By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A new headquarters for the Air National Guard in St. Joseph is taking shape at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, but it might take some time to complete the project.
Serious consideration to move from the south end of Rosecrans Memorial Airport began after it flooded in 1993, according to 139th Airlift Wing Vice Commander Colonel John Cluck.
“As we rebuild our buildings through just attrition and older buildings need to be replaced throughout time, we’re building everything up north to give a better safety factor, God forbid we ever could have something again, it wouldn’t hurt us,” Cluck tells St. Joseph Post. “Water would go by it, not in it.”
Discussion to erect new buildings began after the flood. The move will keep the base out of the area south of Rosecrans Memorial Airport which flooded in ’93 and locate it north, away from any flood danger.
Floods last year threatened the Guard as well. Emergency efforts to reenforce the levee on the West bank of the Missouri River kept floodwaters from swamping the Air Guard, Rosecrans, Elwood, and Wathena.
Completion of the 139th’s new home will take a while. Cluck calls the original plan to complete the move in 10 years likely too aggressive. He says it might take up to 20 years to complete.
Still, the move is continuing.
“It will be a big impact,” Cluck says. “It will be a completely new base throughout time. Hopefully, (it) will give us staying power for longevity of the 139th in this area for many generations to come.”
Several new buildings have been completed. A new communications center is being erected now with a new simulator building soon to break ground. A new operations center could be completed by the first of the new year.
Cluck says the renovation of the 139th headquarters has the backing of the National Guard and the Air Force.
“We believe we’ve got a really good start and big Air Force, big National Guard, everybody has bought off on this plan and they are fully vested.”
Cluck says the Air Guard hopes to build a headquarters which the wing can call home for decades.
“If we have a base built here that meets all of the requirements of the military as well as our local community, it just proves that we’ll have viability for generations to come, that’s really the impact we want to leave here.”