25th Attack Group Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Multi-Million Dollar Facility

  • Published
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  

The 25th Attack Group will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new multi-million dollar facility at Shaw Air Force Base on April 9.

The 25th ATKG is a geographically separated unit assigned to the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The ribbon cutting ceremony will mark the opening of the building and offer an opportunity to view the group’s new headquarters where vital MQ-9 Reaper operations will take place. The new facility is a substantial upgrade from the group’s current facilities, which are also located on Shaw AFB.

“Having a permanent facility provides a better quality of life and increased work performance for the Airmen of the 25th Attack Group,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Trevor Merrell, 25th Attack Group commander. “We are grateful to all who have made this fantastic facility possible and are proud to showcase a new and improved home where our aircrew and support personnel can decisively deliver support to combatant commanders from right here at Shaw. The MQ-9’s mission capabilities are increasingly sought-after and this infrastructure improvement will improve our ability to continue our critical 24/7 missions.”

The new operations and headquarters building is nearly four times the size of the current facilities and concludes a years-long military construction project that began in March 2021. The project is the culmination of decades of remotely piloted aircraft aircrew, maintenance, and communications lessons learned, and is part of the weapon system that U.S. Airmen assigned to the 25th ATKG at Shaw will leverage to meet National Defense Strategy threats.

“On the whole, Shaw is a Department of Defense power player, proudly hosting a multitude of tenant units including the 25th Attack Group,” said Col. Kristoffer Smith, 20th Fighter Wing commander and Shaw AFB installation commander. “It is our responsibility to provide quality-of-life and infrastructure enhancements like this new facility to better serve the Airmen assigned to Shaw, and ultimately, to deliver more effective airpower.”

The MQ-9 Reaper is a multi-mission, medium altitude, long endurance remotely piloted aircraft that has a wide range of abilities, allowing it to participate in missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike and much more.

The MQ-9's capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct operations in support of combatant commander objectives.

Media interested in attending the ceremony and brief tour of the new facility may R.S.V.P. to 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Please direct other questions to the 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at 20FWPublicAffairs@us.af.mil or 803-895-2019.