Civil engineers from the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash., have deployed to Arizona for two weeks to help build a military hospital along the US-Mexico border, reports the Associated Press news service. Along with the CE troops are 141st ARW medics to provide basic medical care for Guard personnel serving along the border under President Bush’s Operation Jump Start to protect the US border and stem illegal immigration. Another Washington ANG contingent, this one from the 252nd Combat Communications Group, has deployed to set up a radio communications network. As we reported earlier, the Administration’s call for 6,000 Guardsmen included Air Guard members.
The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week.