Haole.......

[grab]

You have alot of stuff to answer hehe, I am plugging the holes in the boat as best as I can. Hope all is well with the mighty Swamp Foxes. Grab

[Tora]

Sorry Grab but your mistaken. The finest fighter squadron in the USAF would be the 22nd Fighter Squadron. :)

[Megile]

You're both wrong... 493rdFS is the best :bigsmile:

http://www.edenforge.co.uk/photo/riat02/img_2566.jpg

[grab]

Oh man, did not mean to start this hehe, ok, fine, USAFADS, Thunderbirds, finest Squadron on the planet! Grab

[Katz]

rofl a bit of friendly competition on who's the best fighter squadron could be interesting, and also we get to find out about different fighter squads some of us didnt know existed :wink2:

[Megile]

The 493rd Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the ‘Grim Reapers,’ at RAF Lakenheath, England, is the only F-15C fighter squadron in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The mission of the 493rd FS is to rapidly mobilize, generate, and deploy combat ready F-15C aircraft and people to perform air superiority and air defense missions in support of U.S. and NATO war plans and commitments. The unit has flown the F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft at Lakenheath since 1994

The squadron was recognized as the best air superiority fighter squadron in the entire U.S. Air Force after receiving the Air Force Association’s coveted Hughes Trophy award for 1997 and 1999. When you think of air-to-air dominance, you don’t have to look any further than the 493rd Fighter Squadron. With a rich history, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s first air-to-air team has shown time and time again they deliver like no other squadron in the Air Force. From the 1998 USAFE Squadron of the Year honors, to leading maintenance stats and air-to-air victories on the field of battle, the 493rd FS has proven that when you need the best air superiority in the world, you dial "911 Grim Reaper."








:bigsmile:

[Haole]

The South Carolina Air National Guard was formed in December 1946 and today is made up of 1,250 members who train at McEntire ANG Station. The 2,400-acre base is located about 12 miles east of Columbia.

About 900 of those assigned to the SCANG are traditional Guard men and women who work in the community and train part-time with the Air National Guard. About 300 federal employees serve as full-time technicians at McEntire and drill with their respective Air Guard units. About 50 state employees work at McEntire, and some of them are also Guard members.

The 169th Fighter Wing is the primary unit of the SCANG. It has about 1,000 members. Wing units include the 157th Fighter Squadron, 169th Maintenance Squadron, 169th Aircraft Generation Squadron, 169th Logistics Squadron, 169th Civil Engineering Squadron, 169th Security Forces Squadron, 169th Services Flight, 169th Mission Support Flight, 169th Logistics Support Flight, 169th Operations Support Flight, 169th Communications Squadron and 169th Medical Squadron.

The mission of the 169th FW is to maintain wartime readiness and the ability to mobilize and deploy expeditiously to carry out tactical air missions or combat support activities in the event of a war or military emergency. The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active duty Air Force to perform its military mission.

The South Carolina Air National Guard also has a state mission, to respond to the call of the governor in the event of natural disaster or domestic disturbance.

The 169th FW flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat multi-purpose fighter with the capability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. It has the capabilities to perform both an air-to-air and air-to-ground tactical mission. The 169th flew the F-16A from 1983-1994, and in 1994 transitioned to the F-16C/Block 52, the newest, most advanced F-16 in the Air Force. The SCANG also flies a C-130 Hercules for airlift support.

Also located at McEntire are the 240th Combat Communications Squadron, a diversified communications unit with more than 100 members; and the 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron. The many missions of the 240th CCSQ include ground communications, satellite communications and other advanced communications systems. The 245th ATCS has the ability to perform air traffic control at fixed air bases and at remote sites.

McEntire ANGS is named for the late Brigadier General Barnie B. McEntire, Jr., the first commander of the SCANG and its first general officer. McEntire died in May 1961 when he rode his malfunctioning F-104 into the Susquehannah River to avoid crashing in the populated area of Harrisburg, PA. The base was previously known as Congaree Air Base and was used in World War II as a U.S. Marine Corps training base.

The SCANG has been called to active military service for five major contingency deployments in its 55-year history. In 1950, SCANG members were called to serve for the Korean War, and its members served at various installations in the United States and abroad. In late 1961, the SCANG was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, and the 169th Tactical Fighter Group was stationed at Moron, Spain. In late 1990, units of the SCANG were activated and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Storm, flying 2,000 combat missions and dropping 4 million tons of munitions, while maintaining the highest aircraft mission capable rate in the theater.

In January 2002, aircraft and personnel of the 169th Fighter Wing were deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, directly participating in combat operations.

In late February 2002, the 240th CCBS deployed a 50-member team to Central Asia in support of President Bush’s war on terrorism. The 240th members returned in August after six months in theater. In September 2002, the 245th ATCS deployed to Afghanistan Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, returning in January 2003.

In February 2003, nearly 400 members of the 169th FW and all of its F-16s were mobilized and deployed to Southwest Asia as part of what became Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 169th was attached to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed in Qatar. The unit flew more than 400 combat missions, performing the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission and flying numerous precision bombing missions over Iraq.

The 169th FW was also a regular participant in the Air Expeditionary Force, which patrolled the Iraqi no-fly zones. The unit has deployed for Operation Southern Watch (Qatar, 1996), to Operation Northern Watch (Turkey, 2000), and again to Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, 2001). The 169th FW was the first Air National Guard unit to deploy alongside active-duty Air Force units to comprise an AEF.

[robviper]

14th and 157th both rule.... :bounce: