A pair of F-15 Eagles come in for a touch-and-go at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield in May 2023. (Don Treeger, The Republican/TNS)
WESTFIELD, Mass. (Tribune News Service) — Pilots of the 104th Fighter Wing will be conducting night training flights from Jan. 15-19.
Night training maneuvers allow pilots based at Barnes Air National Guard Base to stay current with mandatory Air Force requirements as a part of their overall readiness training. The pilots will be training on both critical homeland defense and overseas wartime aviation skills.
The Westfield-based 104th Fighter Wing is assigned F-15C Eagle Aircraft. The 104th is trained to provide 24/7 aerospace control, providing armed F-15 fighters ready to scramble in a moment’s notice to protect the Northeastern U.S. from any airborne threat. That’s security for one-quarter of the nation’s population and over one-third of the gross domestic product.
The 104th is always on call for emergency response to include security, logistics, communications, explosive ordnance disposal, firefighting, and medical support to the nation and Massachusetts.
Last year, the Pentagon announced that the 104th will get the new F-35 fighters, a years-long process that will secure the base’s future for a generation.
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