Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC

Contact Information

Phone: 1-800-525-0102

DSN: 665-0102

Fax no: (803) 895-4748

Address: 411 Polifka Dr, Shaw AFB, SC 29152, USA

If you are planning to join Shaw Air Force Base, one of the reputed military bases in the U.S.A, this article will inform you everything you need to know about the base.

Shaw Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base situated 13.5 km (approx) in Sumter, South Carolina. It is among the largest military bases in the country and is renowned for its active railroad line. The Shaw Air Force Base lies under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command and the U.S. Air Force 20^th Fighter Wing acts as its host unit.

A mandatory Sponsorship Training is held monthly. The criteria for becoming a good sponsor encompass the 3 C’s – Communication, Concern, and Creativity. The base provides 3 types of rooms: Queen, Queen, and Full. They provide a cable TV, coffee maker, and refrigerator. The amenities include internet access, laundry facilities, and the area is pet-friendly.

Mission

Shaw Air Force Base was formed with a mission to fly, fight and win. They operate in air, space, and cyberspace. The base work to provide proper maintenance for all properties and encourages discipline. The workforce involves in serving the installation dedicatedly with professionalism. The military base engages itself in field-oriented flight training for different combatants.

Shaw Air Force Base is positioned to support and provide combat-ready forces and recruits for international deployment that supports US national defense policies.

History

Shaw Air Force Base was named after 1^st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw, a WWI pilot. During the First World War, he was one of the first Americans to fly combat missions. Shaw died on July 9, 1918, when his Bristol was attacked by enemies. Shaw Field was also a prisoner of war for a short time.

The initial batch of German Prisoners of Wars came on 1^st March 1945. With time, 175 of them were grouped together in an encampment on Peach Orchard Road. The group worked on local farms in the area before they departed in 1946 for reconstructing the cities and towns of Europe which were ruined during the war. The prisoners were sent home around 1947 and some of them returned to the Shaw and Sumter area and claimed U.S. citizenship. Shaw Air Force Base was permanently designated after the war on 16 April 1945.

Shaw Air Force Base at present accommodation is utilized to host the F-16 Combat Wing, the United States Central Command Air Forces, the 20^th Fighter Wing and the Ninth Air Force. Currently, there are 600 civilian personnel’s, 5, 400 active military personnel’s on duty and a total of 11, 000 family members who accommodate the premises.

The 20^th Fighter Wing’s is recognized as the ‘Best in the Air Force’ for their operation and maintenance organizations. It has won many reputed Daedalian Award. Another accomplishment that the community takes pride in is the leadership displayed by Headquarters 9th Air Force/USCENTAF while they were operating in Southwest Asia. It brought national recognition to Shaw Air Force Base.

Units

Shaw Air Force Base is the home to the 20^th Fighter Wing. It flies the F-16CMs and operates the 55^th, 77^th, and 79^th Fighter Squadrons. The host wing also takes up the responsibility to provide facilities, materials, and personnel for the operation of the base.