Final 4 F-16s leave Fargo base

The final group of North Dakota ANG F-16s left there Fargo base and headed to the military bone yard in Arizona. On route the jets performed a final fly past of the state capital, Bismarck..

Lt. Col. Brad Derrig, one of the 4 pilots who took the controls of his F-16 for the final time was quoted to have said "It's emotional. It's the end of an era, but as the military changes, we do what we have to do to remain relevant."

Fargo's F-16s were officially retired in October 2006 with an official ceremony at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Tuesday ceremonies to commemorate the the final flight and the bases 60th Anniversary were marked with a farewell salute by the members of the unit and there families.

The base commander, Col. Bob Becklund was quoted to have said to the crowd "We'll proudly fly all of these aircraft into the boneyard" and accompanied his pilots to there jets. "Gentlemen, it's step time," Becklund said.

The Fighter wings mission is changing away from Air Defence to fly UAVs and transport planes, specifically the C-21. With this new role the 119th is also changing its designation, dropping the 'Fighter' and becoming just the 119th Wing. However the nickname the "Happy Hooligans" derived from a 1950s comic strip will remain.

A former Guard employee Neil Miller who worked at the base was quoted to have said "It's going to be different, but it would be fun if we could see that one take off." in reference to the Predator UAV which was also present in the hanger.

Congressman Earl Pomeroy, who was quoted to have said the ceremony was "tinged with mixed emotions", because the F-16s were a feature of the landscape of the Red River Valley. "We're going to miss those F-16s, no bones about it," Pomeroy said.

Most of Fargo's guard personal have retrained for there new mission. Some pilots have moved on to continue to fly jets with other units. Lt. Col. Derrig is learning to fly both the C-21 and Predator, said he never considered leaving. "My family's rooted," he said. "We're happy here."

Derrig was one of the pilots who patrolled over Washington D.C. on the day of the 9-11 attacks. "They were the cavalry. They rode to the rescue of our nation's capital," Gov. John Hoeven said.

Unit changes were made after the BRAC realignment plan threatened to force the closure of the North Dakota base along with many others. Senator Kent Conrad, said the 119th's track record, which included several flying awards and a record of 70,000+ hours accident free in the F-16s, helped save the base.

"This day could have ended much differently," Conrad said.

Source : by Asif Shamim
www.f-16.net
Photo: Capt. Stephanie Kelsen pilots a North Dakota ANG F-16 Fighting Falcon alongside the first C-21 to join the 119th FW as it flies into Fargo, N.D. January 10, 2007. [U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp]
Published: January 16, 2007

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(17.01.2007)