Shaw AFB
Shaw AFB as training base for the RF-4 E crews of the Luftwaffe from 1972 to 1981
With the procurement of the RF – 4 E “Phantom II” for the Luftwaffe, it was decided to train the German pilots and weapons system operators (WSO) together with the aircrews of the US Air Force at Shaw AFB, South Carolina on the almost identical RF-4 C.
Shaw AFB with coordinates 33°58'N and 80°28' W (the same latitude as Damascus in Syria) is located in the center of South Carolina, about 13 km northwest of the town of Sumter with a population of 35,000. The state capital Columbia is 60 km, the Atlantic coast with Charleston and Myrtle Beach about 150 km away.
The airfield was built in 1941 as a flight training base for the Army Air Corps. It is named after 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw of Sumter County, who was shot down over France in1918. In 1945/46 the base for a short time served as a camp for 175 German prisoners of war.
From 1951 to 1993, Shaw AFB was home of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) and its successor, the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW). From 1964 to 1989 the wing operated the RF-4 C “Phantom”; although from 1982 on the main weapons system was the F-16 “Fighting Falcon”. The HQ 9th Air Force has been stationed here since 1954.
The airfield covers an area of 3600 acres with two 10,000 and 8,000 feet long and 150 feet wide parallel runways, 22 / 04 Left and Right.
Until the beginning of the 1980s, four squadrons with RF-4 C aircraft were stationed at the Air Base, comprising two operational squadrons, the 18th (only until 1979) and 62nd TRS and two training squadrons, the 16th and 33rd TRTS. The German crews were trained together with their American comrades mostly by the 16th TRTS. The first exchange instructor pilot (IP) of the Luftwaffe was Major Eckart "Ede" Wienss in 1972; the last exchange crew consisted of Major Egon Seitzinger (IWSO) and Captain Jürgen Erbeck (IP). The latter was transferred after the end of RF-4 C training operations at Shaw in March 1982 to the 67th TRW at Bergstrom AFB, TX where training was continued.
Training of the crews took 6 months, comprising about 75 flight hours for pilots and 50 hours for WSOs. Equipped with 2 runways and conveniently located, Shaw offered excellent conditions for aircrew training. From here, many attractive low-flying routes especially in the Appalachian Mountains were easy to reach, the various "Gamecock" MOA's (Military Operating Area) were in close proximity to the base, in W-177 over the Atlantic only 150 km away supersonic maneuvers could to be flown and with neighboring McEntire ANG Base as well as Charleston and Myrtle Beach AFB three nearby military bases were available for practice approaches. The only limitation was the often very hot and humid weather with frequent thunderstorms in the summer.
In the beginning, the German aircrews did not receive air refueling training as the U.S. crews did. The Luftwaffe instead opted for more low-level flight training, especially terrain following flights at night. Toward the end of the 70's this exception was dispensed with and the syllabus of the American crews, including air refueling, was adopted.
During German training at Shaw one aircraft was lost. 1st Lt. Schnurer and Warrant Officer Michelberger lost their lives when their RF-4 C had ground contact with Holston Mountain in Tennessee on 1. October 1976.
Today (2020) Shaw AFB is one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force. Since 1994 the 20th Fighter Wing (FW) with the squadrons 55th FS "Shooters", 77th FS "Gamblers" and 79th FS "Tigers" and a total of 85 F-16 CJ Block 50 in the main role "Suppression of Enemy Air Defense” (SEAD) is stationed here. In addition, the base includes the HQ 9th Air Force, U. S. Air Forces Central (AIRCENT), 609th Air Operations Center (AOC) and, as relative newcomers, HQ 3rd Army and U.S. Army Central (ARCENT). Accordingly, it was renamed from "Shaw AFB" to "Joint Base Shaw". Personnel strength is 8,200 active soldiers and 1,200 civilian employees, with a total of 12.000 dependents.
