The U.S. Air Force reported that the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (336th EFS) concluded a six-month deployment with 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers at Kadena Air Base, Japan. During that period, the unit conducted a three-month forward operation at the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, considered the first sustained U.S. fighter presence on the island.
According to the official release, while it remained at Kadena, the 336th EFS sent a detachment to establish and operate Detachment 336, a milestone the Air Force defined as a significant advancement in implementing the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept in the Indo-Pacific.
The deployment began on May 13, when 160 airmen from Kadena, Yokota, and Andersen Air Bases moved to Diego Garcia following an immediate reinforcement request from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The mission of the detachment was to project and sustain combat airpower from one of the most remote and strategic locations on the planet.
“This wasn’t just a TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment),” said Captain Jimmy Boulton, pilot of the 336th EFS. “This was an ACE operational detachment designed for a real, rapidly developing mission. And we weren’t just flying—we were building a joint team focused on our purpose.”
During the operation, Detachment 336 maintained 24/7 alert, installed a mobile aircraft arresting system, and executed daily sorties, maintaining high levels of availability despite logistical challenges stemming from operating far from usual supply chains.
“Our team had to develop solutions to meet maintenance requirements at a location without standard fighter infrastructure,” explained Senior Master Sergeant Jeremy McCoy. “We adapted quickly to keep the aircraft and personnel ready.”
The detachment also assumed tactical command of joint defense forces and interacted with the Navy’s Seventh Fleet, Marine Forces Pacific, and the 609th and 613th air operations centers. Together they conducted air defense exercises, base security, and alert responses.
“We collaborated in real time with our Navy and Marine partners to develop joint solutions,” stated Captain Brianna Kretkowski, intelligence officer of the 336th EFS. “Each mission reinforced our operational tempo and our readiness as a unified force.”
Life on the island required rapid adaptation. With support from the 36th Mission Support Group, Detachment 1, the airmen built and improved their lodging area, known as “Thundercove,” ensuring power, sanitation, wellness spaces, and operations and maintenance centers.
“Every adjustment and improvement aimed at generating continuity,” said Technical Sergeant Cid Bartolome. “It was about making the location viable not only for this mission, but also for future operations.”
By the end of July, the detachment had met and exceeded planned objectives, demonstrating that a fighter force can operate and sustain itself from nontraditional bases under complex logistical conditions. “Our work is already influencing tactics and procedures across the operational theater,” said Captain Boulton.
The commander of the 336th EFS, Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell Fossum, highlighted the magnitude of the challenge: “In practice, ACE required defining new organizations, creating processes, and assuming mission-focused risks. The joint defense of Diego Garcia was an important responsibility and a privilege.”
During the deployment, released images showed several F-15Es on the island equipped with air-to-air loads, including AIM-9X Sidewinders and AIM-120 AMRAAMs, along with external tanks and the Sniper and LANTIRN pods. The photographs were taken on June 1 in Diego Garcia and on August 4 upon returning to Kadena.
That same day, an F-15E of the 336th EFS made an emergency landing after a main landing-gear wheel was found to be missing. The aircraft landed without incidents. Kadena’s 18th Wing reported that the wheel was recovered on the Diego Garcia runway.
The deployment period occurred two months after B-2 bombers operated from the island to carry out strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, and coincided with regional tensions linked to Iran.
With the final departure of the F-15Es from Kadena, an operation considered by the Air Force as a model for future flexible missions based on dispersion and rapid projection of airpower in the Indo-Pacific came to an end.
*Cover image: U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron conduct a mission sortie during a three-month deployment to U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. The deployment demonstrated the Air Force’s ability to project power from remote locations, strengthening regional security and operational readiness. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
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