The 20th Fighter Wing is a

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and the host unit at

Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. The wing is assigned to

Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...

. The wing's mission is to provide, project, and sustain

combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

-ready aircraft in conventional and anti-radiation

suppression of enemy air defenses Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD ), also known in the United States as " Wild Weasel" and (initially) "Iron Hand" operations, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses, including surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), an ...

, strategic attack, counter-air, air interdiction, joint maritime operations and combat search-and-rescue missions.

History

The 20th Fighter Wing was established on 20 July 1947 at

Shaw Field Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...

, South Carolina and activated on 15 August. Upon its activation, the 20th commanded the functions of both the support groups as well as the flying 20th Fighter Group and the squadrons assigned to it. On 26 August 1948, the wing's 20th Airdrome Group was discontinued and its elements became realigned under the 20th Air Base Group. On 15 December 1993, the flight line at RAF Upper Heyford was closed. The wing moved without personnel and equipment from the UK to South Carolina on 1 January 1994, inheriting the personnel and equipment of the

363d Fighter Wing The 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The wing is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The wing cond ...

. Two F-16s from the wing collided during a training flight on 15 October 2009. One F-16, piloted by Captain Lee Bryant, was able to land safely at Shaw. The other plane, piloted by Captain Nicholas Giglio, 32, apparently crashed into the ocean. Authorities believe that Giglio was killed instantly in the collision and did not eject. An accident investigation board determined that the crash was caused by pilot error. The board stated that Giglio was flying too fast and was not paying adequate attention as he attempted to rejoin Bryant's aircraft for the return flight to Shaw.

Units

The 20th Fighter Wing is composed of four groups each with specific functions. The Operations Group controls all flying and airfield operations. The Maintenance Group performs maintenance of aircraft, ground equipment and aircraft components. The Mission Support Group has a wide range of responsibilities, a few of its functions are Security, Civil Engineering, Communications, Personnel Management, Logistics, Services and Contracting support. While the Medical Group provides medical and dental care. *

20th Operations Group The 20th Operations Group (20 OG) is the flying component of the 20th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It is stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is a successor organization of the 20t ...

55th Fighter Squadron The 55th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the oldest in the Un ...

77th Fighter Squadron The 77th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the oldest in the U ...

79th Fighter Squadron The 79th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the oldest in the Un ...

:: 20th Operations Support Squadron * 20th Maintenance Group :: 20th Component Maintenance Squadron :: 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron :: 20th Maintenance Operations Squadron * 20th Mission Support Group :: 20th Communications Squadron :: 20th Contracting Squadron :: 20th Security Forces Squadron :: 20th Force Support Squadron :: 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron :: 20th Civil Engineering Squadron (20 CES) * 20th Medical Group :: 20th Health Care Operations Squadron :: 20th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron * 20th Comptroller Squadron

Lineage

* Established as the 20 Fighter Wing on 28 July 1947 : Organized on 15 August 1947 : Discontinued on 26 August 1948The experimental Table of Distribution 20th Fighter Wing was discontinued on this date. Ravenstein, p. 38. : Activated on 24 August 1948The permanent Table of Organization 20th Fighter Wing was activated on this date. Ravenstein, p. 38. The two wings were consolidated on 1 October 1984. : Redesignated 20 Fighter-Bomber Wing on 20 January 1950 : Redesignated 20 Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 July 1958 : Redesignated 20 Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991

Assignments

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...

, 15 August 1947 – 26 August 1948, 24 August 1948 * Fourteenth Air Force, 1 February 1949 * Tactical Air Command, 1 August 1950 * Ninth Air Force, 22 January 1951 (attached to: Tactical Air Division, Provisional, 25 April – 10 October 1951, Tactical Air Command after 6 November 1951) * Tactical Air Command, 1 December 1951 (attached to 49th Air Division after 12 February 1952) *

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, 31 May 1952 (remained attached to 49th Air Division) *

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...

, 5 June 1952 (remained attached to 49th Air Division until 1 July 1956) *

Seventeenth Air Force The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during 1953–1996 and AFAFRICA, United Stat ...

, 1 July 1961 * Third Air Force, 1 September 1963 – 1 January 1994 *

, 1 January 1994 – 2009 *

, 5 August 2009 – 2020 *

, 2020 - present

Flying components

Group * 20th Fighter Group (later 20 Fighter-Bomber Group, 20 Operations Group): 15 August 1947 – 26 August 1948, 14 August 1948 – 8 February 1955; 31 March 1992 – 1 January 1994; 1 January 1994 – present (detached 26 July-c. 17 December 1950 and 25 April – 10 October 1951) * 20th Maint, Mission Support Groups etc Squadrons * 42d Electronic Combat Squadron: assigned 1 July 1983 – 1 June 1985, attached 2 June 1985 – 24 January 1991, assigned 25 January 1991 – 1 July 1992. * 55th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Squadron): attached 15 November 1952 – 7 February 1955, assigned 8 February 1955 – 31 March 1992 * 77th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 77th Fighter Squadron): attached 15 November 1952 – 7 February 1955, assigned 8 February 1955 – 31 March 1992 * 79th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Squadron): attached 15 November 1952 – 7 February 1955, assigned 8 February 1955 – 31 March 1992

Stations

* Shaw Field (later

), South Carolina, 15 August 1947 – 26 August 1948, 24 August 1948 – 9 November 1951 *

Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1 ...

, Virginia, 9 November 1951 – 22 May 1952 *

RAF Wethersfield MDP Wethersfield is a Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence facility in Essex, England, located north of the village of Wethersfield, Essex, Wethersfield, about north-west of the town of Braintree, Essex, Braintree. Original ...

, England, 31 May 1952 – 1 April 1970 *

RAF Woodbridge Royal Air Force Woodbridge, or more simply RAF Woodbridge, is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Woodbridge and around 7 miles north-east of Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk, England. Constructed in 1943 as a RAF military airfi ...

, England, 1 October 1954 – 1 April 1970 (79th only) *

RAF Upper Heyford Royal Air Force Upper Heyford or more simply RAF Upper Heyford is a former Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the World War II, Second W ...

, England, 1 April 1970 – 1 January 1994 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 January 1994 – present

Aircraft operated

* Republic F-84B/D/G Thunderjet (1948–1955) *

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak is an American swept-wing turbojet-powered fighter-bomber. The RF-84F Thunderflash is variant of the F-84F that was designed for photo reconnaissance. The design was originally intended to be a relatively simp ...

(1955–1957) * North American F-100D Super Sabre (1957–1971) *

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons capabiliti ...

(1970–1993) *

General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven The General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven is a retired electronic-warfare aircraft that was designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturers General Dynamics and Grumman. It was operated exclusively by the United States Air Forc ...

(1984–1992) *

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

, 1994 – present

Awards

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

, 1 June 1999 - 31 May 2001 * Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 2013 - 31 May 2014 * Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 2014 - 31 May 2015 *

Air Force Meritorious Unit Award The Meritorious Unit Award or MUA is a mid level unit award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Established in 2004, the award recognizes those units who demonstrate exceptionally meritorious conduct in direct support of ...

, 1 June 2018 - 31 May 2020Air Combat Command Special Order GA-007

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes : Citations

Bibliography

* ''This article includes content fro
Shaw AFB Website's history page
'' * * * * * * *

* ttps://www.shaw.af.mil/ Shaw AFB Home Page {{Navboxes , list = {{USAF Bases in the UK {{Tactical Air Command Military units and formations in South Carolina 0020 Military units and formations established in 1947