Tools

MANG may Learn New Mission in Announcement Later this Week

By Charlie Keegan

Story Created: Jan 31, 2012 at 9:53 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 31, 2012 at 11:12 PM MDT

Those of us in Great Falls have grown accustomed to hearing the roar of F-15s overhead. But the fighter jets won't call the Montana Air National Guard home much longer.

They're taking off for Fresno and the California Air National Guard later this year. The move is pending an environmental impact study which is expected to be complete in August.

With the jets out of Montana, the guard was scheduled to receive a transport mission and an intelligence mission. Then came another blow, earlier this month the Pentagon cancelled the C-27J transport mission across the country.

With the end of the C-27J mission everyone wants to know what will happen up on Gore Hill. We may find out this Friday. According to representatives from Senator Jon Tester's office, the Air Force will present its restructuring plan to congress at the end of this week.

The plan is expected to affect multiple states, but MANG members will keep a close eye on the information released because they may find out what's coming their way.

In a meeting with the director of the air national guard, Senator Tester pushed for a flying mission to stay in Great Falls and for no loss in jobs on base. Saying, “I think it's critically important as they move forward, that we continue to utilize the assets of the Montana Air National Guard in the defense of this country. Its biggest asset is the people who work up there.”

A target production group was paired with the C-27J mission to keep the Montana Air Guard from losing any positions.

Several planes and Montana crew members are currently deployed in Hawaii helping that state's Air Guard transition from F-15s to F-22s.

The F-15s first came to MANG in 2009; it flew F-16s beforehand.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

News, Sports, Weather for Great Falls, Helena, and all of Montana and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Great Falls & Helena Weather

Icon
Great Falls Great Falls Intl Airport, MT
Current Temp 83.0 °F
Fair
Wind : from the West at 17.3 gusting to 24.2 MPH (15 gusting to 21 KT)
Pressure : 1003.9 mb
Humidity : 12 %
Icon
Helena Helena Regional, MT
Current Temp 84.0 °F
Fair
Wind : from the West at 11.5 gusting to 23.0 MPH (10 gusting to 20 KT)
Pressure : 1005.5 mb
Humidity : 17 %
More Weather
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

AP Video