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Shaw AFB and McEntire ANG Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. -- Colonel James Post, 20th Fighter Wing commander and Colonel Keith Coln, 169th Fighter Wing commander sign the Memorandum of Understanding between Shaw and McEntire. The memorandum is the document which details the support provided by Shaw to McEntire which includes pilots and maintenance personnel. (US Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Josef Cole III)

Shaw AFB and McEntire ANG Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. -- Colonel Keith Coln, 169th Fighter Wing commander speaks during the Memorandum of Understanding ceremony October 13, 2007. The memorandum is the document which details the support provided by Shaw to McEntire which includes pilots and maintenance personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Josef E Cole III)

Shaw AFB and McEntire ANG Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. -- Colonel James Post, 20th Fighter Wing commander and Colonel Scott Williams, 169th Fighter Squadron, salute the American flag during the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Shaw and McEntire October 13, 2007. The memorandum is the document which details the support provided by Shaw to McEntire, which includes pilots and maintenance personnel. (US Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Josef Cole III)

Two units, one team

Published Oct. 18, 2007
By Second Lieutenant Noelle Caldwell
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. -- The 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint National Guard Base inherited part of Shaw's Airmen when two wing commanders signed a memorandum of understanding at 4 p.m. Saturday that allows a unique group of Shaw's Airmen to also become a part of McEntire's Swamp Foxes there.

The signatures of both Col. James N. Post III of Shaw and Col. Keith Cohn of McEntire symbolized a historic signing that now directs the operation and administration of the Active Associate unit, which operates at McEntire.

"Today is the beginning of what I know will be a long-term relationship between the 20th Fighter Wing and the 169th," Post said.

"As we continue to realize what the Total Force means and the opportunities it affords us, I know we'll continue to grow closer together and build a synergy that will be second-to-none," he said.

The initiative enables the Air National Guard to train and rapidly increase experience of the active duty Airmen.

In addition, the Active Associate unit gives the 169th FW the manpower to fully execute its Air Expeditionary Force tasking with the same frequency and duration as a Regular Air Force squadron.

Regular Air Force pilots and maintenance specialists are assigned to maintenance and operations detachments at McEntire Joint National Guard Base and administratively attached to 20th Fighter Wing units at Shaw AFB. Currently, more than 30 Airmen are working at McEntire out of 150 Air Force members that are expected to join McEntire by spring 2008.

"We respectfully accept these airmen on behalf of the United States Air Force and the South Carolina Air National Guard," Coln said after the signing.

"We're happy to have these men and women as part of our Swamp Fox team. No matter where these airmen go and what they do, they'll always be part of the Swamp Fox family," he said.

Some participating Air Force pilots and maintenance specialists have experience, but many will be new Airmen coming directly from pilot training and other technical schools.