Overview
The federal mission of the 169 FW in accordance with Title 10 USC 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. More specifically, the wing specializes in the Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active duty U.S. Air Force to perform its military mission.
The wing flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat, multipurpose fighter with the ability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. It is capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground tactical missions. The 169th flew the F-16A from 1983 to 1994 and, in 1994, transitioned to the single seat F-16C Block 52 (and a small number of twin seat F-16D Block 52), also known as the F-16CJ, the newest, most advanced F-16 in the U.S. Air Force.
The SCANG's state mission under Title 32 USC is to respond to the call of the Governor of South Carolina in the event of natural disasters or domestic disturbances within the state of South Carolina.
About 900 of those personnel assigned to the SCANG are traditional Guard members who leave their full-time positions as civilian professionals, workers and students to train part-time with the Air National Guard. Approximately another 300 are federal employees serving as full-time Air Reserve Technicians (ART) at McEntire and drill with their respective Air Guard units, primarily those which are part of the 169 FW. Close to 50 South Carolina state employees also work at McEntire, some of whom also either active or retired members of the Air National Guard. An additional 150 active duty USAF personnel, both Regular Air Force and Active Guard and Reserve (AGR), round out the SCANG's Total Force fighter wing, as McEntire is home to the largest Active Associate program between the Regular Air Force and the Air National Guard in the nation's Combat Air Forces.
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