The 366th Fighter Wing began the first phase of its F-16 Fighting Falcon drawdown when five jets from the 389th Fighter Squadron departed around 8 a.m. Thursday.
The departure is part of the wing’s realignment from an F-16, F-15C and F-15E base to an all F-15E Strike Eagle installation by 2011. The move, outlined in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendation, is also part of the Air Force initiative to become a smarter and leaner force by consolidating its F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft. Mountain Home Air Force Base was chosen to become an F-15E installation because of its premier training range that is suited for air-to-ground, low-level and air-to-air flight training. The first of 18 new F-15E aircraft are scheduled to begin arriving from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, in December and the last jet will land by June 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Dana Hill)