Shaw Air Force Base

Joint Base Shaw Shaw Air Force Base
Part of Air Combat Command (ACC) United States Army Central (USARCENT)
Located near: Sumter, South Carolina
20th Fighter Wing F-16CJ Block 50 00-220 United States Third Army Headquarters, Patton Hall
Coordinates	33°58′23″N 080°28′22″W
Type	Joint Service Base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1941-Present
Garrison information
Garrison	20th Fighter Wing (USAF) United States Third Army (USA)

Airfield information
IATA: SSC ICAO: KSSC FAA LID: SSC
Summary
Elevation AMSL	242 ft / 74 m
Website	www.shaw.af.mil
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 4L/22R 10,016 3,053 Concrete 4R/22L 8,001 2,439 Concrete
Sources: official web site and FAA

JB Shaw

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Location of Joint Base Shaw, South Carolina

Joint Base Shaw (IATA: SSC, ICAO: KSSC, FAA LID: SSC) is a United States Military facility located approximately 8.4 miles (13.5 km) west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC).

Joint Base Shaw (JB Shaw) is a joint-service facility created as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee mandate that Fort McPherson, Gerogia be closed and the United States Third Army Headquarters be moved to Shaw Air Force Base. The United States Air Force 20th Fighter Wing (20 FW) is the host unit.

It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States.

Units

JB Shaw is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing (20 FW), which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons. 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:

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

• 20th Maintenance Group

The 20th Maintenance Group operates 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

JB Shaw is a self-contained town, administered and maintained by the 20th Fighter Wing through the 20th Mission Support Group, supporting 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 (97,000 m²) 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 ambulance transport service.

• 6802d Air Support Operations Squadron

Provides Tactical Command and Control of air power assets to the Joint Forces Air Component Commander and Joint Forces Land Component Commander for combat operations.

Tenant units located on JB Shaw are:

• Headquarters Ninth Air Force (9 AF)
• United States Air Forces Central (USCENTAF)

USCENTAF is the air component of United States Central Command, a regional unified command. USAFCENT is responsible for air operations (either unilaterally or in concert with coalition partners) and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia.

• Headquarters United States Third Army (3AR)
• Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC)
• United States Army Central (USARCENT)

USARCENT is the United Sttes Army Component of United States Central Command and the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) for the Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR), operating primarily in Northern Africa and Central and Southwest Asia, and is the primary logistics element for all land forces in the CENTCOM AOR.

History

Joint Base Shaw is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw. Lieutenant Shaw was 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 on July 9, 1918. Lt. Shaw downed one of his attackers before he was killed.

World War II

File:Shawafb-1940s.jpg

Oblique airphoto of Shaw Airfield - Mid 1940s, looking southeast to northwest

Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center. The mission of the new airfield was a basic (Phase II) flying school to instruct air cadets in flying, and the Air Corps Basic Flying School was activated at the field on 26 June to operate the school. The airfield consisted of three 4,500-foot runways and several auxiliary airfields.

• Shaw AAF Aux No. 1 - (Burnt Gin Airfield), Wedgefield, South Carolina 33°53′08.628″N 80°29′45.852″W
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 2 - (Rembert Airfield), Rembert, South Carolina 34°06′15″N 80°33′10″W
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 3 - (Monaghan Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina 33°51′30″N 80°23′10″W
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 4 - (Sumter Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina 33°56′00″N 80°22′00″W

Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants. Enough construction was completed for the first group of cadets entered training December 15, 1941, and the first class completed training in February 1942. The concrete parking ramp was completed during May 1942.

In October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced (Phase III) flying training and AT-6 Texan single-engine and Beech AT-10 twin-engine trainers were used. During World War II, the Army Air Forces Pilot School, under the AAF Southeast Training Center trained more than 8,600 air cadets in the basic flying curriculum, its graduated were then sent to Advanced Flight Training (Phase III) in single or multi-engine aircraft.

On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to 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.

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 just off the main base, on Peach Orchard Road (also known as South Carolina Hwy 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.

Postwar era

Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945. After a period of reorganization, jurisdiction was transferred to Air Defense Command on 1 March 1946. From July 1946 until May 1947 Shaw was the home of the 414th and 415th Night Fighter Squadrons.

The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities. The 414th was transferred to Caribbean Air Force at Rio Hato AB, Panama in March 1947 to perform an air defense mission of the Panama Canal. The 415th was reassigned to Alaska Air Command at Adak Island, Alaska in May 1947 also to perform an air defense mission, over the Aleutian Islands and the territorial waters of western Alaska.

United States Air Force

20th Fighter Group

Jurisdiction of Shaw was again transferred to Tactical Air Command on 23 March 1946. The 20th Fighter Group was reassigned to Shaw on 20 October 1946 from Biggs Army Airfield, Texas which was transferred to Strategic Air Command. The 20th FG had three operational fighter squadrons (55th, 77th and 79th). Initially the group flew the North American P-51D Mustang, upgrading to the Republic F-84B Thunderjet in 1948.

After the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military branch in September 1947, Shaw Army Airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base, on 13 January 1948 and the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated on 15 August 1947 with the implementation of the Hobson organization plan..

On Sept. 23, 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to Shaw from the 363d TRW at Langley AFB Virginia. The 161st flew the Lockheed RF-80A reconnaissance version of the F-80 Shooting Star. 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 when the wing transferred there in 1951.

The 20th FG was reassigned to Langley AFB, Virginia on Dec. 1, 1951 in preparation for a permanent overseas deployment to RAF Wethersfield, England to support NATO.

363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

Main article: 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

On April 1, 1951, the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and doubled the activity at Shaw.

In addition to the 363rd TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on Sept. 1, 1954.

The 363rd 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 363rd provided combat crew training for reconnaissance aircrews.

During the tenure of the 363rd 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

Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363rd TRW changed frequently. Two Tactical Reconnaissance Wings were formed at Shaw AFB from 363rd TRW assets and went on to have their own separate histories in Europe (66th TRW) and Southeast Asia (432nd TRW). Nearly all tactical reconnaissance aircraft aircrews in the United States Air Force were trained or stationed at Shaw Air Force Base.

432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

Main article: 432d Air Expeditionary Wing

On March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw. The 432nd was a former World War II reconnaissance training unit that served briefly in 1943 as the operational unit of the USAAF School of Applied Tactics at Orlando AAB, Florida.

The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363rd TRW. When elevated to the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on Feb. 8, 1958, the wing operated the USAF Advanced Flying Training School, Tactical Reconnaissance. The 432nd TRW and 363rd TRW both were under the 837th Air Division, headquartered at Shaw

The group initially conducted training with two squadrons (20th, 29th) flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons (41st, 43rd, flying the Martin RB-57A "Canberra". In 1957, the group upgraded the 20th and 29th to the McDonnell RF-101C "Voodo", and the 41st and 43rd transitioned to the electronic warfare EB-66C Destroyer.

With the elevation to wing status, the 432nd TFW was realigned to a four squadron RF-101C wing as follows:

• Added two additional RF-101C training squadrons:
  17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (March 1958 – May 1959) (RF-101A/C)
  (Transferred from 363 TRW)
  18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (March 1958 – May 1959) (RF-101A/C)
  (Transferred from 363rd TRW)

• The 20th and 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons continued their training missions under the 432 TRW as RF-101C squadrons.

In a budgetary move, the 432nd TRW was deactivated on April 8, 1959. The RF-101C equipped 17th and 18th TRSs were deployed to NATO, being reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France.

The Shaw training mission taken over by the 4411th Combat Crew Training Group, consisting of the:

• 20th and 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons (RF-101C)
• 41st and 43rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons (EB-66C)

The 4411th CCTG became an operational group under the 363 TRW and continued the training mission at Shaw for reconnaissance aircraft until both it and the 837th Air Division were inactivated on Feb. 1, 1963. All assets from these organizations were then transferred to the 363rd TFW.

The 432nd TRW was reactivated on Sept. 18, 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.

66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

Main article: 66th Air Base Wing

On Jan. 1, 1953 the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was activated at Shaw, replacing the 118th TRW, the title of which reverted to the Tennessee Air National Guard after World War II, where the 66th Fighter Group served in the European theater as part of Eighth Air Force.

The 66th Reconnaissance (later, Strategic Reconnaissance) Group, was a part of Strategic Air Command (SAC) from July 1947 – May 1951, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as an Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel.

The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea. Wing and squadrons trained at Shaw prior to deployment to NATO. The squadrons formed and activated were:

• 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) (RB-26, Yellow Tails)
• 302nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Jet Photo) (RF-80A, Red Tails)
• 303rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-51D, RF-80A, Blue Tails)

On June 25, 1953, the 66th TRW departed Shaw, being reassigned to Sembach Air Base, West Germany. Just prior to the wing's deployment to NATO, the 303rd TRS was reequipped with RF-80As.

363d Fighter Wing

By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary. The aging and phaseout of the 1960s-era RF-4C aircraft fleet and the utility of the Lockheed TR-1 in Europe for tactical reconnaissance led to the decision by the USAF to realign the mission of the 363rd TRW. The reconnaissance training mission of the wing was terminated in 1981 and beginning in 1982, the wing would become a tactical fighter organization, reorienting the wing to a Tactical Fighter mission for the first time since 1944.

On Oct. 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. The 363rd 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.

20th Fighter Wing

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 all of its squadrons were inactivated at Shaw on Jan. 1, 1994, being replaced by the 20th Fighter Wing, being reassigned to Shaw from deactivating RAF Upper Heyford, England without personnel or equipment. The 363rd TFW was inactivated and its operational fighter 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)
• 309th Fighter Squadron -> 79th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D)

BRAC 2005

In its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Recommendations, DoD recommended to relocate the Third US Army Headquarters from Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson, GA to the newly named Joint Base Shaw. This was a portion of a larger recommendation that would close Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson. The move was anticipated to be complete at a later time, but as of recently, the move is subject to completion by the end of May 2011.

Major commands to which assigned

• Southeast Air Corps Training Center, June 26, 1941

Redesignated: AAF Southeast Training Center, Oct. 29, 1942

Redesignated: AAF Eastern Flying Training Command, July 31, 1943

• First Air Force, April 1, 1945
• Continental Air Forces, April 16, 1945
• Air Defense Command, March 1, 1946
• Tactical Air Command, March 23, 1946
• Continental Air Command, Dec. 1, 1948
• Tactical Air Command, Dec. 1, 1950
• Air Combat Command, June 1, 1992 – present

Major units assigned

• 77th Air Base Squadron, Aug. 1, 1941 – July 10, 1942

Redesignated: 77th Base HQ and Air Base Squadron

July 10, 1942 – April 20, 1944

• 2142d AAF Base Unit, April 30, 1944 – March 31, 1945
• 139th AAF Base Unit, March 31, 1945 – March 31, 1946
• 67th Reconnaissance Group, Feb. 11 – March 31, 1946
• 316th AAF Base Unit, March 31, 1946 – Aug. 25, 1948
• 20th Fighter Group (later Wing)

October 20, 1946 – Dec. 1, 1951; Jan. 1, 1994 – present

• 161st (later 18th) Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Declassified Unit History, August 1944 - April 1945)

Sept. 23, 1949 – May 25, 1959

• 437th Troop Carrier Wing, Aug. 1 – Oct. 16, 1950
• 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Nov. 6, 1951 – Jan. 1, 1994
• 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Jan. 1 – June 25, 1953
• 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, March 18, 1954 – Feb. 5, 1958

432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Feb. 8, 1958 – June 18, 1959

• Ninth Air Force (later dual-hatted as US Air Forces Central), Aug. 20, 1954 – present
• 837th Air Division, Feb. 8, 1958 – Feb. 1, 1963
• 4411th Combat Crew Training Group, April 8, 1959 – June 15, 1969
• 4416th Test Squadron, June 15, 1963 – May 1, 1970

References for history introduction, major commands and major units

See also

• 20th Fighter Group (World War II)
• South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

This article includes content from Shaw AFB Website's history page.

• Donald, David (2004). Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtime. ISBN 1880588684
• Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Menard, David W. (1993). USAF Plus Fifteen - A Photo History 1947–1962. Schiffer Pub Ltd. ISBN 0887404839
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present
• Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia Of Military Aircraft
• Early Photo Jet Recon, Colonel Jean K. Woodyard, USAF Retired
• 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.
• Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC

External links

• Shaw AFB, public website
• Ninth Air Force
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 16, 2024
• FAA Terminal Procedures for SSC, effective May 16, 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