'Fightin' 49ers' return from deployment to Japan

  • Published
  • By Arlan Ponder
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  After four months, numerous flights aboard C-17s and stops in Hawaii, the 7th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron returned to Holloman Oct. 1, 2010.

Members from the 49th Maintenance Group, 49th Operations Group, 49th Mission Support Group and the 44th Fighter Group left May 27, 2010, for the first major deployment of the F-22 to the Pacific Region in Holloman's history.

The deployment sent 285 "Fightin' 49ers" and 12 F-22A Raptors to the remote island of Okinawa, Japan, where clear airspace overhead and miles of water around allowed the fifth generation fighter to train alongside Kadena Air Base's F-15C Eagles and KC-135 Stratotankers, while also working with Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets.

During the deployment, maintainers used advanced techniques to ensure the extreme heat and humidity of the Japanese island didn't affect the stealthy paint on the aircraft.

Prior to the deployment, Col. David Sullivan, 49th Wing vice commander, said "This is a tremendous milestone for the 49th Wing and members of Team Holloman. A deployment of this nature requires not only support from all members of Team Holloman, but from local community leaders and civilian counterparts."

Team Holloman last deployed to the Western Pacific in 2007 when the 9th Fighter Squadron began a three-month deployment to the Republic of Korea with the F-117 Nighthawk.