Details
ROCKETS OVER KOBANI
by Ronald Wong
Overall Print Size: 27½" x 19⅝"
Edition Size: 336
Commissioned by the squadron, Ronald Wong’s dynamic "ROCKETS OVER KOBANI" depicts F-15E Strike Eagles of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base flying precision air strikes over Kobani, Syria. Below the image of the print is printed the following:
The "World Famous Rocketeers" of the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed 18 F-15E Strike Eagles to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and supported OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL and COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE HORN OF AFRICA from the fall of 2014 to the spring of 2015. The Rockets provided close air support, time sensitive targeting, convoy escort, personnel over watch, and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The squadron worked with Joint Terminal Air Controllers and ground units from US conventional and Special Operations Forces, NATO, International Security Assistance Force, as well as friendly coalition units. In the scene depicted, the Rockets are providing support for the Kurdish People’s Protection Forces (YPG) as they hold off ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) advances in Kobani, Syria. The Rockets enabled the YPG to repel and eventually drive the enemy from the city while greatly outnumbered. The lead jet is shown employing a GBU-31A JDAM while the wingman is employing four GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. The impact of the Rockets was apparent to the enemy as one ISIL fighter explained: "I swear by God, their planes did not leave the air, day and night; they did airstrikes all day and night. They targeted everything. They even attacked motorcycles."
To the left of the text is a beautiful image of the United States Air Force emblem of the 336th Fighter Squadron. This is the patch worn by Squadron members every day of the week except Friday. To the right of the text is a beautiful image of the "morale patch” worn by Squadron members each Friday. It is the emblem of the Royal Air Force 133 Eagle Squadron. There were three Eagles Squadrons in the RAF made of American pilots who flew for England before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the United States entered the war, 133 Eagle Squadron became the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force.
Each "ROCKETS OVER KOBANI" print has been individually signed and numbered by the extraordinary artist Ronald Wong. Mr. Wong is well known for his beautiful and historically accurate depictions of modern US Air Force and Royal Air Force squadrons and wings. This is Ronald Wong’s third print for a squadron from the famous 4th Fighter Wing.
