By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Another round of new cargo planes has been awarded to an Air National Guard base, but not the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph.
The 139th continues to fly the aging cargo planes while the 153rd Airlift Wing in Cheyenne, Wyoming gets the new, C130J model.
The latest move by the Air National Guard leaves the Missouri Congressional delegation frustrated.
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says he continues to push for the cargo plane upgrade for the St. Joseph base, especially since it is home of the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center.
“It’s literally the top gun for the Advanced Airlift Command,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It’s imperative that we continue that, but they need the best equipment that they can possibly get.”
The Advanced Airlift Tactics Center trains pilots from throughout the United States and around the world on the latest maneuvers that might be needed in time to conflict. The center will train with the C-130J even as the 139th flies the C-130H.
Rosecrans held the 139th back. Its aging infrastructure, which included a long-outdated air traffic control tower, made the Air Guard hesitant to upgrade the 139th’s fleet. Its deficiencies were exposed during an Air National Guard inspection. That has changed, drastically. Money has poured into the base. It now has a new air traffic control tower, a new main runway, and even a new terminal, among other improvements.
Graves says he had thought the 139th was next in line for the new planes, since Rosecrans Memorial Airport has undergone significant upgrades to address flaws found in the report.
Sam Graves says the Trump Administration emphasis on military readiness should bolster the 139th’s case.
“We think that that actually takes St. Joe and Rosecrans to the top of the list and we’re going to continue to push it,” Graves says. “And I’m going to continue to be working with Guard to make sure that that happens and that our senators are doing the same things. It’s important that we modernize the fleet there at the 139th.”
During a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., Sen. Eric Schmitt, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed frustration to Air Force brass that the 139th had not received the modernized version of the C-130.
Though admitted to the same frustration, Graves remains optimistic the 139th will receive the new model.
“I’ve led a dozen efforts now to get C-130Js at St. Joe. And I thought we were going to pull it off last time, but it’s been very frustrating, but I think things looks really, really good for the next round.”
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ