The Air National Guard. Past, Present, and Future Prospects
Abstract
Smsgt Robert Myco crawls under the A-10 at the end of the foreign run-way, carefully performing a last-minute inspection. He looks for cuts in the tires, gas or oil leaks, and exterior panels that have not been properly secured. Weapons personnel remove safety devices from the aircraft's missiles, and the pilot is ready to launch. Myco signals thumbs-up and salutes as the A-10 taxies to the runway. A very long day later and 6,000 miles to the west, Myco wanders through the familiar base hangar where he has worked for 40 years. Glancing at his watch--it is 3:30 A.M. local time--Myco realizes that he only has a few hours before he has to be ready for work. The West field, Massachusetts, school system is introducing its new superintendent. As a high school guidance counselor, Myco cannot afford to be late. Like other members of the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard (ANG), Bob Myco had just spent part of his summer vacation launching aircraft from Aviano Air Base, Italy, on peacekeeping and combat missions over Bosnia during Operations Deny Flight and Deliberate Force. His unit had deployed to Italy between 8 August and 14 October 1995. Myco's experience is becoming increasingly common for the men and women of the ANG. Throughout most of its history, America has relied on its citizen-soldiers. Due to large military cutbacks following the cold war's end and continuing responsibilities as a global superpower, the US is once again placing greater reliance on citizen-soldiers like Myco. His recent experience provides an opportunity to examine the Guard's current roles, history, and future plans as the Air Force and the ANG celebrate their 50th anniversary together. Guardsmen have a unique dual state-federal status grounded in the Constitution and America's system of divided political power between the states and the federal government.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA529789
Entities
People
- Charles J. Gross
Organizations
- Air University