Base's last F-16 commander to fly final mission

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MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The commander of the 366th Fighter Wing's sole F-16 fighter unit flies his unit's last mission from the base during a mission here March 16.

Lt. Col. Philip Hoover, who serves as the 389th Fighter Squadron's commander during its last days as an F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, is slated to leave the base in coming weeks as the unit continues its transition to F-15E Strike Eagle air-to-ground combat jets.

The 389th's final five F-16s leave the base March 29 as part of the wing's realignment from an multi-role F-16, F-15C and F-15E base to an all F-15E Strike Eagle installation by 2011.

The move was outlined in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendation to consolidate the Air Force's F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft into the Air Force's leaner force structure.

"Since 1991, the 389th Fighter Squadron and its fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons served with distinction at Mountain Home Air Force Base as a crucial role in the defense of our nation," Colonel Hoover said. "Together with their F-15 counterparts, the 389th Thunderbolts provided around-the-clock precision strike capability anywhere around the world. Our last F-16 sortie from Mountain Home Air Force Base closes a significant chapter in the history of the Gunfighters and this base. As we prepare to bid farewell to our Falcons, we are proud of the accomplishments these aircraft and the people that flew and maintained them played in the pursuit of peace."

The 366th Fighter Wing began transferring its squadron of F-16s in November 2006 with individual or small groups of jets leaving the base on regular intervals. The squadron's five remaining F-16s are slated to go to the 157th Fighter Squadron at McEntire Air National Guard Base, S.C. Most of the base's last nine F-16 pilots are slated to leave the base by May. Meanwhile, about 40 of the squadron's 107 F-16 aircraft maintenance troops will remain here and retrain into F-15 jet maintenance.

Meanwhile, the 389th FS continues to receive F-15E Strike Eagles from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, as part of the Air Force's realignment plans. The first of the air-to-ground attack jets arrived here in December 2006. Currently, eight of the jets are now at Mountain Home with the last of the squadron's fleet of 21 fighters due to arrive here in May 2007.

As part of the military's realignment plans, the wing is scheduled to transfer its one squadron of F-15C air-to-air combat jets to Nellis Air Force Base and Jacksonville Air Guard Station, Fla., by 2011.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission chose Mountain Home to become a core F-15E installation because of its premier training range, which is suited for a multitude of air-to-ground, low-level and air-to-air flight training.