A Sacramento Bee newspaper investigation has uncovered a major problem with the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing based in Fresno that has cost the Government hundreds of thousands of dollars.
You can read the story HERE.
The pilots were double-dipping – working during the day flying F-16s and then grabbing a shift (on alert) at night and getting paid for that, too. It’s not exactly safe, either.
The double dipping went all the way to the top of the Fresno unit as the Wing Commander was on pace to make about $316,000 this year.
Now there’s a big investigation by the Air Force. There will probably be criminal charges.
Readers may remember that the 144th Fighter Wing is scheduled to receive the Montana National Guard’s F-15s.
The newly formed group, Citizens for Montana’s Military, brought this investigation to the Montana media’s attention yesterday. KRTV (CBS) grabbed to story and ran with it. You can read it HERE.
Citizens for Montana’s Military believe that with the leadership of the 144th in question, the basis for moving the F-15s from Montana to California deserves another look – an impartial look – to ensure Montana received a fair shake.
I totally agree.
There’s a lot about this move that does not make sense. Now, it’s up to the Montana Congressional delegation to take the ball and run with it all the way to the Pentagon to ensure Montana was treated fairly in all aspects of the decision to move the F-15s to Fresno. Then, they need to press the Pentagon about the future of a flying unit in Fresno because after this investigation is complete, Fresno may not have any pilots left to fly Montana’s F-15s.
It’s worth another look.
The Western Word 
The double-dipping issue is an interesting one to investigate. The true question would be: Are these guard personnel exceeding their allowed 30-days of dual – federal and state compensation? I doubt, just given the general integrity of air force officers, that many were guilty of passing this limit. Working an alert may well have been ordered by the higher chain of command and have no monetary motives whatsoever. Keep in mind California is full of busy shipping lanes, crowded airways, and a large amount of illegal traffic on the California-Mexico border. I am a member of the flying club at March ARB, where they have a detachment of no less than 3 F-16s from the 144th on alert at any given time. I’ve toured their facility twice and routinely see them undergoing operations. These F-16s also participate in counter-drug operations along the border in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This environment calls for F-16 pilots to man alerts quite often.
The larger issue is dealing with a threat environment that is far more complex and dynamic than Montana’s. We are the World’s 5th largest economy and we have more coastline real-estate than most here in the U.S. We also have two extremely busy air hubs, LAX and SFO. The ports of Los Angeles and San Francisco process millions of tons of freight every day. We also have daily breaches of our southern border and apprehend immigrants, drugs, human traffickers, and even weapons on a daily basis. Also, right across the pond, countries like North Korea, China, and Russia. Montana F-15s would be bingo fuel before ever trying to affect those threat envelopes. However if one of these countries sent aircraft along the IDL we could respond with F-15s.
Now lets take a look at Montana, a beautiful and pristine state, definitely. Friendly people, no ports, no airports that are even half the size of a facility like LAX, all shipping done by truck and rail, shared border with Canada; mild and conservative compared to our southern neighbors who send thousands of people and millions in drugs across the border every day. No hostile nations within at least 1500 nautical miles (outside the combat radius of the F-15)
As stated in official releases, California needs an aircraft that can respond faster, be more reliable, and react to these threats with better equipment. The F-15 is faster, is more reliable due to two engines, and can carry the AESA Rader which will allow it to sort through potential targets much more efficiently. This would provide CA with a more effective countermeasure to potential security threats. California doesn’t require a Multi-Role fighter like the F-16, we’re not bombing ground targets and lazing tanks for maverick shots. The F-15 is a born interceptor, which is precisely what CA needs, something fast that can be in a certain piece of sky quickly, and can sort the targets speedily with superior radar and electronics. This is why the four other commands have adopted this aircraft.
This article, while well intentioned, does not support a security posture that would be the most beneficial to the national security of the united states and smacks of shaping a case for a scandal to accomplish political objectives. I object, CA needs a good airplane and the reasons are quite clear.
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