WESTFIELD – The best defense for the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing in avoiding federal budget cutbacks may hinge on its multiple missions and the duties its members perform, Guard leaders say.
Tasked to provide homeland security for the Northeast with its F-15
Eagle fighter jets, the unit also can be assigned to combat duty as
needed around the globe and, like all National Guard units, also
delivers emergency response assistance to the state.
The multiple roles which members of the 104th can fulfill are being
cited by state, local and military officials as they go to bat for the
unit at Barnes Regional Airport and other military
installations across the state as the Pentagon proceeds with plans to
chop $259 billion from defense spending for fiscal 2013.
“The Massachusetts Guard has joined with Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray,
the state Legislature, our congressional delegation to enhance the
synergy with business, local communities and labor to promote the
benefits to the state from the National Guard,” said Maj. Gen. L. Scott
Rice, state commander of the Air Guard.
The Air Force has already targeted the C-5 Galaxy jet cargo
transports at Westover Air Reserve Base’s 439th Airlift Wing in Chicopee
for a potential reduction from 16 to 8 aircraft by 2016 because of
pending defense budget cuts. Also on the chopping block over the next
four years are as many as 400 government jobs at Hanscom Air Base in
Bedford, many associated with that base’s Electronic Systems Center.
“I don’t see any (Guard) cuts at Barnes right now, but there is a
potential for some in the eastern part of the state,” Rice said.
“Nationally, we anticipate a possible 10 percent in reduction so every
state will share in that burden. We in Massachusetts will see some of
those cuts.”
Along with the 104th, the Air Guard in the Bay State includes the
102nd Intelligence Wing based at Otis Air Guard base in Bourne, the
253rd Combat Communications Group, the 212th Engineering Installation
Squadron and the headquarters staff and band, both of which are based in
Milford but will be moved to Hanscom this spring.
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and Sens. John F. Kerry,
D-Mass., and Scott P. Brown, R-Mass., last week filed their concerns
with Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley about Westover and all
military units and installations in Massachusetts. The delegation is
leading efforts to convince the Pentagon to keep cuts in the Bay State
to a minimum; the lieutenant governor is also leading a statewide effort
to garner support from cities and towns, business leaders and residents
to provide support for units like both the Air and Army Guard groups at
Barnes.
Aside from its military responsibilities, the 104th Fighter Wing
“plays a major economic role in Westfield and the entire region,” said
Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik. “The Guard is a fabric of our
community. It provides jobs and services throughout the region. It is a
most valuable asset in times of emergency.”
The Guard is also a major partner in planning for the future of
Barnes Regional Airport, civilian airport manager Brian P. Barnes said.
“The benefits to the airport and especially Westfield and the region
in general is huge. Often, the 104th brings 100 percent funding for
repairs to the runways, meaning many times not a dime out of our budget
or the state is spent on that work. They also contribute to the
maintenance needs such as snowplowing,” said Barnes.
The airport manager, himself a past member of the 104th, credits the
Guard presence as a “major contributor” to the recent decision by
Gulfstream Corp. to expand and build a $100 million maintenance hangar
at Barnes. “They provide security not only for the Northeast but the
airport,” Barnes said of the 104th. “Their presence is a major benefit
in means of security for businesses like Gulfstream and others including
those who hanger aircraft at Barnes.”
The 104th Fighter Wing flies 18 F-15 Eagle jet fighters, and the
unit deploys overseas, at least 150 Guard members deploy in support of
every six aircraft. That support includes pilots, weapons personnel,
mechanics, clerical and security.
The wing has about 1,100 full and part-time Guard members. There are also about 65 civilians employed at the guard base.
An example of the 104th Fighter Wing’s efficiency and flexibility is a pending deployment to southwest Asia in mid-spring. That deployment, expected to last 90 days, will involve both personnel and equipment, including several of the unit’s F-15 Eagles.
An example of the 104th Fighter Wing’s efficiency and flexibility is a pending deployment to southwest Asia in mid-spring. That deployment, expected to last 90 days, will involve both personnel and equipment, including several of the unit’s F-15 Eagles.