139th Airlift Wing looks forward to what the new year will bring
Jan. 12—Col. John A. Cluck started in the Air National Guard at the end of high school in Wathena, Kansas. He calls himself a product of the 139th Airlift Wing, rising to the rank of colonel and commander of the airbase in 2021.
He also serves as mayor of his hometown of Wathena and works as a pilot for Southwest Airlines.
The new year is starting better than last year ended Col. Cluck and the 139th. The C-130 plane, a crucial aircraft for both work and for training at the 139th, was grounded last September, due to equipment issues.
However, the new equipment needed has been replaced, and soon, two C-130s will be up and running again. According to Cluck, the goal is to add another C-130 by the end of January, giving them three of these planes to fly during missions.
"The C-130's mission is tactical airlifts," Cluck said. "We like to call ourselves the bus drivers for the army."
This aircraft is used for those missions, and also for their Advanced Airlift Tactics Training School, which trains people from all over the world. These planes also assist in the Weapons Instructions courses. So, having them available and running again, and even possibly adding one soon, can enhance the services provided by the Airlift Wing.
The 139th Airlift Wing will also start the year by receiving money from the latest Omnibus package passed by Congress. They will receive about $5.4 million.
"We're very happy with the way that worked out for us," Cluck said.
They will spend these funds on things like designs for a new aircraft apron, which will provide a safer parking ramp area for aircraft. In addition, Rosecrans will add a general purpose maintenance hangar.
"It's all part of our goal to move the wing to the north end of the runway," Cluck said. This will alleviate flooding issues that date back to 1993. He added, "We're doing some deliberate planning to make sure that the 139th is here for generations to come."
In addition to the obvious military service benefits, the 139th benefits St. Joseph by being among the top employers in the area. Cluck mentioned that there are around 450 full-time employees at the base, among the approximately 1000 staff members that make up the roster of the 139th.
In addition, there are outside entities that come to the St. Joseph area every year to participate in training schools offered. This gives the 139th Airlift Division quite a large economic footprint in St. Joseph.
Cluck credits the people of St. Joseph for their support. He noted that the base has never had a problem getting support from the city, and that includes big events like the Air Show.
The next show will take place in September of 2024, and the Air Force Thunderbirds have already agreed to participate as they did in 2021. In fact, the Thunderbirds rated the St. Joseph Airshow the top show of the year in 2021, and Cluck feels this is a big reason they agreed to return. Putting the show together, he added, takes the whole community, and they will utilize the next year and a half to try and make the 2024 show even better.
Charles Christian can be reached at charles.christian@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowChristian.
