Straighten up and fly right - Air Force Community - Air Force Times

Straighten up and fly right

As base realignment decisions and reviews of Pentagon strategy strip some Air National Guard units of their fighters, the 122nd Fighter Wing in Indiana is one of the lucky ones. While other Guard units convert to unmanned aerial vehicles or the C-27A Joint Cargo Aircraft, the “Blacksnakes” at Baer Field in Fort Wayne continue to fly the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon — a plane that never gets enough recognition for its value to troops and taxpayers.

“I’m a big F-16 fan,” said Col. James C. “Chris” Luithly, vice wing commander for the 122nd.

Guard leaders want to continue to provide about 50 percent of the F-16s in the total force. Some even favor new production of improved versions as a cost-saving alternative to the F-22 Raptor.

“The defense of the homeland, which is a core Guard job, doesn’t require a generation 5.0 fighter,” said Gen. Craig McKinley, commander of the National Guard Bureau. “We need an aircraft able to scramble quickly. The F-15 and F-16 have not been in production for U.S. forces in recent years. If we can get the right mix of cost and capabilities, we might look at [resuming production].”

But the future of the Guard fighter force isn’t rosy. Although they haven’t said so publicly, the last two Air Force chiefs of staff have sought to shift some fighters from Guard to active-duty units — even though guardsmen excel in realistic training exercises and in real-life combat.

The guardsmen at Baer Field are sensitive to their traditions. They recently painted a “heritage jet,” an F-16C block 25, in the markings of the wing’s predecessor, the 358th Fighter Group.

“It’s a nostalgic feeling to fly that jet, look out at the wing, and see invasion stripes,” said Luithly. During the Normandy invasion in 1944, Allied planes were marked for the benefit of friendly gunners with prominent black and white stripes on wing and fuselage.

The 122nd Wing welcomed veterans of the 358th group for a reunion last fall. “We were able to see how our old outfit stays ready to fly and fight in a new world,” said former Staff Sgt. Bert Lok, a World War II crew chief.

In the overall scheme of things, Indiana’s “Blacksnakes” are fortunate. The 122nd Wing, for now, is completing a transition from block 25 to block 30 Fighting Falcons. Block 30s, while old, have been upgraded to enhance their night-fighting capabilities.

Guard fighters may not have all the latest bells and whistles, but they protect us daily. Cutting the Guard fighter force is a bad idea. Leaders in Washington should try harder to remember where we came from and think seriously about where we’re going.

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Robert F. Dorr is the author of “Air Force One,” a history of presidential aircraft. An Air Force veteran, he lives in Oakton, Va. His e-mail address is robert.f.dorr@cox.net.