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Ellington Field could lose 147th Fighter Wing
November 17, 2003 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
A Gulf Coast F-16 wing that has protected the area's petrochemical industry and once included President Bush as a pilot is now threatened by lobbying and another wave of military base closures and realignment, military officials and residents say. The residents and members of the military community fear that the Texas Air National Guard unit, based at Ellington Field, could be moved or reduced in size.
A member of the Ellington Field Task Force warns that lobbying has already started to take the 147th Fighter Wing to other cities, mainly San Antonio.
The 147th Wing's commander said educating the public, as well as state and military leaders, about the contributions the unit makes to the community was crucial.
Besides protecting the Johnson Space Center, Gulf Coast waterways and U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 147th Wing's missions include keeping dignitaries safe, helping law enforcement intercept drugs, assisting the U.S. Coast Guard with rescues and identifying debris scattered in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, an F-16 from the 147th Wing accompanied Air Force One to protect the president. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bush was a reserve 147th Fighter Wing pilot.
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will make a recommendation by early 2005 to Congress to consolidate and close military bases around the country. Pentagon officials have said up to one-quarter of the nation's 425 bases are unneeded and they want new base closings to be as big as the previous four rounds of the 1990s, in which 97 major domestic bases were selected for closure.
The economic impact of the 147th Wing, which flies F-16 jets, is $340 million, according to estimates by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. Ellington is staffed by 1,075 people, with 400 full-time. About 700 are present at the field on a regular basis.
The 147th Wing's commander said educating the public, as well as state and military leaders, about the contributions the unit makes to the community was crucial.
Besides protecting the Johnson Space Center, Gulf Coast waterways and U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 147th Wing's missions include keeping dignitaries safe, helping law enforcement intercept drugs, assisting the U.S. Coast Guard with rescues and identifying debris scattered in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, an F-16 from the 147th Wing accompanied Air Force One to protect the president. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bush was a reserve 147th Fighter Wing pilot.
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will make a recommendation by early 2005 to Congress to consolidate and close military bases around the country. Pentagon officials have said up to one-quarter of the nation's 425 bases are unneeded and they want new base closings to be as big as the previous four rounds of the 1990s, in which 97 major domestic bases were selected for closure.
The economic impact of the 147th Wing, which flies F-16 jets, is $340 million, according to estimates by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. Ellington is staffed by 1,075 people, with 400 full-time. About 700 are present at the field on a regular basis.
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