ACC team looks at base changes

Members of Air Combat Command's Site Action Task Force from Langley AFB, Va., met with officials from the 366th Wing at Mountain Home AFB last week to discuss future changes to the wing's mission and composition.

Proposed by the Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. James Roche, the Air Force is researching a new plan for the 366th Wing, which will involve moving the B-1B bombers and the KC-135R tankers out of the base and increasing the number of aircraft in each of the "fighting" squadrons.

The proposed plan was first discussed in the beginning of October with Idaho's Sen. Larry Craig, Sen. Mike Crapo, Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter and Rep. Mike Simpson.

"The purpose of my team coming to Mountain Home is to identify and document actions that we would need to accomplish to make Secretary Roche's plan work," said Maj. Bill Mills of Headquarters Air Combat Command Basing and Force Structure Division and leader of the visiting 25-person team from Langley AFB.

Although the proposed plan calls for no net-loss of people assigned at Mountain Home AFB, it does require the movement of people, aircraft and equipment. "It's important to remember that nothing is set in stone," said Col. Irv Halter, 366th Wing commander. "This is a very complex task that involves units across the Air Force and the defense budget process. If we are going to make changes at Mountain Home AFB, it will not happen overnight, it will take many months to accomplish."

Although it is not funded yet, Secretary Roche's proposed plan is for the Idaho-based unit to change from a fully composite wing to a composite fighter wing. The 34th Bomb Squadron would relocate its seven B-1Bs to either Dyess or Ellsworth AFBs and the 22nd Refueling Squadron would deactivate and relocate its six KC-135s to the Kansas Air National Guard.

The number of people assigned at the base is planned to remain at more than 4,000 military and 800 civilians, however, several hundred of the "Gunfighters" may have to move if their specialty is tied exclusively to the B-1 or KC-135 aircraft.

On the plus side, the Air Force plans to bring in six more F-15Es and to trade its current inventory of F-15Cs for a more upgraded version with new and improved engines. Later, the Air Force intends to add more fighters until all three fighter squadrons are at full complement.

The 726th Air Control Squadron would grow also. The 726th's mission is to provide commanders an accurate and reliable air picture for command and control and to provide weapons control, surveillance, identification, interservice connectivity, and battle management of air defense activities.

"This is still in the very earliest stages of our planning process," said Mills. "We're here to talk to the wing experts and establish a time line.

"As the Air Force pursues our plan, we want things to go smoothly and painlessly as possible for our airmen." Nicknamed the "Gunfighters," the 366th Wing is the premiere air expeditionary wing in the Air Force -- ready to deploy anywhere, anytime.

Often called a "composite wing," the air expeditionary wing is composed of several different kinds of aircraft rather than the typical Air Force unit that has only one type of aircraft. The 366th Wing blends the firepower of F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, and F-16CJ Fighting Falcons with the refueling capability of KC-135R Stratotankers and the heavy bombing capability of B-1B Lancers to form a single, cohesive aerial strike force.

Besides the F-15Cs, F-15Es and F-16s, the proposed composite fighter wing at Mountain Home AFB may incorporate the newest Air Force fighter -- the F-22 Raptor. Secretary Roche has said that Mountain Home AFB is being "seriously considered" as a potential location for future beddown of the new F-22 stealth fighter, after the first Raptor wing is place at Langley AFB.

In November, the Air Force released its final Environmental Impact Statement recommending Mountain Home AFB as one of five possible new homes for the new fighter squadrons or wings, but indicating a preference for Langley, the traditional home of all new fighter aircraft. The decision is dependent on several factors, wing officials said, including approval from Congress and how many F-22s they will allow the Air Force to acquire.

"Be assured that our Air Force is aware of how valuable Mountain Home AFB is," said Halter. "Right now we've got more people deployed in support Operation Enduring Freedom than any base in the Air Force. This shows how much our nation relies on the training we do at Mountain Home AFB and this training is not possible without the great support of our Idaho friends and neighbors."