169th Fighter Wing F-16C Block 52 before taking off

169th Fighter Wing F-16C Block 52 before taking off in the early morning, April 12, 2012. Active duty and South Carolina Air National Guard airmen from the 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., continue their deployment operations to Afghanistan. 169th Fighter Wing personnel are deploying from McEntire for an air expeditionary force deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. More than a dozen Swamp Fox F-16 fighter jets, pilots, and nearly 500 personnel (pilots, maintenance specialists and support staff) will deploy for about four months to complete an aviation package necessary to conduct the close air support mission for troops on the ground in the area of responsibility.