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Part ll: Keeping the 147th Fighter Wing
By Peggy "Domino" Taylor (Published 4/04)
Publisher's Note: This is the second installment in the Bay Runner's series on the future of Ellington Field. This issue we focus on the future of the 147th Fighter Wing at Ellington Field and the efforts of the Ellington Field Task Force (EFTF) to keep the Joint Reserve Base, the "first response" military units for Homeland Security, at Ellington. Just before going to press, the FBI issued an alert to tighten security because of uncorroborated information that al-Qaida may try to blow up pipelines and refineries in Texas to influence the November presidential election. Because the Houston region is home to four of the 10 largest refining facilities in the nation, this threat is being taken seriously locally. The Task Force will be holding community meetings in upcoming months and also is planning a grassroots trip to Washington D.C. in May to visit with federal officials. I strongly suggest anyone interested in supporting this cause to visit www.supportellington.com and get involved. Because we are vulnerable! - John Ennis, Publisher
We are vulnerable… those are the first three words of the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast Community Military Preparedness Plan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified Harris County, Texas as one of the only regions in America possessing all nine-asset categories named by the FBI as vulnerable to terrorists. Another alarming alert confirmed, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security global intelligence sources, was that al-Qaeda was plotting attacks in Houston and Galveston, Texas; along with Valdez, Alaska; Tappahannock, Virginia; Belgium and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. authorities concluded that terrorists might be targeting oil pipelines, refineries and nuclear power plants in or near those areas.
This is the number one reason why the Ellington Field Task Force (EFTF) fight is on to save the Joint Reserve Base (JRB) "first response" military units for Homeland Security led by the 147th Fighter Wing Texas Air National Guard (147th FW TANG). Other major tenants of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base are the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston, the 149th Aviation Brigade Texas Army National Guard (TARNG) and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center Aircraft Operations Division. There are other commercial operations housed at Ellington that complement the military and regional economy.
The Ellington Field Task Force is the community grassroots effort to support local, State and Federal representatives in their endeavor to keep Ellington strong and productive through BRAC 2005. BRAC 2005 refers to the next round of U.S. Department of Defense, Base Realignment and Closure actions for 2005, where there is a risk for the relocation of the 147th Fighter Wing away from Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. The EFTF mission is vital to national and global security. This important task force is led by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. On behalf of the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast (SETGC) region, the task force participates in Governor Rick Perry's Texas Military Preparedness Commission to ensure that the assets are protected. Also, the task force circulates its regional plan to key members of the State and Federal legislature to help build the value of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.
In February 2004, the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast Military Preparedness Plan was published by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. The mission statement of the Ellington Field Task Force is, "To retain and enhance the Joint Reserve Base military presence at Ellington Field, with particular reference to the Transformation through BRAC 2005 and beyond." In order to achieve their mission, key objectives for the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast area are essential as they relate to:
Homeland Security – Increasing the Homeland Security that is of vital interest to citizens and public and private and public stakeholders in the region, state, nation and world,
Military Value – Increasing the Military Value that is essential to the assurance of Homeland Security,
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base – Designing JRB status to Ellington Field to provide enhanced Homeland Security, to aid Military Value national objectives and to increase the economic viability of Ellington Field, and
Community-Military Relations – Building the Community-Military Relations to support the long-term success of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.
Those objectives are of value for all Southeast Texas Gulf Coast region's citizens, public and private stakeholders, and the BRAC 2005 Commissioners whose formal assessments will ultimately decide the full retention of the 147th Fighter Wing Texas Air National Guard at the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.
The retention and growth of the fully functional EF JRB units, the 147th Fighter Wing/ Air National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard are vital to the homeland sovereignty of air, land and sea in the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast region. The 147th Fighter Wing TANG is the command unit for Ellington JRB.
Under the leadership of Colonel Lanny B. McNeely, Commander, this group maintains a high level of operational readiness in order to provide general-purpose combat ready units of Air Combat Command (ACC) in the event of mobilization in support of any worldwide contingency. The 147th Wing is also dual apportioned to Commander in Chief of North America Air (CINC NORAD) in support of air sovereignty and air defense missions. The Wing provides personnel and aircraft to intercept, identify, and, if necessary, destroy any airborne objects on a 24-hour basis. On a State level, the Wing provides an organized and trained force to assist the Governor of Texas in carrying out of the state in case of civil strife, natural disasters, catastrophes, rebellion, or other emergencies of iniquitous danger.
The 147th Fighter Wing mission is to conduct worldwide combat operations in the F-16C (Block 25) aircraft, perform home stations Air Sovereignty Alert and F-16 general-purpose role. The Wing trains, mobilizes and deploys in accordance with the USAF war and mobilization plans. This group is responsible for the command, direction, planning and management of subordinate squadrons in the fulfillment of the Wing's mission. The 147th works in conjunction with two other TANG units as part of the Governor of Texas' Air Force.
These units are the 149th Fighter Wing in San Antonio that provide basic aviation training and the 137th Airlift Wing in Fort Worth.
Each has a distinct mission with the 147th Fighter Wing providing Air Supremacy, the 149th Fighter Wing training, and the 136th Airlift Wing providing heavy lift.
With 17 aircraft and personnel of 1186, 297 full-time positions and 889 traditional positions, not only is the 147th guarding America's skies around the clock and training to mobilize, they are fighting the war on drugs. The 147th has a counter-drug operation mission providing optical intelligence, photographs and surveillance to support law enforcement for the local, State and Federal officials involved directly in CONUS counter-drug law enforcement.
The Wing's Air Sovereignty is primarily counter-aircraft to protect the assets located within its Area of Responsibility (AOR). Within this AOR are 4 major population areas including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio; also are; 2 nuclear power plants; the refining and petrochemical industry that extends along the entire coastal area of Southeast Texas; Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage sites; offshore platforms; NASA; Port of Houston; Houston Ship Channel; the Gulf Intra-coastal Waterway, current and proposed LNG facilities; high value sports venues; UTMB Bio-terrorism laboratory; and the Lockheed Martin fighter plant.
The 147th Fighter Wing provides Combat Air Patrol (CAP) for the President of the United States when he is in Crawford, Texas. Moments after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington aircraft scrambled to escort Air Force One as it traveled from Florida to Louisiana, then to Nebraska and finally back to the Nation's capital. On a mission trained for, but hopes it never happens, "We escorted Air Force One and put additional aircraft in the skies over Texas," said Col. Spermo, wing commander. "I am extremely proud of the hard work and successful results of the dedicated and professional members of the 147th," he continued. Although they were all proud to have been part in this historical mission, the pilots described the damage as shocking as they flew home, but were relieved to see the monuments and symbols of this great nation still intact. At one point, during that time, very few aircraft were flying in the U.S., one of those aircraft was Air Force One and the remaining aircraft were National Guard fighters including several from the 147th Fighter Wing. In an ironic twist of fate, President George W. Bush's escorts had come from his previous National Guard fighter wing. Bush had served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the same squadron.
Similarly, the Wing provides security for various heads of state when they are in Houston in an area isolated from Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports. The Wing also provides C-26 Counter-Drug operations to thwart smugglers from South America, Central America and Mexico, as well as assisting the Coast Guard in Search and Rescue missions.
The Ellington Task Force will have community briefings on their plans for the number one solution for Homeland and National Security, the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Vice President and Chairman of Ellington Field Task Force, Marie McDermott, states, "Ellington Field has numerous Homeland Security assets and we want to add more. We are looking to relocate and build civil and military operations to complement the existing joint operations." McDermott added, "The future holds great opportunities for Ellington, especially as a joint use facility. By working to keep what we currently have and showcasing the capabilities, Bay Area Houston's Ellington Field can become an even more valuable presence."
For more information and current updates on the Ellington Field Task Force, and keeping the 147th Fighter Wing, check their website www. SupportEllingtonField.com.
The BayRunner will keep you informed in future issues on the EFTF and the future of Ellington's current and proposed tenants, military, civil, and commercial.
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