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

The Aerospace Medicine Squadron supports the operational mission by enhancing the medical
health of its people, ensuring a fit force, preventing disease and injury, protecting the environment
and anticipating medical contingencies. This squadron is divided into five flights: Flight Medicine,
Public Health, Aerospace Physiology Training, Bioenvironmental Engineering and Health Promotion.
The Dental Squadron supports the operational mission by enhancing the dental health of active
duty personnel, ensuring a fit force and preventing disease and injury. This squadron
is divided into three flights: Clinical Dentistry, Dental Support and Dental Labratory.
The Medical Support Squadron provides diagnostic and therapeutic services, financial and manpower support,
managed care services, medical logistics, medical information services and personnel and administrative services
in support of the entire medical group. The squadron is comprised of six flights: Commander’s Support Staff, Medical
Information Services, Managed Care, Financial Services, Medical Logistics and Diagnostics and Therapeutics.
Missions Performed by the 20 FW
Counterair: Counterair is the primary mission of the 20th Fighter Wing with a core competency of neutralizing
and destroying airborne and surface-based enemy air defenses. The wing employs the Block-50 F-16CJ in
order to gain and maintain air superiority and
suppress enemy air defenses, enabling the
joint force freedom of maneuver to carry out
assigned missions. The Block-50 uses the
AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-To-
Air Missile (AMRAAM), the AIM-9 Sidewinder
missile and the M-61-A1 20mm cannon
to target and destroy enemy aircraft and the
HARM Targeting System (HTS) to detect, target
and suppress enemy Surface-To-Air Missile
(SAM) and Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA)
systems with the High Speed Anti-Radiation
Missile (HARM). The wing also uses Joint Direct Attack Munitions (GBU-31, GBU-38), Laser Guided Bombs
(GBU-10, GBU-12) and unguided weapons to destroy SAMS and AAA.
Counterland: When tasked the 20th Fighter Wing conducts Counterland operations to gain and maintain superiority
over enemy surface forces through Air Interdiction (AI) and Close Air Support (CAS) and Strategic Attack
to achieve selected national strategic objectives.
Systems
F-16 of the 79 FS launches an AGM-65D Maverick missile During Exercise
Combat Hammer, Hill AFB, UT 7 August 2002.
Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) equips the aircrew helmet visor
with a heads-up display data allowing the pilot to select a target without changing
aircraft direction. By simply looking in the direction of the target, all of the aircraft’s
sensors and weapons can be brought to bear as long as the target is within the
weapon’s parameters.
Night Vision Goggles (NVG) allow the pilot to identify targets and terrain in the
middle of the night. They give F-16CJ pilots a decisive edge during the heart of
darkness by allowing them to fly day-time tactics. The system greatly increases
the pilot’s ability to provide close air support to ground forces during night operations.
The HARM Targeting System (HTS) pod allows the pilot to detect and radar
emitting threat and geo-locate their position for targeting by the HARM or any of
the F-16s other weapons.
20 th Fighter Wing History --- Page Number .
USAF Photo
Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing
System