SC Air National Guard flies defense exercise in Midlands

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Air National Guard is scheduled to conduct an air defense exercise over central portions of the state.

Guard spokesman Senior Master Sgt. Ed Snyder says Thursday’s exercise involves F-16 fighter jets. They should not alarm people if they see a single-engine aircraft being escorted by a military aircraft.

Snyder says the 169th Fighter Wing from McEntire Joint National Guard Base near Eastover is conducting the exercise between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

He says the exercise is coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and trains Guard members to defend U.S. air space.

The Guard has been taking part in such training as part of the nation’s North American Aerospace Defense Command mission in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.