KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) — F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron have rotated out of Kadena Air Base, Japan, concluding a six-month deployment that included a groundbreaking three-month forward operation to U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia.
While stationed at Kadena AB, the 336th EFS deployed a detachment to the remote Indian Ocean outpost to establish and operate Detachment 336—marking the first sustained U.S. fighter presence on the island and a major milestone in the execution of Agile Combat Employment in the Indo-Pacific.
In response to an immediate request for forces from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, 160 Airmen from Kadena AB, Yokota AB and Andersen Air Force Base deployed on May 13 to establish Detachment 336. Their mission is to project and sustain forward combat airpower from one of the most remote and strategically significant locations on Earth.
“This wasn’t just a TDY,” said Capt. Jimmy Boulton, 336th EFS F-15E pilot, “This was an operational ACE fighter detachment tailor-made for a rapidly developing, real-world mission. And we weren’t just flying jets; we were building a joint team locked in on our purpose.”
Over the course of the deployment, Detachment 336 achieved 24/7 alert operations, installed a mobile aircraft arresting system, and executed daily sorties, maintaining high mission-capable rates despite supply chains stretching halfway around the world.
“Our team had to develop innovative solutions to meet maintenance requirements in a location without standard fighter infrastructure,” said Master Sgt. Jeremy McCoy, Det 336 maintainer, “So, we adapted quickly to keep jets and Airmen ready and in the fight.”