Members of the Air National Guard 139th Airlift Group anxiously await a decision by the Air Guard on whether it receives the new C-130J cargo planes. The 139th Commander, Col. John Cluck, said the wing is currently flying legacy aircraft, the C-130H, and there is no future for such older aircraft.
“The importance of the J model is paramount,” said Cluck. “The 139th needs to continue to survive and with the support from the city with all the new structures out here and all the new facilities. It’s only appropriate that we bring in the new aircraft.”
Afterall, Cluck pointed out The Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center at the St. Joseph base trains pilots from across the country on the new aircraft.
“We are teaching people to fly in aircraft that we don’t even operate,” he said. “So, we have to get the new one here so that we can remain relevant in all things. Not only the 139th mission, but also the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center.”
Rosecrans Memorial Airport is undergoing a stunning transformation with new runways, a new terminal soon to open, and a new air traffic control tower being erected. The 139th itself has been constructing new buildings north of its current location, preparing to move from its headquarters constructed in the 1950s.
“We did everything we could to improve our status in that,” he explained. “I have not seen the results of the snapshot yet. I look forward to getting those in the next couple of weeks. Then hopefully we can analyze that data and hopefully if we need to improve anywhere, which I don’t think there was many places to improve, we can get after that and just keep fighting.”
Cluck said the overhaul underway at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph has addressed the deficiencies that led the Air Guard to pass over the 139th during its initial allocation of C-130J model planes. He said that the investments made through federal, state, and local money make a statement as the Air Guard evaluate the base.
“It shows them that we’re here to stay,” said Cluck. “We will have a world class airport here in another couple months when the tower’s finished, the terminal building’s finished. We have two brand new runways. We’re continuing to invest in all things 139th in the north site. This is the place to be, and we are centrally located, we are the right air force in the right city, at the right time to really make a difference.”
Cluck said improvements at the base should be enough to convince the Air Guard to provide the new cargo planes to the 139th.
Brent Martin, of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph, contributed this report.
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