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F-111E Aardvark dedication ceremony

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Earon Brown
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A dedication ceremony for the 20th Fighter Wing's restored F-111E Aardvark is scheduled here, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.

Presiding over the ceremony will be Col. Lance A. Kildron, 20th FW vice commander.

The event will be preceded by lunch at the Carolina Skies Club and Conference Center at 11:30 a.m. and will feature two speakers from the 20th FW's F-111 era.  

The dedication ceremony will include remarks by Kildron and Arthur Sevigny, 20th FW historian.

The accessioning process with the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force began in December 2009 and resulted in the F-111 returning to Shaw on Feb. 2.  The aircraft took roughly five months to prepare for display, with the restoration including reassembly and repainting.

The F-111 was assigned to the 20th FW from 1970 to 1993, while the wing was based at Royal Air Force Upper Heyford, England.  The aircraft flew 21 missions during Operation Desert Storm and is now on display as a static aircraft in the air park here.