After a year in California, it moved to Southeast Asia, where its F-4 Phantom II crews earned the nicknames "MiG killers" and "bridge busters".

The wing had several additional squadrons attached to it during the first months of the war in addition to the 35th, 36th, and 80th Fighter Squadrons, these being: Other units attached to the 8th in Korea were: In these early operations, the wing flew the F-80 Shooting Star jet fighter and propeller driven aircraft such as the F-51 Mustang and F-82 Twin Mustang.

Throughout the war, the wing principally conducted air-to-ground operations, providing close air support to United Nations ground forces and attacking targets such as supply centers and transportation assets.

The 8th Fighter Wing is known for the heroic actions of its members, including Major Charles J. Loring, a pilot in the 80th FS, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on 22 November 1952 when he flew his badly damaged F-80 aircraft into an enemy artillery emplacement near Sniper Ridge so that entrenched U.S. Infantry men could escape.

[citation needed] In October 1968, the wing picked up a Fast FAC assignment, under the call sign "Wolf".

Building on lessons learned by the earlier "Misty" and "Stormy" Fast FACs, five picked air crews were trained by the end of November.

They drew their Phantom IIs from the wing's aircraft pool, and used up unflown Operation Commando Hunt sorties to justify their missions.

By December 1968, the "Wolf" FACs were flying 3.5-hour missions in the Steel Tiger area of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In the face of communist antiaircraft fire, a prudent FAC operated at 5,000 feet altitude and jinked his craft constantly to confuse gunners' aims.

However, the dangerous and tiring visual reconnaissance missions were an important part of the interdiction campaign against the communist supply line.

[2][3] In October 1969, 7th Air Force chose the 8th TFW for a night Fast FAC assignment flying interdiction against the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Flying under the call sign "Night Owl", the FACs dropped flares to illuminate air strikes against chokepoints along the Trail.

They began operations on 18 October, and promptly lost two aircraft and crews when they collided with the ground while marking targets.

In addition to the F-4D fighter-bombers, the wing used Martin B-57G Canberras for night attacks, and AC-130 "Spectre" gunships for ground support and armed reconnaissance.

These were: To make room for these forces, the 13th Bomb Squadron was reassigned to the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark AB, Philippines in December 1972.

Designed to make the enemy more serious about the peace negotiations in progress at Paris, France, the 8th TFW launched 524 sorties for bombing missions against North Vietnam between 18 and 31 December 1972.

Early in 1973, the Wolf Pack mission included air interdiction into Laos against communist insurgents in Cambodia.

Following the killing of two U.S. Army officers by North Koreans on 18 August 1976, the 8th TFW went on increased alert and was quickly augmented by F-4Cs and F-4Ds from the 12th and 67th Squadrons at Kadena AB, Okinawa.

The wing's first F-16 sortie was flown the following 18 September and, by 19 July 1982, the conversion of the 35th and 80th Fighter squadrons was complete as the last F-4 departed Kunsan.