“This is a first for us to move an entire flying operation like this,” said Maj. Gary Bentley, a unit spokesman.
At least eight Fighting Falcon jets arrived by Wednesday, with more expected Thursday. A few South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s were on the tarmac because the Toledo-based unit has some planes deployed overseas, officials said. Others will remain at the Toledo airport because of maintenance work.
Pilots are expected to fly weekly training missions between Monday and Thursday, Bentley said.
“Everything that we normally do at home, we are doing down here,” said Lt. Col. Deron Reynolds, a veteran F-16 pilot with the call sign “Crouton” and unit alert commander. Some pilots and maintenance crew will be on a seven-day a week, 24-hour a day alert status.
The unit has about 1,100 personnel, but only a fraction of those will share space with the Air Force Reserve 445th Airlift Wing at the base. The wing flies C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets on missions around the world. The F-16s are scheduled to leave by Sept. 8.
The squadron had looked around the region for the best site to temporarily call home prior to picking Wright-Patterson. “This overall was just easily the best choice for us in terms of location and facilities,” Reynolds said.
The fighter wing is one of the few remaining F-16 fighter jet units in the Midwest and the only one in Ohio. The last time F-16s called Wright-Patterson home was 1994. The Air Force Reserve fighter squadron at the time was deactivated and replaced by the 445th Airlift Wing.
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