There are nearly a thousand Air Guard members in the unit based in Sioux City, but none have been called to active duty — and none will. Guard spokesman Colonel Robert King says the unit’s in transition, and members aren’t trained yet to fulfill their new mission.The 185th Fighter Wing in Sioux City used to fly F-16s, but they had older models that weren’t going to be updated and the unit might have been disbanded. King says that’s why they decided to fly K-C 135 tanker aircraft — for refueling.Had the unit closed down, the 975 Guardsmen and women would have lost their jobs. King says by becoming an air tanker unit, they’ve maintained troop levels in the Sioux City area.King says all the F-16s are gone, and the unit’s first tanker will arrive in a couple of months. Soldiers in the unit have been training to fly and service that aircraft. Since none, though, have completed that training, none have been called to active duty.
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