HISTORY OF THE 20th FIGHTER WING - Shaw Air Force Base

Aircrews of the 79 TFS flew in a Baltic maritime exercise called Brazen Deed on 12 June 1990.
The 870 th Contingency Hospital, located at RAF Little Rissington, was assigned to the 20 th TFW on 1 July
1990.
The 79 TFS hosted the 1990 NATO Tiger meet from 12 to 17 September 1990.
On 25 September the 2168 th Communications Squadron, RAF Croughton, was assigned to the 20 TFW.
Iraq Invasion of Kuwait -- Desert Storm Begins
The 20 TFW had aircraft deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey for a Weapons Training Deployment in August 1990,
when Iraq invaded Kuwait and Desert Shield began. As the start of the air campaign neared, the wing reinforced
its presence as all US aircraft at Incirlik were incorporated into the 7440 th Wing (Provisional), Operation Proven
Force, for the duration of the war. The wing also deployed four 42 ECS EF-111As and 80 personnel to Taif, Saudi
Arabia, to support Operation Desert Storm.
First Kill
On 25 January 1991 the wing was once again up to four flying squadrons when the 42 ECS was reassigned to
the 20 th from the 66 th Electronic Combat Wing.
On 16 January 1991 a 42 ECS EF-111A, operating from Taif, was credited with the first aerial kill of the war. It
was attacked by an Iraqi Mirage fighter while flying a night mission near the Saudi-Iraq border. To defeat the Iraqi
fighter, the EF-111A descended to minimum altitude on its Terrain Following Radar (TFR). The Mirage slammed
into the ground while trying to follow the EF-111A.
On 17 January 1991, 20 TFW aircraft launched combat missions from both Turkey and Saudi Arabia and continued
flying combat missions until the cease fire. The F-111s flying from Turkey flew night missions throughout the
war, using the TFR to penetrate the dense anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) environment at altitudes around 200 feet
for the first few nights. Crews who flew those first few terrifying nights said that the illumination from the AAA was
so bright that they didn’t need the TFR to avoid the ground. After the missile threat was suppressed, crews flew
their attacks at altitudes around 20,000 feet, above the range of most Iraqi AAA systems.
After midnight 18 January, 20 TFW F-111Es raced into
Iraq at low level to destroy four EW radar sites in northern
Iraq and open an electronic gate. The sky was overcast
at 3,000 feet with visibility at three miles with fog. Despite
the poor weather, the 20 th crews found the targets
and delivered their ordnance, encountering little Iraqi
resistance. These, and subsequent missions forced Iraqi
commanders to contend with attacks from all directions
and to respond to a second air front as well as a potential
second ground front.
During the war, the F-111s attacked a range of targets, including
power plants, petroleum refineries, airfield, nuclear,
biological, chemical processing and storage facilities,
and electronics sites throughout northern Iraq using 500
and 2,000 pound conventional bombs, and CBU 87/89
cluster bombs. Wing EF-111As flew both day and night missions, providing direct and stand off jamming for all
coalition air forces. The skill and conspicuous bravery of wing aircrews was recognized in the award of numerous
Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, and Air Medals.
20 th Fighter Wing History --- Page Number 2 .
SrA David Herdick inspects the exhaust nozzles on the
afterburners duct segment of a 20 TFW F-111E. USAF Photo