March 1, 2007 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
Col. James N. "Bull" Post III took command of the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing during a ceremony yesterday at Shaw AFB.
Colonel James Post's name is revealed on the 20th Fighter Wing F-16 flagship during the change of command ceremony on February 28th, 2007.
, who succeeded
Col. James W. "Bill" Hyatt, comes to Shaw from 12th Air Force, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
As the 20th's commander, Post will lead the Air Force's largest operational F-16 combat wing. He assumes responsibility for a wing with about 80
F-16CJ Fighting Falcons worth more than $2 billion and about 6,000 military and 800 civilian members. He will also prepare the base to welcome the new F-35 Lightning II.
Post is an experienced Viper driver. He accumulated more than 3,400 flight hours on the F-16.
Hyatt has been nominated by the president for promotion to brigadier general and is being reassigned to become commander of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
About the 20th Fighter wing
The primary missions of the 20th are the suppression of enemy air defenses and destruction of enemy air defenses.
The Wing provided forces in April 1999 for North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Operation Allied Force in the European theater. A Shaw pilot deployed to Aviano Air Base,
Italy, during the conflict shot down an enemy MiG-29.
For 10 years, the 20th FW and its F-16CJ squadrons flew contingency rotations in support of Operations Northern and Southern Watch. The wing also flew combat air patrols in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
In February 2003, Shaw deployed approximately 1,300 servicemembers and 15 aircraft in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operations Northern and Southern Watch successfully culminated with the advent of hostilities in Iraq.
