Our Opinion: Bipartisan advocacy spares Strike Eagles at Seymour Johnson

When Iran launched a volley of ballistic missiles and a swarm of drones toward Israel in mid-April, Air Force generals relied on F-15E Strike Eagles from the 335th Fighter Squadron to help shoot them down.

Plans to retire 26 of those planes from the elite Seymour Johnson Air Force Base squadron are on hold for now, sparing 520 Wayne County jobs from the military’s chopping block. Thanks to a Democratic congressman and a Republican senator, the “sound of freedom” over Goldsboro won’t be muted anytime soon.

Sen. Ted Budd secured a provision in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that prohibits the Air Force from phasing out any F-15E aircraft at Seymour Johnson through 2029. Rep. Don Davis, an Air Force Academy graduate, helped craft the NDAA amendment and championed its passage.

“I refuse to stand idly by as the proposed 520-job cut at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base threatens to damage eastern North Carolina’s economy, already one of the most economically distressed regions in the nation,” Davis said in a statement last week. “The Air Force’s plan to eliminate an entire squadron at Seymour Johnson is unacceptable. That is why I authored an amendment in the NDAA requiring transparency and accountability to the people of Wayne County and eastern North Carolina. As negotiations move forward, I will continue the fight for women service members’ access to reproductive health care and diversity within our ranks.”

In its 2025 budget request, the Air Force sought to divest 26 F-15E Strike Eagles from its fleet and purchase new F-15EX Eagle II aircraft in ongoing efforts to modernize its complement of fighter jets.

“Separately, the size of the F-15EX Eagle II fleet continues to be debated,” Chris Gordon explained last month in a story for Air & Space Forces Magazine. “The Air Force initially planned to purchase 144 of the fighters, an advanced fourth-generation replacement for the old F-15C/D Eagles. But that number has repeatedly shrunk.”

The versatile F-15E remains a vital aircraft for U.S. military operations. Budd says the Air Force is stronger with Strike Eagles at the ready.

“The Air Force’s plan to divest F-15E Strike Eagles would harm our national security and shatter the Goldsboro community,” Budd said. “As was made clear in countless Armed Services Committee hearings this year, F-15Es are incredibly capable aircraft that are unmatched in the fleet. I am thrilled that my colleagues agreed with me that divesting these aircraft was a misguided decision by the Air Force. I’ll continue to fight to ensure that the future of Seymour Johnson is bright and our military remains strong.”

Retiring two dozen jets would harm eastern North Carolina’s economy. We elect emissaries to Congress to advocate for our interests, so Budd’s and Davis’ defense of the Strike Eagle squadron comes as no great surprise. Yet this isn’t one of those concerning cases where lawmakers pile on budgetary pork for things the military doesn’t want to buy. In sworn Senate testimony, commanders consistently sang the F-15E’s praises.

“Several top military officials have praised the F-15E after being questioned by Senator Budd in committee hearings,” Budd spokesman Curtis Kalin said in a news release. “Strike Eagles were called phenomenal, very capable and critical for scenarios in the Indo-Pacific.”

The Strike Eagle save isn’t economic protectionism at the expense of a modern fighter fleet. Davis, who serves as vice ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, said he’ll work to preserve the four F-15E squadrons currently based in Goldsboro.

“Safeguarding our national security and preserving these jobs are not mutually exclusive, and the Air Force must be honest about that,” Davis said.

Seymour Johnson isn’t out of the woods until the National Defense Authorization Act is signed into law. When the ink on that bill dries, eastern North Carolina can thank Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Don Davis for a job well done.

The post Our Opinion: Bipartisan advocacy spares Strike Eagles at Seymour Johnson first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia .