Military Facilities
Concurrent with the closure of Imeson Airport, the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Group (125 FIG) of the Florida Air National Guard (FANG) relocated to Jacksonville International Airport. Military Construction (MILCON) funds provided for the establishment of Jacksonville Air National Guard Base in the southwest quadrant of the airport and placement of USAF-style emergency arresting gear on the JAX runways. Jacksonville ANGB is literally a small air force base, albeit without the military housing, military hospital or other infrastructure of major U.S. Air Force installations. The Air National Guard provides a fully equipped USAF Crash Fire Rescue station to augment the airport's own fire department for both on-airport structural fires and aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) purposes. The base employs approximately 300 full-time and 1,000 part-time military personnel.
The host unit at Jacksonville ANGB, now known as the 125th Fighter Wing (125 FW), is an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained organization that has historically been assigned fighters in the intercept and continental air defense mission for the region. Since establishing Jacksonville ANGB at the airport, the unit has operated F-102 Delta Daggers, F-106 Delta Darts, F-16 Fighting Falcons and now flies the F-15C and F-15D version of the F-15 Eagle. During the Cold War, at least two armed fighters were kept on quick-reaction alert at Jacksonville ANGB, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, their pilots able to get airborne within minutes. The 125 FW also maintains a 24/7 Air Superiority Alert posture with two F-15 aircraft under the wing's Detachment 1, Operating Location Alfa Alfa (OL-AA), at Homestead ARB in southern Florida in support of Operation Noble Eagle. In addition to its F-15 Eagles, the 125 FW also operates other support aircraft at Jacksonville ANGB, to include a single C-130H Hercules and RC-26 Metroliner in multiple air and ground support roles. In addition to its Alert Facility, the base also maintains a wide range of operational, maintenance, administrative and support facilities, to include a USAF Clinic (with a flight medicine facility) and separate military fuel farm and refueling vehicles for JP-8 fuel. Jacksonville ANGB also routinely hosts transient USAF aircraft and military aircraft from other services and components.
Read more about this topic: Jacksonville International Airport
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