Audentes Fortuna Juvat.
“Fortune favors the bold.” It is the motto of the 391st Fighter Squadron, a tenant unit within the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
The 391 FS “Bold Tigers” is the largest fighter squadron in the USAF, comprised of more than eighty Airmen and nearly two dozen Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. The squadron is combat mission ready (CMR) to both plan and execute missions including: self-escort interdiction, close air support, defensive counter-air, precision strike, and a host of other missions sets ideally-suited to the F-15E’s unique capabilities.
The “Tigers” are capable of employing nearly the complete array of USAF weaponry: air-to-air missiles, the 20mm cannon, laser-guided munitions, GPS-guided munitions, general purpose munitions, and other stand-off weapons.
The 391 FS “Bold Tigers” flagship sits on the ramp at Mather Airport during the California Capital Airshow.
In 2014, twelve Dark Grays from the Tigers deployed to the PACAF (Pacific Air Forces) area of responsibility as part of a Theater Security Package to provide additional airpower and support to the Pacific Command (PACOM) Commander. This four-month deployment had the 391st conducting their missions out of two different forward operating bases.
While flying out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, the Tigers performed their role as the first-ever operational F-15E Squadron to take part in the RIM of the PACific (RIMPAC) Exercise, an LFE comprised of 22 different nations. Following RIMPAC, the 391 EFS then forward-deployed to Korea. They executed joint training with the RoKAF, further bolstering security and reinforcing the long partnership between the United States and Republic of Korea.
Stay tuned, because we have a feature article about the Tigers on the way!
Two F-15Es from the 391 FS sit on the ramp under a beautiful fall sky.