LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
When the very first F-15 Eagle arrived at Langley Air Force Base on Jan. 9, 1976, Terri Ewell was a guest of honor. She was welcomed by the 1st Fighter Wing commander, and even pasted the name "Peninsula Patriot" on the side of the jet. Now, 34 years later Terri Morris (her married name) was welcomed out to the flight line again to bid farewell to the final F-15 as it left Langley Sept.1, closing an amazing chapter in Langley's continuing role in air superiority.
Mrs. Morris was only a 14-year-old ninth grader when her entry won the contest to name the first Eagle. It was chosen by a committee out of 921 entries ranging from patriotic to amusing. Among the more serious there was: Bicentennial Bird, Patriotic Flyer and Miss Freedom. On the other end of the spectrum, there was Hot Shot Eagle, Boisterous Betsy and (it's true) Frog Head. According to the news article printed in the "Flyer" in 1976, "Peninsula Patriot" was chosen because it carried a patriotic theme and involved the local community in its title. Ms. Morris received a certificate, a white T-shirt emblazoned with an F-15 Eagle in red and blue, and a model of the F-15.
"I look back on what happened and it was a surreal experience for me as a shy teenager. I remember coming out to the base and standing right next to this brand new airplane. I didn't expect to be able to get so close. It was overwhelming," said Mrs. Morris, vaguely recalling the ceremony, and her first look at an aircraft that would dominate the skies for the next 34 years.
As an asset assigned to the 1FW, the F-15 was called upon time and again when the nation needed an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air supremacy over the battlefield. The training and experience gained in the 1980s was called upon in the summer of 1990, when Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. On Aug. 7, 1990, Langley deployed 48 aircraft to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield. By Jan. 16, 1991, as Desert Shield came to a close, Langley had amassed 4,207 sorties. When Desert Shield evolved into Desert Storm, 16 of the F-15s participated in yet another combat mission.
On Sept. 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks committed against the United States prompted action from U.S. Forces around the world. At Langley, the 1 FW's weapons loaders quickly armed F-15s, which were scrambled to protect America's air space from additional terrorist attacks. During Operation Noble Eagle, wing aircraft provided air cover over several major cities, including New York City and the District of Columbia.
By March 2002, the 1 FW had deployed a dozen F-15s to Iraq to support what came to be known as the Global War on Terror. When President George Bush ordered U.S. troops into action, wing aircraft, charged with gaining and maintaining air superiority sprang into action. The Wing's F-15s dominated the air space, flying 360 sorties and intimidating the Iraqi Air force to stay on the ground. In some cases Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Air Force even tried burying its planes under the ground.
"During the F-15's time here at Langley, it had a 104-to-0 ratio of combat victories," said Col. Matthew Molloy, 1 FW commander, as he shared some of the storied history of the jet with Mrs. Morris during a tour of the 71st Fighter Squadron. "It is unrivaled as an air-to-air combat fighter."
The Eagle's air superiority is achieved through a mixture of unprecedented maneuverability and acceleration, range, weapons and avionics. It can penetrate enemy defense and outperform and outfight any current enemy aircraft. The F-15 has electronic systems and weaponry to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft while operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace.
The F-15's versatile pulse-Doppler radar system can look up at high-flying targets and down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter. For close-in dogfights, the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft, and this information is projected on the head-up display.
This display, along with a myriad of others, helped guide Maj. Gregory Voelkel, 71 FS assistant director of operations, and Capt. Brent Tittle, 71 FS electronic combat officer, through their pre-flight checklists as they prepared for the F-15's final departure from Langley. Originally scheduled for Sept. 2, the departure was pushed up a day due to the impending bad weather expected from Hurricane Earl bearing down on the East Coast.
As personnel from the base lined up on the flight line to bid farewell to the venerable F-15, fire trucks from the 633d Civil Engineer Squadron launched streams of water in the air creating an archway for the jets to taxi through on their way to the end of the runway.
"It makes me feel like I've come full circle," said Mrs. Morris, explaining that since her first visit to the base, she has married, bore two children, moved to Atlanta, Ga., for 18 years, thrived in an exciting career as a cardiology specialist and returned to the Hampton Roads area to live with her family in Poquoson.
During the visit, Colonel Molloy presented her with a 1 FW coin, patch and scarf, and escorted her out to the flight line, and even took her down to the end of the runway to watch as aircraft maintenance personnel performed the final steps to prepare the jets for takeoff.
"Just like the first time I came out, I didn't expect to be welcomed with such VIP treatment," said Mrs. Morris. "I just wanted to be able to say goodbye to a jet that I'm so proud of. There is no rival to that aircraft."
After taking to the skies, the Major Voelkel and Captain Tittle brought the jets over the field for one last pass before leaving Langley permanently.
The 71 FS's last operational mission will be Sept. 4, where the F-15's will perform a flyover of Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy for the first football game of the 2010 season. The 71 FS is scheduled to inactivate on Sept. 30.