The legacy of the F-15E is still being written, but in the quarter-century since the first Strike Eagle was delivered to a U.S. Air Force base, one of the military’s premier fighter jets has made an irrefutable impact in war theaters across the world — and on the lives of those troops on the ground who lived to see another day, in part, because of those aviators protecting them from thousands of feet above the battles they were waging.

From Operation Desert Storm to the continuing conflict in Afghanistan, Strike Eagles like those assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base have been involved in every major military operation since the jet was deemed fit for combat. But not every story that has unfolded in their cockpits ended in a victory.

This special section not only highlights the many achievements of the airframe — and the men and women who have commanded it since April 1988 — but also pays tribute to those who lost their lives serving their nation from the skies.

We feel we owe it to the fallen, and those loved ones they left behind, to honor their sacrifice.

Our hope is that after reading this special section, you, like those of us who have been lucky enough to document — both at home and from theater — the history of the F-15E, will have a greater appreciation for both those who command Seymour Johnson’s fleet and those who work countless hours to ensure it is fit to fly.

And that the next time you see a Strike Eagle streak overhead, you will have a greater admiration for all it took to ensure it is there.