The 12th Tactical Fighter Wing was the first Air Force unit to deploy the F-4C in squadron strength to the Pacific. On December 12, 1964, eighteen Phantoms of the 555th TFS arrived at Naha AB, Okinawa, to relieve the F-102s of the 51st Fighter--Interceptor Wing. The personnel of the 558th TFS arrived March 9th to accept the aircraft and air-defense commitment of the departing 555th and the eighteen F-4Cs the 559th rotated to Naha on June 9th. The 558th returned to Naha for a second TDY in September and the final PACAF rotation, where the 12th TFW was concerned, involved the 555th which was separated from the 12th upon its relief by a permanent F-102 squadron.

While at Naha AB the various squadrons of the 12th TFW maintained two F-4Cs on five-minute alert as well as two additional Phantoms on fifteen minute alert. These aircraft were typically armed with eight missiles - four Sidewinders (AIM-9B) and four Sparrows (AIM-7D).

Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) intrusions by a wide variety of foreign aircraft were not uncommon. A particular challenge was posed by the Mandrake, a Soviet high-altitude aircraft not unlike the U-2, which sometimes turned up in the ADIZ following reconnaissance flights off the coast of Japan.

12th aircraft not committed to alert duty were involved in training--most commonly related to air defense. A typical exercise was the scramble to intercept Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force F-104s closing on Okinawa at near Mach 2.