Air Guard changes would likely not cut personnel

It’s unlikely jobs would be lost — or gained — in a proposed restructuring of the Iowa Air National Guard, according to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. An announcement is expected within two weeks that could see F-16 fighter jets from Sioux City transferred to Des Moines, while tanker jets would be brought to Sioux City.Sioux City Support Group Commander Colonel Denny Menefee says the change would require some important decisions by guard members.He says both pilots and maintenance personnel will have to decide if they want to be retrained to hand the KC-135 tanker aircraft. Menefee says the change in planes could lead to more action for the one thousand guard members in Sioux City’s fighter wing. He says one of the planes would likely be on duty somewhere in the world at all times.Earlier today, Congressman Tom Latham said the switch to tanker aircraft in Sioux City could bring an investment of up to 80-MILLION dollars to upgrade the airport and its facilities. Menefee says there would have to be allot of work at the airport to improve the runways to handle the bigger planes.Mennefee says the tankers would likely give guard members more long-term security as he expects more F-16 fighter units to be phased out.