A Farewell To Washington Air Guard Planes
Those who peered upwards Saturday morning to see five tanker jets swoop over Spokane, witnessed a chunk of history. The onetime formation flight for these KC-135s was actually a slightly nostalgic farewell to the airplanes of one of the nation's oldest air guard units.

After 83 years, the Washington Air National Guard unit known for its dagger-stabbed ace of spades insignia is losing its planes. The 141st Air Refueling Wing's nine KC-135s will slowly be reassigned to Sioux City, Iowa, starting Tuesday due to a 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Law. The 141st will share aircraft with the 92nd active duty unit at Fairchild Air Force Base, the first time this has been attempted.

"It's an esprit de corps moment," said Wing Commander Col. Gregory Bulkley, who has flown these "gas stations in the sky" for 21 years. "It's the first time we won't have aircraft to fly."

But he said all National Guard workers will remain employed, still receive comparable flight time and easily transition to the active duty unit's 30 similar KC-135s. "Our mission won't change, we will just have to figure out a new construct," he said, looking up at the Ace of Spaces logo that distinguishes the planes' hangars and touching a similar badge on his right arm.

The refueling planes were some of the first in the air after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990; they flew into Washington wildfires and most recently traveled to Guam – trips that could become harder to coordinate with differing requirements for each unit. The 141st unit works for the state and reports to the governor, unlike the 92nd unit, which deals with more entangling Pentagon statutes and receives federal rather than state funding. The shared aircraft might mean the governor will not have access to the airplanes when the state needs them, or it might require renegotiation to use them for certain missions.

Bulkley admitted they aren't certain how to handle these issues yet. "That's where the nuances fit in, but we need to make sure we work under the same framework," he said. "Otherwise it's a shame to the U.S."

For some in the 900-member unit who baby their planes like 1957 Chevys, Saturday's formation flight had more to do with emotional attachment than legal concerns.

"You know your airplane like you know your car," said Senior Master Sgt. Paul Beuter, pointing out the plane he used to repair as it lined up for the farewell flight. "To lose them is very disappointing. To share them, it's just like lending your car to someone."

The crews' close connection to the aircraft has much to do with the unit's significant history. The 141st started out in 1924 as the 116th Air Observation Squadron when Spokane trumped Seattle and Tacoma to obtain the region's air guard unit. The town raised the necessary $10,000 asked by the visiting state's adjutant general before he even left town. The 116th was the first Washington Guard unit reactivated after World War II, was sent into the Korean War and also to England to bolster NATO forces in Europe. It jumped from Felts to Geiger Airfield before settling at Fairchild and combining with another squadron to become the 141st Air Refueling Wing in the mid 1970s.

"In the guard you take ownership," said 141st Maintenance Commander Lt. Col. Hal Westbrook, as he stood in front of a looming grey KC-135. "Now we are turning that pride in ownership into pride in workmanship. We feel a good deal of pride in sending the finest planes, and we don't blame (the Iowa Air National Guard) for this." These refueling planes will replace expiring ones at the Iowa base.

Westbrook hopes the unit will maintain the same dedication with the shared planes and pass on these skills to the active duty unit, many of whom are much younger and less accustomed to working on a specific plane.

The small group on the runway Saturday grew quiet as the planes darted overhead and began their final descent with booms extended. Operations Group Commander Lt. Col Mark Bahosh squinted into the sun and nodded his head knowingly. "It's not the Thunderbirds but it's still cool," he said.

For all the formality of military events, Bulkley drew a slow grin as he walked away from the planes which would never again fly together in Spokane. "I'm proud," he said. "Extremely proud."