MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- F-15E and F-15SG fighter aircraft began returning to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, on Tuesday, August 25.

The jets operated out of Nellis AFB, Nevada; Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; and Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho, for almost two months while the center portion of their home-station runway was under construction.  The 389th and 391st Fighter Squadrons participated in Red Flag 15-3 at Nellis AFB during that time.

"The men and women of the 366th Fighter Wing did a phenomenal job deploying three fighter squadrons to multiple locations, preparing Gowen Field for our arrival, training for combat at Red Flag and Davis-Monthan and sustaining/integrating operations while in Boise," said Col. David Iverson, 366th FW commander. "It's great to have the runway back open and our Airmen and our jets home."

The $44-million airfield construction project will breathe new life into the base's half-century old runway, previously considered the most decrepit in Air Combat Command.

Construction on the runway is expected to last through early October, with the taxiways finished by mid-November, according to Lt. Col Kevin Osborne, 366th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. In the meantime, aircrews from the base, the Idaho Air National Guard, and visiting units will be able to use the completed portion of the runway for combat readiness training.