Asia-Pacific
Misawa’s vice commander moves to South Korea to lead 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan
Stars and Stripes
May 26, 2023
Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing gather to welcome their new commander, Col. Timothy Murphy, during a change-of-command ceremony at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Karla Parra/U.S. Air Force)
Air Force Col. Timothy Murphy has taken command of the South Korea-based 8th Fighter Wing and its stable of F-16 Fighting Falcons near the Yellow Sea.
Murphy replaced Col. Henry Jeffress III, who had led the Wolf Pack since May 2022, his third and final assignment at Kunsan Air Base, according to the Air Force.
Brig. Gen. Ryan Keeney, 7th Air Force’s deputy commander, praised the incoming leader during a change-of-command ceremony Thursday at Kunsan.
“I have complete confidence in your ability to keep the Wolf Pack ready to deter, defend and, if necessary, defeat our enemies,” he said, according to an 8th Fighter Wing statement Thursday. “I know you are going to make an amazing partner for our [South Korean] counterparts and continue to build the strength of our ironclad alliance.”
Brig. Gen. Ryan Keeney, 7th Air Force's deputy commander; Col. Henry Jeffress, III, outgoing 8th Fighter Wing commander; and Col. Timothy Murphy, the incoming commander, salute during a change-of-command ceremony at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Karla Parra/U.S. Air Force)
Col. Henry Jeffress, III, 8th Fighter Wing commander, completes his final flight in an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 17, 2023. (Karla Parra/U.S. Air Force)
Murphy, in the first address of his one-year tour, spoke directly to the more than 3,200 airmen, soldiers and civilians now under his command.
“We have a proud tradition of excellence in our Air Force, and we especially have a proud tradition of excellence in the Wolf Pack,” he said in the statement. “Know your role in this mission and of ours and make it happen with your entire heart.”
Murphy brings Pacific experience to the wing, having previously served as vice commander of the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan. He was assigned to Kunsan’s 35th Fighter Squadron in 2006 and 2007.
Kunsan made headlines earlier this month after one of its F-16s crashed in an agricultural field near Osan Air Base, south of Seoul. The pilot ejected safely as the jet went down during a training flight on the morning of May 6.
Around 30 F-16s were relocated to Osan in March while Kunsan’s runway undergoes routine repairs that are estimated to be complete in late August.