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McEntire Joint National Guard Station (JNGS) is affiliated with the South Carolina Air National Guard (SCANG). It is located in Eastover, South Carolina and is approximately 15 miles southeast of Columbia.

McEntire JNGS is named for the late Brigadier General Barnie B. McEntire, Jr., the first commander of the SCANG and its first general officer. McEntire died in May 1961 when he rode his malfunctioning F-104 into the Susquehannah River to avoid crashing in the populated area of Harrisburg, PA. The base was previously known as Congaree Air Base and was used in World War II as a U.S. Marine Corps training base. It was re-named McEntire ANG Base in October 1961 by Governor Ernest F. Hollings. It was re-named McEntire Joint National Guard Station in 2005 to reflect the joint presence of Army and Air National Guard units.

The South Carolina Air National Guard was formed in December 1946. Today 1,250 members train at McEntire JNGS. About 900 of those are traditional Guard men and women. About 300 are full-time federal employees (technicians). About 50 are state employees (some of them are also traditional Guard members). The 169th Fighter Wing is the primary unit of the SCANG. Wing units include the:

157th Fighter Squadron
169th Maintenance Squadron
169th Aircraft Generation Squadron
169th Logistics Squadron
169th Civil Engineering Squadron
169th Security Forces Squadron
169th Services Flight
169th Mission Support Flight
169th Logistics Support Flight
169th Operations Support Flight
169th Communications Squadron
169th Medical Squadron

The mission of the 169th FW 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. The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active duty Air Force to perform its military mission. The South Carolina Air National Guard also has a state mission, to respond to the call of the governor in the event of natural disaster or domestic disturbance.

The 169th FW flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat multi-purpose fighter with the capability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. The 169th flew the F-16A from 1983-1994. In 1994 the wing transitioned to the F-16C/Block 52, the newest, most advanced F-16 in the Air Force. The SCANG also flies a C-130 Hercules for airlift support.

Also located at McEntire are the 240th Combat Communications Squadron, a diversified communications unit with more than 100 members; and the 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron. The many missions of the 240th CCSQ include ground communications, satellite communications and other advanced communications systems.The 245th ATCS has the ability to perform air traffic control at fixed air bases and at remote sites.

History of the South Carolina Air National Guard

The SCANG has been called to active military service for five major contingency deployments in its 55-year history. In 1950, SCANG members were called to serve for the Korean War, and its members served at various installations in the United States and abroad. In late 1961, the SCANG was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, and the 169th Tactical Fighter Group was stationed at Moron, Spain. In late 1990, units of the SCANG were activated and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Storm, flying 2,000 combat missions and dropping 4 million tons of munitions, while maintaining the highest aircraft mission capable rate in the theater. In January 2002, aircraft and personnel of the 169th Fighter Wing were deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, directly participating in combat operations. In late February 2002, the 240th CCBS deployed a 50-member team to Central Asia in support of President Bush's war on terrorism. The 240th members returned in August after six months in theater. In September 2002, the 245th ATCS deployed to Afghanistan Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, returning in January 2003. In February 2003, nearly 400 members of the 169th FW and all of its F-16s were mobilized and deployed to Southwest Asia as part of what became Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 169th was attached to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed in Qatar. The unit flew more than 400 combat missions, performing the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission and flying numerous precision bombing missions over Iraq. The 169th FW was also a regular participant in the Air Expeditionary Force, which patrolled the Iraqi no-fly zones. The unit has deployed for: Operation Southern Watch (Qatar, 1996), Operation Northern Watch (Turkey, 2000), Operation Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, 2001). The 169th FW was the first Air National Guard unit to deploy alongside active-duty Air Force units to comprise an AEF.

Information courtesy of the SCANG Public Affairs office.