Shaw Air Force Base
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shaw Air Force Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| IATA: SSC - ICAO: KSSC | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | USAF | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 110 ft (34 m) | ||
| Coordinates | 35° 20' 21.6" N 77° 57' 38.4" W |
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 04L/22R | 10,010 | 3,050 | Concrete |
| 04R/22L | 8,000 | 2,440 | Concrete |
Shaw Air Force Base is the home of the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Wing. It is also headquarters, Ninth Air Force, and United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF). The mission of the 20th FW is to provide, project, and sustain combat-ready air forces, and is the Air Force's largest combat F-16 wing
Shaw AFB is located about 10 miles northwest of Sumter, South Carolina.
Contents |
[edit] 20th Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Shaw, arriving on January 1, 1994 from RAF Upper Heyford England, replacing the deactivating 363d Fighter Wing. It's operational squadrons are:
- 55th Fighter Squadron
- 77th Fighter Squadron
- 79th Fighter Squadron
The 20th FW F-16CJ Fighting Falcons are tail coded "SW".
The 20th, as the host wing, also retains the responsibility for providing facilities, personnel, and material for the operation of Shaw. The wing staff includes: Inspector General, command post, judge advocate, safety, public affairs, historian, comptroller, manpower and organization, military equal opportunity office, and the chapel program.
The 20th Mission Support Group at Shaw supports more than 5,400 military and civilian employees and 11,000 family members. The 20th MSG is also responsible for thousands of acres of land, including the 24-acre outdoor recreation area located 37 miles northwest on Lake Wateree, and the approximately 12,000-acre Poinsett Electronic Combat Range located about 10 miles southwest of the base.
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Construction began at Shaw Army Airfield on June 27, 1941. Major Burton M. Hovey became the first base commander on August 30, 1941. The base was named in honor of 1st Lt. Ervin David Shaw, one of the first Americans to fly combat missions in World War I. Shaw, a Sumter County native, died after three enemy aircraft attacked his Bristol while he was returning from a reconnaissance mission.
As one of the largest flying fields in the United States, Shaw Field’s first task was to train cadets to fly. The first group of cadets entered training December 15, 1941, and the last basic class graduated March 9, 1945. The basic flying school at Shaw Field had trained more than 8,600 service members to fly in AT-6s and AT-10s. When the mission changed, P-47 Thunderbolts arrived to replace the basic trainers, and pilots began coming to Shaw for fighter transition training until the end of the war.
Major USAAF tennant units at Shaw Army Airfield were:
- 77th Air Base Squadron (Established 8 October 1941)
- 454th School Squadron (3 November 1941)
- 2142d Army Air Force Base Unit (1 May 1944)
- 139th Army Air Force Base Unit (31 March 1945)
For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp. The first group of German POWs arrived on March 1, 1945. Eventually, 175 of them lived in an encampment near Shaw Field’s main entrance and worked on local farms. They departed in the early months of 1946.
[edit] 20th Fighter Group
Following World War II, the 20th Fighter Group was transferred to Shaw Army Airfield on 28 July 1947 from Biggs AFB, Texas. Operational squadrons were:
- 55th Fighter Squadron
- 77th Fighter Squadron
- 79th Fighter Squadron
Initally the group flew the North American P-51D Mustang, upgrading to the Republic Aviation F-84B Thunderjet in 1948. On 13 January 1948, Shaw Army Airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base, and the 20th became the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing.
On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to Shaw from the 363d TRW at Langley AFB Virginia. The 161st flew the Lockheed RF-80. A reduction in Air Force units in April 1949 led to a consolidation of units at fewer bases. With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the mission of the 161st was to train replacement reconnaissance aircraft pilots.
The 161st TFS became the nucleus on which the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing's mission at Shaw AFB when the wing transferred there in 1951.
[edit] 363d Tactical Reconnaissance/Fighter Wing
On 1 April 1951, the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base Virginia and doubled the activity at Shaw AFB. On 1 December 1951, however, the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing transferred to Langley AFB in preparation for a permanent overseas deployment to RAF Wethersfield England to support NATO.
The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing would remain at Shaw, under various designations, for the next 43 years. The wing's mission was to fly photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces. In addition, the 363d provided combat crew training for reconnaissance aircrews.
During the tenure of the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw AFB (1951 - 1993), the wing was the first USAF operational unit equipped with the following aircraft:
- Martin RB-57A Canberra
- Douglas RB-66 Destroyer
- McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
- McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
The initial operational squadrons of the 363d TRW were:
- 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (2 April 1951 - 10 May 1959 - RB-26, RF-80A, RF-84F, RF-101A/C) (1 July 1982 - 1 January 1994 - F-16A/C)
- 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (2 April 1951 - 10 May 1959 - RB-26, RF-80A, RF-101C) (30 November 1970 - 30 September 1979 - RF-4C)
The former 363d TRW 160th TRS was reactivated as the 17th TRS, and the 161st TRS was re-designated as the 18th TRS on 2 April 1951 when the wing transferred to Shaw.
Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently. Two Tactical Reconnaissance Wings were formed at Shaw AFB from 363d TRW assets and went on to have their own separate histories in Europe (66th TRW) and Southeast Asia (432d TRW). Nearly all tactical reconnaissance aircraft aircrews in the United States Air Force were trained or stationed at Shaw Air Force Base.
In addition to the 363d TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on 1 September 1954.
[edit] 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
On 1 January 1953 the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was established at Shaw. The 66th was formed from RB-26 assets of 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea. Wing and squadrons trained at Shaw prior to deployment to NATO. Squadrons formed at Shaw were:
- 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-26)
- 302nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80A)
- 303rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80A)
66th TRW pilots trained at Shaw using RF-51Ds. On 25 June 1953 the 66th departed Shaw, being permanently assigned to Sembach Air Base West Germany.
[edit] 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group/Wing
On 23 March 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw. Upgraded to 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 8 February 1958. Group assumed reconnaissance mission under 363d TRW. As 432d TFW, operated USAF Advanced Flying Training School, Tactical Reconnaissance.
Squadrons of the 432d TRG/TRW were: (Squadrons under 4411th Combat Crew Training Group (1958 - 1959))
- 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (18 March 1954 - 18 May 1959) (RF-80A, RF-84F, RF-101C)
- 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (18 March 1954 - 8 Apr 1959) (RF-80A, RF-101C)
- 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (1956 - 18 May 1959) (RB-66)
- 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (1956 - 18 May 1959) (RB-66)
- 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (23 March 1958 - 10 May 1959) (RF-80A, RF-84F, RF-101A/C)
- 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (23 March 1958 - 10 May 1959) (RF-80A, RF-101A/C)
The 432d TRW and 363d TRW both were under the 837th Air Division, headquartered at Shaw.
On 8 April 1959 the 432d TRW was deactivated and the Shaw training mission taken over by the 4411 Combat Crew Training Group.
The 17th and 18th TRS were transferred to 66th TRW on 10 May 1959 at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France. The 41st, 43d, 20th and 29th TRS were transferred to the 363d TRW, although still under the 4411th CCTG.
With the deactivation of the 432d TRW, the 4411th CCTG continued the training mission at Shaw for B-66 training until both it and the 837th Air Division were inactivated on 1 February 1963. All assets from these organizations were transferred to the 363d TFW.
The 432d TRW was reactivated on 18 September 1966 as the host unit at Udon RTAFB Thailand. At Udon, it became one of the most diversified unit of its size in the Air Force. After the end of the Vietnam War it was inactivated in place on 23 December 1975.
[edit] RF-84F Era (1954 - 1957)
The RF-84F Thunderflash was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak. It had many components in common with the F-84F, but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes, the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras.
Deliveries of the RF-84F Thunderflash began in March 1954, with the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient. Squadrons equipped were:
- 17th Reconnaissance Squadron (1954 - 1957)
- 20th Reconnaissance Squadron (1954 - 1957)
The camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward- facing, trimetrogen and individual oblique and vertical installations. The vertical camera bay had hydraulically-operated retractable doors, and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel. Photoflash ejectors could be carried in under-wing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions
The service life of the RF-84F with the 363d/432d TRW was relatively short, and were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo aircraft in 1957/1958.
[edit] RB-57 Era (1954 - 1956)
The Martin RB-57A (Martin Model 272A) was a reconnaissance version of the B-57A bomber. The decision to develop a reconnaissance version of the B-57A was made in October of 1951, guided by experience in the Korean War, which had underscored USAF reconnaissance shortcomings in the face of increasingly effective enemy air defenses.
- 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photographic (363d TRW, 18 Mar 1954 – 1956) (RB-57A, RB-66)
- 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photographic (363d TRW, 18 Mar 1954 - 1956) (RB-57A, RB-66)
The first operational USAF unit to equip with the RB-57A was the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. The 41st and 43d TRS reached initial operational capability in July 1954.
The 363d TRW's operational readiness with its RB-57s was short-lived. A problem soon appeared with the J65-BW-5 engines, which tended to burn oil and fill up the cockpit with smoke. Operationally, they were hampered by their high accident rate, which caused the RB-57As to be grounded for much of 1955. The service of the RB-57A with the 363d was destined to be relatively brief. Beginning in 1956, the 41st and 43d TRS began to re-equip with the Douglas RB-66 Destroyer and were transferred to the 432d TRW.
[edit] RB-66 Era (1956 - 1974)
The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was originally envisaged as a replacement for the World War II era piston-engined Douglas B-26 Invader in the tactical bombing role for both day and night operations. The aircraft was initially manufactured in two separate versions. A bomber version designated B-66B (Douglas Model 1327A), and a reconnaissance version designated RB-66B (Douglas Model 1329). In addition, the RB-66C was a seven-seat specialized electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures aircraft.
All of these models were basically similar in overall configuration, differing primarily in the equipment carried.
The first USAF RB-66Bs were issued to the 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the 363rd TRW in January 1956. They replaced the obsolescent RB-26 Invader. Two more squadrons within the 363rd TRW, the 41st and the 43rd, were equipped with RB-66Bs by the end of the year. The RB-66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command.
- 6th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-66B)
- 1956 - 1958 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group
- 1958 - 1965 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
Squadron formed at Shaw in 1956 and deployed aircraft and personnel TDY to MacDill AFB Florida 22 October - 30 November 1962 in support of Cuban Missile Crisis. Deactivated 1965.
- 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-66B/C, WB-66D)
- 1953 - 1958 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 1958 - 1963 4411th Combat Crew Training Group
- 1963 - 1965 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
Squadron formed from RB-26 assets of 17th TRS in 1953 after 17th TRS xfred to 432d TRG. Flew RB-26s from 11 Nov 1953 until equipped with B-66s in 1956. Deployed aircrew and aircraft PCS to Takhli RTAFB Thailand, 1965.
- 4417th Combat Crew Training Squadron (RB/EB-66C, EB-66E)
- 1965 - 1969 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
Squadron formed from 6th and 9th TRS assets in 1965. Inactivated 1969 - assets to 39th TEWTS
- 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-66)
- 1956 - 1958 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 1958 - 1959 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron (EB-66C)
- 1 October 1965 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-66B)
- 1956 - 1958 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 1958 - 1959 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
41st and 43d TRS were activated at Shaw in 1954 with RB-57As. Converted to RB-66s in 1956. Squadrons were deactivated on 18 May 1959 with RB-66s being transferred to 19th TRS at Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany and 1st TRS at RAF Alconbury, England.
On 1 October 1965 the 41st TRS was reactivated as the 41st TEWS, with former USAFE EB-66C aircraft coming from the 10th TRW at RAF Alconbury. Once activated, the 41st TEWS was immediately reassigned to the 355th TFW at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base Thailand.
- 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-66C)
- 1966 - 1967 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 1967 - 1967 4402d Tactical Training Group
Squadron arrived at Shaw from deactivated 25th TRW at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base France on 1 May 1966. Re-designated as Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 1967 with change to EB-66.
- 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (EB-66)
- 1967 - 1968 4402d Tactical Training Group
Deployed aircrew and aircraft PCS to Det 1, 18th TFW ltezuke AB, Japan on 31 December 1968.
- 39th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron (RB-66C)
- 1967 - 1968 4402d Tactical Training Group
- 1968 - 1969 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
Squadron formed from 19th TRS' RB-66Cs after 19th TRS' equipment change to EB-66. Re-designated as Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1969 with change to EB-66.
- 39th Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron (JN, EB-66C/E)
- 1969 - 1974 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 39th TEWS flew EB-66C/D/E Electronic Warfare aircraft absorbing the assets of the deactivated 4417th CCTS on 10 July 1969 until deactivating on 15 March 1974. Many B-66s were deployed on 90-day rotations to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base and Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base during the Vietnam War. In Southeast Asia, these aircraft retained the Shaw tail code "JN". In addition,the 39th TEWS operated a training and operational detachment at Spangdahlem Air Base West Germany training USAFE and NATO aircrews from 1969 to 1973.
4402d Tactical Training Group
- 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
- 39th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
The 4402d Tactical Training Group was formed with the 19th and 39th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons on 1 Feb 1967 to perform replacement training unit for RB-66 aircrews. On 20 Jan 1968 the 4402d Tactical Training Group was disbanded and the B-66 squadrons reassigned back to the 363d TRW.
[edit] RF-101 Era (1957 - 1971)
In January 1953, the USAF had asked McDonnell to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F-101 Voodoo as a possible replacement for the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash. The first RF-101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF-84F. In September 1957, the RF-101C began deliveries to Shaw. The RF-101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF-101A, but quickly replaced them by May 1958. In 1958, the RF-101Cs were put under the control of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.
In June 1958, the 4414th Combat Crew Training Squadron became operational with Shaw's 363rd TRW as the replacement training unit for Voodoo reconnaissance pilots.
Operational RF-101 squadrons at Shaw TRW were:
- 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (8 Feb 1958 - 27 Oct 1965) (RF-101C)
- 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (1957 - 10 May 1959) (RF-101A/C)
- 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (1957 - 10 May 1959) (RF-101A/C)
- 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (JP, 30 Jan 1970 - 13 Nov 1970) (RF-101C)
- 20th Tactical Reconnaissance (18 May 1959 - 12 Nov 1965) (RF-101C)
- 29th Tactical Reconnaissance (JO, 8 Apr 1959 - 24 Jan 1971) (RF-101C)
- 4414th Combat Crew Training Squadron (JK, June 1958 - 15 Oct 1969) (RF-101C)
- 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron (JK, 15 Oct 1969 - 16 Feb 1971) (RF-101C)
- 4415th Combat Crew Training Squadron (JL, 1 Feb 1967 - 15 Oct 1969) (RF-101C)
- 33d Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron (JL, 15 Oct 1969 - 1972) (RF-101C)
The 17th and 18th TRS transferred to 66th TRW Laon-Couvron Air Base France 1959. 18th TRS transferred back to 363d TRW after 66th TRW deactivated at RAF Upper Heyford England 30 Jan 1970.
20th TRS transferred to 67th TRW Kadena AFB, Okinawa 1965 then to Udon RTAFB Thailand, 18 Sep 1966. 4415th TRS formed at Shaw with RF-101C aircraft transferred back to Shaw from 20th TRS at Udon RTAFB.
29th TRS deactivated 24 Jan 1971. RF-101Cs sent to Michigan ANG.
Squadron Tail Codes were added to TAC aircraft beginning in 1966.
Along with the jet age came the opportunity for the pilots of the 363d to set a new world speed record. On November 27, 1957, four RF-101 Voodoos assigned to Shaw lifted off the runway from Ontario County Airport in California. The planes headed for New York and a place in history. The flight, known as Operation Sun Run, successfully broke the transcontinental flight record. The trip took three hours and seven minutes at a record speed of 781.74 mph.
In the autumn of 1962, the pilots of the 363d played a major part in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Utilizing their RF-101s for low-altitude photo-reconnaissance missions, they helped identify and track activities at Cuban missile sites, airfields, and port facilities. In awarding the wing the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its achievements, President John F. Kennedy said, "You gentlemen have contributed as much to the security of the United States as any group of men in our history."
The last USAF RF-101C was phased out of the 31st TRTS, a replacement training unit at Shaw AFB, on 16 February 1971 and turned over to the Air National Guard.
[edit] RF-4C Era (1964 - 1989)
The McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II (Model 98DF) was the unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the USAF's F-4C. The armament and radar of the fighter version was removed and replaced with equipment specialized for photographic reconnaissance. Perhaps the most readily-noticeable difference between the F-4C and the RF-4C was the presence of a new, longer, and more pointed nose in which the fire control radar of the fighter was replaced by cameras, mapping radar, and infrared imaging equipment for the reconnaissance role.
The first USAF production RF-4C went in September 1964 to the 363d TRW, and the first operational squadron to receive the RF-4C was the 16th TRS, achieving initial combat-readiness in August of 1965. Operational RF-4C squadrons of the 363d TRW were:
- 4415th Combat Crew Training Squadron (JL, white fin cap) (1 Feb 1967 - 15 Oct 1969)
- 33d Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron (JL/JO, white fin cap) (15 Oct 1969 - 1 Oct 1982)
- 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (8 Feb 1958 - 27 Oct 1965) (RF-4C)
- 4416th Test and Evaluation Squadron (JM, yellow fin cap) (1 Jul 1966 - 15 Feb 1971)
- 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (JM/JO/SW, yellow fin cap) (15 Feb 1971 - 31 Dec 1989) (RF-4C, EB-57E)
- 22d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (JO, red fin cap) (15 Jul 1971 - 15 Oct 1971) (RF-4C, EB-57E)
- 62d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (JO, red fin cap) (15 Oct 1971 - 1 July 1982)
- 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (JP/JO, blue fin cap) (30 Nov 1970 - 30 Sep 1979)
363d TRW tail codes standardized in 1972 to "JO".
16th TRS deployed PCS to 6250th Combat Support Group (later 460th TRW) at Tan Son Nhut Air Base South Vietnam on 27 Oct 1965. Reassigned back to 363d TRW 18 Feb 1971. 16th TRS tail code changed to "SW" in 1982 along with F-16 squadrons.
22d TRS deactivated 15 October 1971, transferring RF-4C assets to the activating 62d TRS the same day. 18th TRS deactivated on 30 September 1979 with aircraft being distributed to 33d, 16th and 62d TRSs.
On 15 July 1971, two EB-57Es were transferred along with the RF-4Cs of the 22d TRS from Bergstrom AFB, Texas, then transferred to the 16th TRS when the 22d TRS was deactivated. These aircraft were highly adapted to carry electronic countermeasures and were frequently deployed to Europe to support USAFE fighter activities. The 363d operated these aircraft until September 1974 then transferring them to the Air National Guard. They were the last B-57s operated by the active-duty USAF.
With the arrival of the F-16 squadrons, the 33d TRS was deactivated. The 62d TRS was reassigned to Bergstrom AFB Texas as the 62d Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron. The 16th TRS continued to fly the RF-4C until December 1989, then deactivated.
[edit] F-16 Era (1982 - 1994)
On October 1, 1981, the 363rd TRW was re-designated as the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing. The wing received its first F-16 on March 26, 1982. Operational F-16 squadrons of the 363d TFW were:
- 17th Tactical Fighter (Activated 1 July 1982, white tail stripe, "Owls"/"Hooters")
- 19th Tactical Fighter (Activated 1 April 1982, yellow tail stripe, "Gamecocks")
- 33d Tactical Fighter (8 March 1985 - 15 November 1993, blue tail stripe, "Falcons")
- 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (1 April 1992, black tail stripe,"Gamblers) (OA-10A)
The 363d TFW flew F-16A/B Block 10 aircraft until 1984 then converted to Block 15s; F-16C/D Block 25s in autumn 1985 and Block 42s in late 1991. All aircraft carried the "SW" Tail Code.
On August 9, 1990, the 17th and 33rd TFS of 363rd TFW became the first F-16 squadrons to deploy to the United Arab Emirates in Operation Desert Shield. Operating from Al Dhafra Air Base as the 363rd Provisional Wing (along with the 10th TFS from the 50th TFW, Hahn Air Base, Germany), the wing flew combat missions to Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm between January 17 and February 28, 1991.
Following Desert Storm, the 19th and 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadrons deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, a coalition effort to enforce the Iraqi "No Fly Zone" south of the 32nd parallel. The 33rd TFS made history when one of its pilots downed an Iraqi aircraft with an AIM-120 missile. The incident marked the first time an AIM-120 missile was fired in combat and was the first U.S. F-16 air-to-air kill.
With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 355th TFS / 354th TFW on 1 April 1992. All A-10 aircraft with the 21st TFS were designated as OA-10A.
As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initally evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall. With Homstead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 20 November the squadron was permanently assigned to the 20th FW.
The 33d TRS was deactivated on 15 November 1993. Its F-16C/D aircraft were transfered to the Air National Guard.
[edit] Post Cold War
As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re-designation of wings and their units. The 363rd FW and its squadrons - 17th, 19th and 21st Fighter Squadrons, were inactivated on 1 January 1994. On the same day the 363d TRW was re-designated as the 20th Fighter Wing. Squadrons were re-designated as follows:
- 17th Fighter Squadron -> 77th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D)
- 19th Fighter Squadron -> 78th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D)
- 21st Fighter Squadron -> 55th Fighter Squadron (OA-10A 1994 - 1996) (F-16C/D 1997 - )
- 309th Fighter Squadron -> 79th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D)
The 78th Fighter Squadron was also activated on that day as an F-16C/D squadron to join the 20th Fighter Wing, after having last been assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters, England as an A-10A squadron.
The re-designation was a return home of sorts by the 20th Fighter Wing, which the 363d had replaced at Shaw in 1951. During most of the Cold War, the 20th was stationed at RAF Wethersfield and RAF Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom.
In July 1996 the 55th FS transferred it's OA-10A aircraft to the 23d Composite Wing at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina to equip the 74th Fighter Squadron. Began the transition to the F-16C/D block 50 in July 1997 making Shaw strictly an F-16 base.
The 78th Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 30 June 2003, as part of the Air Force’s FY 2003 force structure changes, leaving Shaw with three F-16CJ squadrons.
[edit] BRAC 2005
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to relocate the Third US Army Headquarters support office from Ft. Gillem and Fort McPherson, GA to Shaw AFB. This was a portion of a larger recommendation that would close Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson.
DoD also recommended to realign Moody AFB by relocating base-level ALQ-184 intermediate maintenance to Shaw, establishing a Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) at Shaw for ALQ-184 pods. DoD also recommended to realign Shaw AFB by relocating base-level TF-34 engine intermediate maintenance to Bradley ANGB, Mass.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
This article includes content from Shaw AFB Website's history page.
- Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989
- Donald, David, "Century Jets - USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War".
- Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
- Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
- Menard, David W., USAF Plus Fifteen - A Photo History 1947 - 1962, 1993
- Martin, Patrick, Tail Code: The Complete History Of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings, 1994
- Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
- Rogers, Brian, "United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978", 2005
- [1] Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia Of Military Aircraft
- [2] Early Photo Jet Recon, Colonel Jean K. Woodyard, USAF Retired
