SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The 25th Attack Group held groundbreaking ceremonies for two sites on base, March 1.
The 20th Fighter Wing hosted the ceremony and included remarks from Col. Lawrence Sullivan, 20 FW commander and Col. Tim Monroe, 25 ATKG commander.
The 25th ATKG, a geographically separated unit of the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing, was activated at Shaw AFB in 2018 and have since been conducting operations in temporary facilities.
“There was a rapid decision to move their capabilities onto Shaw,” said Sullivan. “It was a good example of flexibility and adaptation but we’d like to build them a permanent home.”
The separate sites are referred to as Phase 2.5 and Phase 3.
Phase 2.5 will contain a training facility and an administration building and is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2022.
The training facility will serve as a home to MQ-9 Reaper simulators and expects 250 students annually. The administration building will serve as the future home to the 25th Operations Support Squadron.
Phase 3 is expected to house an operations facility as well as the 25th ATKG headquarters building and is scheduled to be complete by summer of 2024.
The operations facility will be the permanent home for the 50th and 482nd Attack Squadrons and host MQ-9 combat operations around the globe. The headquarters building will serve as home to the 25th ATKG staff and associated leadership and support elements.
“Having a permanent home brings a change in quality of life; we have Airmen who come here and are not interested in leaving,” said Monroe. “That’s a real testament to the relationship we have with the fighter wing and all of the support that they provide to us.”