taken within the last 24 hours and posted to an F-15 group this morning by Kei Kanazawa.
My friend tells me the two F-15 squadrons on base, the 44th FS Vampires and 67th FS Fighting Cocks, are in limbo between aircraft: their F-15Cs have been either flown off to the Boneyard or to Air National Guard units in the States, and only a few pilots remain on duty, possibly with only the one Eagle to fly between them. Both squadrons are supposed to get new F-15EX Eagle II aircraft, but that hasn’t happened yet and I think it’ll be a while before the new jets and pilots start showing up, given that only a few EX models have been delivered to date and training of new pilots is just beginning.
During his Kadena visit, my friend was able to visit my former unit, the 44th FS. In a thoughtful and much-appreciated gesture, he sent me this photo from the Bat Cave, the squadron lounge, where the names of former Vampires line the tops of all four walls. I’m tickled to see my own name still on the wall (center, top), alongside those of fondly-remembered squadronmates. Thank you, my friend!
