JBER welcomes Air National Guard Wing

Published Feb. 10, 2011
By Luke Waack
JBER PAO

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The 176th Wing will move its aircraft from Kulis Air National Guard Base to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in a flyaway ceremony, Saturday.

Gov. Sean Parnell is scheduled to attend the ceremony, which begins at 8 a.m. at Kulis, near Ted Stevens International Airport.

The 176th Wing's fleet of C-130 and HC-130 airplanes and HH-60 helicopters will fly in formation over Kulis and perform a mock air refueling operation en route to JBER.
The ceremony is scheduled to end at JBER at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The governor and Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Charles "Chuck" Foster, 176th Wing commander, will speak during the event.

"Although we love this area and will always be connected to it, JBER offers the wing growth as a team and a partnership that works," General Foster said. "The benefits far outweigh the downsides in this move."

The 176th Wing has been at Kulis since 1952.

In 2005, the Base Closure and Realignment commission recommended that Kulis be closed and the wing be relocated to JBER.

There are more than 1,400 members in the wing and some units have already transitioned onto JBER, according to Alaska Air National Guard public affairs.

"We have 100-percent cooperation with the active duty Air Force, Army, and Army National Guard regarding our transition onto the base," GeneralFoster said. "It will streamline our support services, capture efficiencies of scale and add more value to the taxpayer's dollar."

The joint base is fully committed to supporting the 176th Wing as a mission partner, said Air Force Col. Robert D. Evans, JBER and 673d Air Base Wing commander.

"We very excited to have the opportunity to welcome the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing to our JBER team," Colonel Evans said. "We're looking forward to the increased partnership with the 1,400-plus men and women of the Air National Guard and their families."