Thursday, November 05, 2009 at 12:21 p.m.
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(AP) -- MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina Air National Guard unit is the winner of an international F-16 competition.
National Guard officials said Thursday that members of the 169th Fighter Wing from McEntire Joint National Guard Base in central South Carolina represented the United States in the competition that ended Tuesday.
The officials said it was the first time an Air National Guard unit was selected to represent the United States.
The South Carolina unit won top honors for safely launching an air intercept mission and another for precision bombing runs. They also scored tops in loading missiles and in overall maintenance.
F-16 pilots and crews from Jordan and Belgium also competed in the event.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
