by St. Joseph News-Press
Monday, September 15, 2008

The future of the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Memorial Airport is secure — for now.
How’s that for a confidence booster?

One day last week, a top military leader acknowledged that the notion of moving the wing’s command structure to Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster, Mo., was under discussion.
The next day, another gave this assessment: “It was just an option to consider and now it’s a dead issue. It’s off the table.”

Those are the words of someone who should know, Brig. Gen. Craig McCord, commander of the Missouri Air National Guard and director of the Missouri National Guard’s joint staff.
Let’s call this a readiness test for St. Joseph and the surrounding area, a measure of how quickly and effectively civic and political leaders can respond when our important military assets are threatened with relocation or closure.

Make no mistake: The 139th Airlift Wing and the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center at Rosecrans are important to this community. Together they generate an estimated $75 million annually in local economic impact. And that’s to say nothing of the deep pride we have in hosting these outstanding operations and how much we benefit from the military staff who call this region home.

It’s difficult for people in this part of the world to imagine, but there are places where the military is simply tolerated or taken for granted — a sharp contrast to the longstanding support that the 139th Airlift Wing has enjoyed in the Midland Empire.

We extend appreciation and thanks to each of the local and area leaders who responded to last week’s concerns promptly and with passionate advocacy in support of the military operations here.

We passed this readiness test, but there is sure to be another tomorrow.