10/06/16 — Jets, aircraft deploy in preparation for Hurricane Matthew

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Jets, aircraft deploy in preparation for Hurricane Matthew

By Brandon Davis
Published in News on October 6, 2016 3:10 PM

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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base deployed fighter jets and aircraft Thursday in route to Louisiana in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. 

Forty-one F-15E Strike Eagles from the 4th Fighter Wing and six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the 916th Air Refueling Wing took flight, heading toward Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. 

The procedure helps prevent possible damages to fighter jets and aircraft during the time of Matthew, which could hit eastern North Carolina this weekend. 

A press release from the base said Dare County Bomb Range and the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area will also be secured by airmen in anticipation of the hurricane. 

"We are always ready to respond to whatever challenges are presented and adapt to any situation," 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Christopher Sage said. 

"The quick and professional response by our airmen to Hurricane Matthew exemplifies our flexibility and preparedness," he said.