On alert: pilot stress, aging equipment cause angst at
D.C. Air Guard.
by Jean, Grave V.
Last fall, the wing broke ground to construct a new facility to
house the F-16s, crews and command post for the alert mission. The
building will be located near the end of the runway to reduce the time
it now takes to scramble jets. The facility, expected to be completed in
December, is designed to accommodate next-generation aircraft, including
the F-22 and the F-35.
"Would I like to see an F-22 on the ramp here guarding the
nation's capital sometime in the near future? Absolutely,"
says Johnson.
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