The Air National Guard’s 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., will gain a new Joint Cargo Aircraft mission and an Air Force War Fighting Headquarters detachment by Fiscal 2011, announced Gov. Haley Barbour last week. Under BRAC 2005, the 186th ARW loses its KC-135 tankers. The governor expects the new missions to add about 180 jobs.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
