N.M. Air Guard's new mission detailed

From KRQE.com - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - The new mission of New Mexico's Air National Guard firmed up Monday as flying fighter jets yields to new duties involving search-and-rescue training, intelligence and engineering. The announcement came during a news conference led by Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.
Initial manpower for the 150th Fighter Wing will remain at about 1,000 personnel with those whose jobs are changing given the chance to retrain for new assignments. Some pilots who flew F-16 fighter jets have left the unit, but others already are working to qualify on specialized C-130 aircraft used in search-and rescue training. The C-130 is a four-motor propeller craft originally designed as a cargo plane but adapted to numerous uses over the years. "It will be a significant change for the air crew," Col. Frederik Hartwig, commander of they 150th Fighter Wing, said. "Not quite as big a change for the maintainers. Some of that will still be quite similar." Read more

N.M. Air Guard's new mission detailed