SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited Shaw Air Force Base, July 30-31, to gain a deeper understanding of the 20th Fighter Wing’s mission and combat operations, as well as those of tenant units co-located on the base.
During the two-day visit, Kendall attended mission briefs from various units, met with civic leaders from the local community and held an all-call to field questions from Shaw’s Airmen.
The intent of Kendall’s visit was to discuss combat power as a whole and offer the Secretary insight into the combat capabilities of Shaw’s three squadrons of F-16 Fighting Falcons, which are tasked to a variety of theaters of operation worldwide. The visit also highlighted the 20th FW’s combat readiness to support an expanding operational mission set globally.
“I’m very impressed with the focus on readiness and the mission by Team Shaw,” said Kendall. “As we shape more fully deployable combat wings, we need units that have trained together, built unit cohesion and trust, and are fully ready to project air power into a stressing deployed environment, and I see that happening here at Shaw.”
In the past year, Shaw and the 20th FW have been pushing the limits of innovation and ingenuity to increase mission readiness and capabilities within an ever-shifting combat landscape. Examples include projects such as the second iteration of the South Carolina Electronic Warfare Range Initiative exercise, and the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s Internal Airlift/Helicopter Slingable Unit, which mobilized the team’s chaff and flare creation capabilities for the first time ever.
These innovations would not be possible without a focused effort towards supporting Airman welfare and readiness.
“The thing I like to do the most during these visits is take the opportunity to say thank you for what you do,” Kendall said. “You all volunteered to wear the uniform for the United States, and every American citizen should be deeply grateful for what you do every day.”
During his time at Shaw AFB, Kendall also visited with Airmen and leaders from the 25th Attack Group, 609th Air Operations Center, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), and Fifteenth Air Force.