page_title: 20th Fighter Wing
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: 20th Fighter Wing / History
caption_attribution_description: Postwar P-51D of the 20th Fighter Group - Shaw AFB, SC Source: United States Air Force Historical Research Agency - Maxwell AFB, Alabama
context_page_description: The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.
  The wing's mission is to provide, project and sustain combat-ready aircraft in conventional and anti-radiation suppression of enemy air defenses, strategic attack, counter-air, air interdiction, joint maritime operations and combat search-and-rescue missions.
context_section_description: The 20th Fighter Wing was established on 20 July 1947 at Shaw Field, South Carolina and activated on 15 August. Upon its activation, the 20th commanded the functions of both the support groups as well as the flying 20th Fighter Group and the squadrons assigned to it.  On 26 August 1948, the wing's 20th Airdrome Group was discontinued and its elements became realigned under the 20th Air Base Group.
  On 15 December 1993, the flight line at RAF Upper Heyford was closed. The wing moved without personnel and equipment from the UK to South Carolina on 1 January 1994, inheriting the personnel and equipment of the 363d Fighter Wing.
  Two F-16s from the wing collided during a training flight on 15 October 2009.  One F-16, piloted by Captain Lee Bryant, was able to land safely at Shaw. The other plane, piloted by Captain Nicholas Giglio, 32, apparently crashed into the ocean.  Authorities believe that Giglio was killed instantly in the collision and did not eject. An accident investigation board determined that the crash was caused by pilot error.  The board stated that Giglio was flying too fast and was not paying adequate attention as he attempted to rejoin Bryant's aircraft for the return flight to Shaw.
caption: Group P-51D at Shaw[note 1]
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