Civil engineers from the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash., have deployed to Arizona for two weeks to help build a military hospital along the US-Mexico border, reports the Associated Press news service. Along with the CE troops are 141st ARW medics to provide basic medical care for Guard personnel serving along the border under President Bush’s Operation Jump Start to protect the US border and stem illegal immigration. Another Washington ANG contingent, this one from the 252nd Combat Communications Group, has deployed to set up a radio communications network. As we reported earlier, the Administration’s call for 6,000 Guardsmen included Air Guard members.
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…