FORT SMITH -- There is a lot of elbow room at the 188th Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard.
A-10 Warthog fighter/bombers are no longer roaring into and out of Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
But the quiet can be deceptive.
"This is a tremendous, important mission," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said. "You shouldn't undermine or denigrate or downplay the importance of that mission because you don't see something flying off this runway. That's not what it's about."
They are piloting planes from the Fort Smith base, but those planes -- MQ-9 Reapers -- could be anywhere in the world, doing surveillance work or firing missiles at enemy targets.
Wilson toured the base Monday with U.S. Sen. John Boozman and Rep. Steve Womack, both Arkansas Republicans. Then they spent about 10 minutes talking with reporters before leaving for Little Rock.
Wilson said the 188th is leading the way with its new mission, which involves remotely piloted aircraft, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
"It's a great example of a Guard unit that's embracing the future," she said. "The Air Force is more and more going to distributing operations and remotely piloted aircraft, what we call multi-domain operations, and this Guard unit is leading the way. If you think about what the future of the Air Force is, it looks a whole lot like Fort Smith."
Formerly the 188th Fighter Wing, the unit was re-designated in June 2014 as the 188th Wing and given its new mission. It took a few years to make the transition.
The 188th flew a series of different aircraft -- most recently the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog -- until it was stripped of its A-10s under the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.
Intelligence analysts work in the same building at the 188th as operators of remotely piloted aircraft.
When former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visited the base in December 2015, she touted that as unique because it would allow for quick analysis of data coming from the aircraft.
James said there is no other place where intelligence analysts will work in such close proximity to the operators of remotely piloted U.S. military aircraft, commonly known as drones.
Previously, intelligence analysts and remotely piloted aircraft operators communicated via something similar to a private computer chat room, and sometimes they were 500 miles apart.
Wilson thanked Boozman and Womack on Monday for supporting the omnibus spending bill that was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on Friday.
A federal budget mix-up sequestered spending and hurt the Air Force a few years ago, Wilson said.
"There is nothing that has done more damage to the United States Air Force than sequestering almost five years ago," she said. "If we had done that again, it would have frozen hiring. ... We would have had about a third of the United States Air Force sitting on a ramp, not flying for the rest of the year. It would have been devastating for us."
Wilson said the Air Force has lost about 30,000 people since that last sequester.
"So now they're trying to restore the readiness of the force," she said.
According to a news release from Boozman and Womack, Wilson began her day Monday in Bentonville, where she visited Walmart's headquarters to discuss the retailer's efforts to support veterans and military families.
While at the Fort Smith base, Wilson received a briefing and a tour of the facilities, then had lunch with airmen of the 188th Wing, according to the release. She later met with local business leaders of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Boozman said he served in the U.S. House with Wilson, a Republican who represented New Mexico's 1st Congressional District from 1998 to 2009.
"I am grateful that Secretary Wilson is spending a considerable amount of time in Arkansas to see how our state strengthens national security," said Boozman, who is co-chairman of the Senate Air Force Caucus. "As threats evolve and we ask more of our Air Force, the 188th Wing's future-focused mission will continue to be a critical component to defend our nation and its interests."
Womack said he was attending an event in Colorado Springs, Colo., when he invited Wilson to visit Arkansas.
"From meeting with local business leaders to touring the 188th Wing, the visit served as a chance to showcase the [3rd Congressional District's] focus on serving our nation's veterans and highlight the capability and importance of the 188th Wing to our military," Womack said.
Metro on 03/27/2018