A Hint of a Mission for Nashville ANG: BRAC 2005 took away the C-130s of the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 118th Airlift Wing at Nashville, but BRAC commissioners decided to reject the DOD plea to move the people from Nashville to Memphis, opting to leave such a decision to the governor. According to a statement from Governor Phil Bredesen, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Pentagon now plans to settle three new missions upon the Air Guard in Tennessee. The 118th likely will have dibs on the new Joint Cargo Aircraft.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability prevail. “Peace through strength” has...