Gov. Roy Cooper visited Seymour Johnson Air Force Base on Thursday and stressed the importance of the base to Wayne County and the Government’s commitment to the base’s service members and their families. 

Gov. Cooper met with base leadership and joined officials on a tour of Seymour Johnson, including the 333 Fighter Generation Squadron of F-15E Strike Eagles.

“Seymour Johnson and other military installations across North Carolina are doing important work not only protecting our state and our nation but also uplifting critical issues like access to child care and public education,” said Gov. Cooper. “North Carolina is proud to be the most military and veteran-friendly state in the country and we will continue working with our military partners to support service members and their families.”

The Governor was joined by North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Grier Martin, Col. Morgan P. Lohse, Commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, and other base leadership as he learned about current base operations and opportunities for the state to partner with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to better support our military. 

“Thank you again for visiting our airmen here,” Lohse said to Gov. Cooper. “It’s obviously not your first visit. He knows Seymour Johnson, and we appreciate your engagement with us. And we so appreciate the help and support that you and your team give to Seymour Johnson. We are blessed with an amazing partnership with the local community here, and we have some outstanding airmen doing some fantastic work here. We’re so glad that you got to come and see them and see what they do, and just have an opportunity to discuss what’s going on in their lives and what they need, and we just appreciate your support.”

The Governor and Secretary Martin joined base leadership for a mission control briefing covering base operations and challenges faced by active-duty service members and their families. The Governor also received a tour of the 333 Fighter Generation Squadron of F-15E Strike Eagles on the flight line and had lunch with active-duty service members.

During lunch, the Governor spoke with service members about the challenges they face on and off base including securing high-quality child care and public education. 

Gov. Cooper also praised the collaboration in April between members of the 335th Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson and the 494th Squadron from Langley Air Force base, who shot down over 60 Iranian drones in the Middle East to defend Israel.

“I’m proud of these men and women, what this team did in defending our interest in the Middle East a few months ago, is extraordinary,” Gov. Cooper said. “I’m grateful for them. They’re always ready. We are so proud to be the most veteran and military-friendly state in the country.”

The Governor also addressed the current pause on the divestment of F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft at Seymour Johnson, and how the local community and government at the state level can support the base.

In June, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) secured a provision that fully prohibits the Air Force from divesting F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base through 2029.

“I think it’s important for us to be able to show the Air Force and the country what a great place North Carolina is,” Gov. Cooper said. “How we have the kind of trained people who live around this base, this infrastructure, this ecosystem that can support a strong Air Force here. We’re just going to continue to keep on, keeping on to let people know how strong this base is, and how much support it has from Wayne County, and surrounding counties, and from the state of North Carolina.”