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Kirk Wants More Work for Springfield Air Guard Base
(IRN) -- U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) says he's impressed with Illinois Air National Guard facilities in Springfield, and he wants to bring them more work.

The 183rd Fighter Wing's engine repair facility currently fixes F-16 jet engines for five flying units. This mission lasts through September, but Kirk says he'll work with to bring new missions to Springfield.

"Certainly this engine facility, which is turning out product at three times the rate of a depot, continues, but then we engage on this C27J aircraft issue, or unmanned aerial vehicles, so we bring military flight back to Springfield," says Kirk.

More than a dozen F-16 jets were parked at Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport until 2008, when the 183rd was assigned a new non-flying mission.

Kirk wants bring C-27J Spartan aircrafts to the 183rd Fighter Wing base. Brigadier General James Schroeder, the Illinois Air National Guard's chief of staff, says the small cargo planes would be a good fit for the base and the region.

"If the governor calls up in times of a flood, we can get things delivered relatively quickly, and it'll fill that niche really well to have those assets nearby," he explains.

Small unmanned aircraft, known as MQ1-9s, could also come to the base. Schroeder says new flying missions would be a good fit, because the 183rd handled military aircraft for 60 years prior to 2008.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 03 11 by Newsroom
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