Shaw Air Force Base
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] |
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) (IATA: SSC, ICAO: KSSC, FAA LID: SSC) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately 8.4 miles (13.5 km) west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdiction of USAF Air Combat Command (ACC). The 20th Fighter Wing (20th FW) is the host unit.
History
Lt. Ervin David Shaw
The base is named in honor of
World War II
Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the
- Shaw AAF Aux No. 1 – (Burnt Gin Airfield), Wedgefield, South Carolina 33°53′09″N 80°29′46″W / 33.88583°N 80.49611°W
- Shaw AAF Aux No. 2 – (Rembert Airfield), Rembert, South Carolina 34°06′15″N 80°33′10″W / 34.10417°N 80.55278°W
- Shaw AAF Aux No. 3 – (Monaghan Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina 33°51′30″N 80°23′10″W / 33.85833°N 80.38611°W
- Shaw AAF Aux No. 4 – (Sumter Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina 33°56′00″N 80°22′00″W / 33.93333°N 80.36667°W
Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee
In October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced (Phase III) flying training and
On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to the First Air Force. The 139th Army Air Force Base Unit, I Fighter Command became the host unit. and pilots were sent to Shaw for fighter transition training in Republic P-47 Thunderbolt single-engined fighters.[4]
For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp. The first group of German POWs arrived on 1 March 1945. Eventually, 175 of them lived in an encampment just off the main base, on Peach Orchard Road (also known as South Carolina Highway 441) across from Shaw's (side) hospital (currently closed) gate and worked on local farms in the area. They departed in the early months of 1946 for the rebuilding of European cities and towns that were devastated during the war. Those prisoners were eventually repatriated to Germany around 1947, with some returning to the Shaw and Sumter area and obtaining their U.S. citizenship.[5]
Postwar era
Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent USAAF installation after the war, being transferred to
The squadrons flew the
United States Air Force
20th Fighter Group
Jurisdiction of Shaw was again transferred to
After the establishment of the
The 20th Fighter Group was first equipped with
On 23 September 1949 the
The 20th Fighter Group was reassigned to
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
On 1 April 1951, the
In addition to the 363 TRW, Headquarters
- Martin RB-57A Canberra
- Douglas RB-66 Destroyer
- McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
- McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363 TRW changed frequently. Nearly all tactical reconnaissance aircraft aircrews in the United States Air Force were trained or stationed at Shaw Air Force Base.
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
On 23 March 1953, the
The group initially conducted training with two squadrons (20th, 29th) flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons (41st, 43d) flying the Martin RB-57A "Canberra". In 1957, the group upgraded the 20th and 29th to the McDonnell RF-101C "Voodoo", and the 41st and 43d transitioned to the electronic warfare EB-66C Destroyer.[8]
In a budgetary move, the 432d TRW was inactivated on 8 April 1959. The RF-101C equipped 17th and 18th TRSs were deployed to NATO, being reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at
4411th Combat Crew Training Group
The Shaw reconnaissance training mission was taken over by the 4411th Combat Crew Training Group, consisting of RF-101C and EB-66C aircraft. The 4411 CCTG became an operational group under the 363d TRW and continued the training mission at Shaw for reconnaissance aircraft until both it and the 837th Air Division were inactivated on 1 February 1963. All assets from these organizations were then transferred to the 363d TFW.[7][failed verification]
66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
On 1 January 1953 the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was activated at Shaw, replacing the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, the title of which reverted to the
The 66 TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18 TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea. Wing and squadrons trained at Shaw prior to deployment to NATO. The 66th had three operational squadrons: the 30th, 302d and 303d TRS. The 30 TRS flew the RB-26 Invader, equipped for night reconnaissance, while the 302d and 303d flew the RF-80A Shooting Star for day reconnaissance.[7]
On 25 June 1953, the 66 TRW departed Shaw, being reassigned to
363d Fighter Wing
By 1980, the advent of
The 363 TFW received its first F-16 on 26 March 1982. The 363 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 9 August 1990, the 17 TFS and 33 TFS of 363 TFW became the first F-16 squadrons to deploy to the
Following Desert Storm, the 19th and 33d 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 north. The 33 TFS made history when one of its pilots downed an Iraqi aircraft with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The incident marked the first time an AIM-120 was fired in combat and was the first U.S. F-16 air-to-air kill.[12]
With the closure of
As a result of the August 1992 destruction of
The 363rd Fighter Wing was inactivated at Shaw AFB on 31 December 1993. The next day, 1 January 1994, the 20th Fighter Wing inactivated at RAF Upper Heyford and reactivated without personnel or equipment at Shaw AFB, returning to the base it had left for duty with NATO forty-one years earlier.[6]
20th Fighter Wing
As a result of the end of the Cold War, the USAF made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re-designation of wings and their units. A significant reduction in forces in Europe was made in the early 1990s, which reflected the changes in Europe after fall of the Berlin Wall.
On 15 December 1993, the flight line at
Upon activation at Shaw, the 20 FW assumed the personnel and equipment of the inactivated 363 FW. The operational squadrons of the 363d Operations Group were assigned to the 20th Operations Group and re-designated as follows:[6]
- 17th Fighter Squadron -> 77th Fighter Squadron(F-16C/D)
- 78th Fighter Squadron(F-16C/D)
- 21st Fighter Squadron -> 55th Fighter Squadron (OA-10A)
- 309th Fighter Squadron -> 79th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D)
Since moving to Shaw in 1994 the 20th has taken part and continues to take part in numerous operations. In September 1994 the 20 FW provided fighter cover for US operations in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. This operation restored democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who had been ousted in September 1991 by military forces within Haiti.[6]
The wing was called to send F-16s in support of NATO operations during the
Throughout the 1990s the 20 FW routinely rotated squadrons to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq.
After the
In February 2003 the 20 FW deployed approximately 1,300 service members and 15 aircraft to the 363 AEW at
During 2009 the three squadrons concentrated on regaining aircrew skill sets that atrophy during a combat deployment, in preparation for the next round of deployments. During 2010 the 55th and 77th once again fought in Iraq. The 77 FS again was the lead 20 FW unit deploying to Joint Base Balad, Iraq in January 2010. The 77th carried out operations there until relieved by the 55 FS in May 2010. The 55th finished its tour in Iraq in October 2010.[6]
The wing has been called to send both personnel and aircraft in support of
Third US Army
In its
On 1 June 2011, Third Army Headquarters at Shaw, Patton Hall, was dedicated during a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new headquarters. Third Army continued the transfer of its personnel and equipment in order to be fully operational at Shaw AFB by 15 June 2011. An estimated 3,000 people relocated to the Sumter area, including families. This includes approximately 1,200 service members, who will be working out of the $100 million, 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m2) command and control facility. The new Patton Hall took 22 months to build, has 42 conference rooms, a 200-seat auditorium and can support up to 1,500 personnel.[14]
Major commands to which assigned
- Southeast Air Corps Training Center, 26 June 1941
- Redesignated: AAF Southeast Training Center, 29 October 1942
- Redesignated: Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 31 July 1943
- First Air Force, 1 April 1945
- Continental Air Forces, 16 April 1945
- Air Defense Command, 1 March 1946
- Tactical Air Command, 23 March 1946
- Continental Air Command, 1 December 1948
- Tactical Air Command, 1 December 1950
- Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – present[3]
Major units assigned
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Role and operations
Today the 20th Fighter Wing remains at Shaw. As the host wing, it also retains the responsibility for providing facilities, personnel and material for the base's operation. Major components of the 20 FW are:[15]
- 20th Operations Group (20 OG) (Tail Code "SW")
- The 20th Operations Group employs approximately 80 F-16CJ fighter aircraft in conventional and anti-radiation suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), strategic attack, counter-air, air interdiction, joint maritime operations and combat search-and-rescue missions.
- 20th Maintenance Group
- The 20th Maintenance Group includes the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 20th Component Maintenance Squadron, the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron and the 20th Maintenance Operations Squadron.
- 20th Mission Support Group
- The 20th Mission Support Group supports more than 5,400 military and civilian employees and 11,000 family members. The 20 MSG is also responsible for thousands of acres of land, including the 24-acre (9.7 ha) outdoor recreation area located 37 miles (60 km) northwest on Lake Wateree, and the approximately 12,000-acre (49 km2) Poinsett Electronic Combat Range located about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the base.
- 20th Medical Group
- The 20th Medical Group provide ambulatory medical and dental services to the 20th Fighter Wing, Headquarters 9th Air Force and associate units. It is an outpatient clinic with 24-hour 911 Emergency Medical Services (EMS), advanced life support (ALS) ambulance response and transport capability for base personnel and flight line operations.
Tenant units located on Shaw AFB are:
- Headquarters Ninth Air Force (9 AF)[15]
- United States Air Forces Central (USAFCENT), the air component of United States Central Command(arrived 20 August 1954).
- Detachment 1, 609th Air and Space Operations Center(609 AOC)
- United States Army Central (USARCENT), the United States Army Component of United States Central Command.
Substantial military contracting occurs through Shaw AFB. In fiscal year 2020, for example, the following corporate activities occurred at the Air Force Base:
- Abacus Technology Corp. information technology sustainment.[16]
- CAE USA aircrew training and courseware development for F-15E, F-16, and F-22A aircraft.[17]
- CACI information technology at the Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC) on Shaw AFB, with a focus on Central Command.[18]
- Kapsuun Group LLC support services for A4/A6 staff.[19]
- SAIC infrastructure engineering and technical modeling support, weapon system mission data analysis, and precision fires manager engineering and analysis.[20]
- SAIC live virtual modeling and simulation for U.S. Army Central.[21]
- Titan Facility Services LLC medical housekeeping, waste management and linen management.[22]
In July 2020, Bristol General Contractors LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, was contracted to build a Mission Training Complex on the base, with construction expected finished by May 2022.[23]
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Shaw Air Force Base.[24][25][26]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Shaw, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air ForceAir Combat Command (ACC)
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United States ArmyUS Army Central (ARCENT)
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See also
- 20th Fighter Group (World War II)
- South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
- 27th Flying Training Wing (World War II)
- 609th Information Warfare Squadron
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ "Shaw AFB (KSSC)". Federal Aviation Administration. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ a b "USAF Factsheet, 1st Lt. Ervin David Shaw". Shaw Air Force Base. United States Air Force. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-16-002261-4
- ^
- ^ Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 20th Fighter Wing History, Office of History 20th Fighter Wing. Shaw AFB, South Carolina. December 2010, AFD-110131-026.pdf
- ^ ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- ^ a b "Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia Of Military Aircraft". Archived from the original on 25 September 2006.
- ^ "USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers – 1908 to present". Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
- ^ a b "F-16.net – The ultimate F-16, F-22, F-35 reference". www.f-16.net.
- ^ "U.S. Army Central | www.usarcent.army.mil". www.usarcent.army.mil.
- ^ "News". www.shaw.af.mil. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Shaw Air Force Base > Home". www.shaw.af.mil.
- ^ "Contracts for March 5, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for March 3, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for March 26, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for January 8, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for June 5, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for May 7, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for February 12, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for July 2, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "About Us". Shaw AFB. US Air Force. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Kingpin command and control ops begin at Shaw". US Air Forces Central. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Rosine, Tech. Sgt. Matthew (30 September 2019). "609th Air Support Squadron Re-activated". US Air Forces Central. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers – 1908 to present Archived 30 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Early Photo Jet Recon, Colonel Jean K. Woodyard, USAF Retired Archived 23 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Shaw AFB, public website
- Ninth Air Force
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective April 18, 2024
- FAA Terminal Procedures for SSC, effective April 18, 2024
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- FAA airport information for SSC
- AirNav airport information for KSSC
- ASN accident history for SSC
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KSSC