Maryland will soon be the first branch of the Air National Guard in the country to not have a flying mission as it transitions to a focus on cyber security. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
Maryland will soon be the first branch of the Air National Guard in the country to not have a flying mission as it transitions to a focus on cyber security.
On Wednesday, divested the first of 21 combat jets, an A-10C Thunderbolt II, at Warfield Air National Guard Base in Middle River.
"We will be the only state in the union without a flying mission now," said retired Brigadier Gen. Edward “Chewy” Jones, the former commander of the Maryland Air National Guard.
In March 2024, the U.S. Air Force announced a plan for Maryland Air National to divest all of its A-10s this year and convert to a cyber wing.
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"While this divestment is part of an Air Force-wide modernization effort, we remain fully committed to fighting for a future flying mission in Maryland. Our Airmen deserve the opportunity to continue demonstrating their world-class skill in the air as well as in cyberspace," Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead said in a public statement.
"The A-10s are deployed right now," Jones said. "We support the troops on the ground. That's our primary mission."
The divestment of the remaining Maryland Air National Guard A-10s is expected to be complete by September.
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The jets will be sent to the "aircraft boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona, where hundreds of retired aircraft are sent for final maintenance procedures and display preparation.
Maryland leaders made an agreement with D.C. last year to take over the D.C. Air National Guard’s fighter jet squadron because they didn't want to be left without air support. Part of the deal was to give D.C. long-term control of the RFK stadium site.
But a spokesperson for the D.C. Air National Guard told News4 there has been no movement on that deal since it was announced.
Jones said the loss of the jets could mean that hundreds of people who work on the planes lose their jobs.
"When you have 21 aircraft, there's a support function of about 500 to 600 people that support those airplanes. And the unique skill set that those people bring to the table are just, are invaluable," he said. "If we go to a complete cyber wing, yeah, we're going to lose most of those kind of jobs."
Jones said removing the jets will affect Maryland's ability to respond to situations like natural disasters and pandemics.
