McEntire Joint National Guard Station
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| McEntire Joint National Guard Station | |
|---|---|
| Eastover, South Carolina | |
 Overhead McEntire ANG Base in 1999 |
|
| Built | August 27, 1942 (construction started) |
| In use | January 31, 1943 - present |
| Controlled by | Air National Guard |
| Garrison | 169th Fighter Wing |
McEntire Joint National Guard Station (JNGS) is affiliated with the South Carolina Air National Guard (SCANG). It is located in Eastover, South Carolina and is approximately 15 miles southeast of Columbia. The base is named for the late Brigadier General Barnie B. McEntire, Jr., the first commander of the SCANG and its first general officer. McEntire died in May 1961 when he rode his malfunctioning F-104 Starfighter into the Susquehanna River to avoid crashing in the populated area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The South Carolina Air National Guard was formed in December 1946. Today 1,250 members train at McEntire JNGS. About 900 of those are traditional Guard men and women. About 300 are full-time federal employees (technicians). About 50 are state employees (some of them are also traditional Guard members). The 169th Fighter Wing is the primary unit of the SCANG.
Contents |
[edit] Resident unit
- 169th Fighter Wing
[edit] History
The United States Army began construction on an airfield on land north of Congaree on August 27, 1947. The base was to be an outlying base to the Columbia Army Airfield. Construction was completed on January 31, 1943 with the completion of three 4,500 ft runways. From January 1943 until May of 1944 the airfield hosted various Army dive bombing training units until it was made available to the Department of the Navy.[1]
The first Marines arrived in May of 1944 to a deserted base. During May Marine Aircraft Group 52 (MAG-52) arrived with it's four F4U Corsair squadrons. The field was officially commissioned as Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Congaree on July 10, 1944. The base fell under the command of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. In October of that year MAG-52's mission was changed to that of training replacement pilots, was redesignated Marine Aircraft Group 92 and moved to Marine Corps Air Field Walnut Ridge. One of the fields major problems was it's lack of bombing and gunnery ranges so this meant regular deployments to Marine Corps Air Station Parris Island for training.[2]
In September 1945, after World War II, the only remaining marine units were VMF-523 and Air Warning Squadron 14]]. By November all Marine units had moved back to MCAS Cherry Point.[3]
The base was eventually turned over to the South Carolina Air National Guard and re-named McEntire ANG Base in October 1961 by Governor Ernest F. Hollings. It was re-named McEntire Joint National Guard Station in 2005 to reflect the joint presence of Army and Air National Guard units.
[edit] South Carolina Air national Guard
The mission of the 169th Fighter Wing is to maintain wartime readiness and the ability to mobilize and deploy expeditiously to carry out tactical air missions or combat support activities in the event of a war or military emergency. The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active duty Air Force to perform its military mission. The South Carolina Air National Guard also has a state mission, to respond to the call of the governor in the event of natural disaster or domestic disturbance.
The 169th FW flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat multi-purpose fighter with the capability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. The 169th flew the F-16A from 1983-1994. In 1994 the wing transitioned to the F-16C/Block 52, the newest, most advanced F-16 in the Air Force. The SCANG also flies a WC-130H Hercules for airlift support.
Also located at McEntire are the 240th Combat Communications Squadron, a diversified communications unit with more than 100 members; and the 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron. The many missions of the 240th CCSQ include ground communications, satellite communications and other advanced communications systems.The 245th ATCS has the ability to perform air traffic control at fixed air bases and at remote sites.
[edit] History of the South Carolina Air National Guard
The SCANG has been called to active military service for five major contingency deployments in its 55-year history. In 1950, SCANG members were called to serve for the Korean War, and its members served at various installations in the United States and abroad. In late 1961, the SCANG was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, and the 169th Tactical Fighter Group was stationed at Moron, Spain. In late 1990, units of the SCANG were activated and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Storm, flying 2,000 combat missions and dropping 4 million pounds of munitions, while maintaining the highest aircraft mission capable rate in the theater. In January 2002, aircraft and personnel of the 169th Fighter Wing were deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, directly participating in combat operations. In late February 2002, the 240th CCBS deployed a 50-member team to Central Asia in support of President Bush's war on terrorism. The 240th members returned in August after six months in theater. In September 2002, the 245th ATCS deployed to Afghanistan Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, returning in January 2003. In February 2003, nearly 400 members of the 169th FW and all of its F-16s were mobilized and deployed to Southwest Asia as part of what became Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 169th was attached to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed in Qatar. The unit flew more than 400 combat missions, performing the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission and flying numerous precision bombing missions over Iraq. The 169th FW was also a regular participant in the Air Expeditionary Force, which patrolled the Iraqi no-fly zones. The unit has deployed for: Operation Southern Watch (Qatar, 1996), Operation Northern Watch (Turkey, 2000), Operation Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, 2001). The 169th FW was the first Air National Guard unit to deploy alongside active-duty Air Force units to comprise an AEF.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
[edit] Books
- Shettle Jr., M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-964-33882-3.
