The folks in Oregon’s Klamath County have decided to aid the Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing at Klamath’s Kingsley Field by providing $30,000 to aid recruiting efforts. The wing needs to add up to 136 positions for its expanded role as the Air Force’s only remaining training unit for F-15 pilots, Col Thomas Schiess, 173rd FW commander, told the The News-Review. The other F-15 training unit, at Tyndall AFB, Fla., will switch solely to the new F-22A.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
