According to a report in the State Journal-Register, the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing this week will lose its final F-16 fighter, courtesy of BRAC 2005. Some of the Air Guardsmen that supported the F-16 mission, namely firefighters and some maintainers, got a one-year reprieve earlier this month, with the assistance of the state’s Congressional delegation. The state is still pursuing a flying mission for the wing, but so far there’s none in the offing. The Springfield Air Guard is to open an air and space operations center and a new Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility, which should keep some maintainers engaged with the F-16’s General Electric engine. Wing aircraft mechanics also will continue to provide maintenance for F-16s of other units to help the Air Force cut down on a backlog.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
