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Senate OKs Michigan air wing
Selfridge has good chance of being named as home base for new unit.
PUBLISHED: July 15, 2006
By Stephen Bitsoli
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Michigan came one step closer to establishing a military air wing to guard the nation's northern border when the Senate approved an amendment by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin to a Homeland Security appropriations bill. The bill would allocate $12 million for the proposed new air wing, and now goes back to the House for conference resolution.
In August 2004, the Department of Homeland Security called for the establishment of five air wings, one each in New York, Washington, North Dakota, Montana and Michigan, to improve security along the U.S.-Canadian border. Michigan's air wing is the only one of the five not established.
"The northern border air wings enhance law enforcement, surveillance and response capabilities along our northern border," Levin said in a news release. "Its location in southeast Michigan places it in close proximity to three of our nation's busiest border crossings, the Great Lakes and several major ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway. This site in Michigan will provide an additional layer of air and marine border security along a critical section of our northern border."
Yet to be determined is where the air wing will be established. The decision is up to the Department of Homeland Security, but Levin, D-Detroit, is on record as stating it should be at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.
Frank J. Forner, president of Selfridge's Base Community Council, agrees.
"We've been trying for some time to present our case to everybody," he said. "We feel we've got the best location. We're close to the border, (with easy) accessibility from Selfridge to the rest of the state and country. It would be the ideal situation."
Plans call for the air wing to be operational by October 2007. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Maybe they'll give us some F/A-22s.
Selfridge has good chance of being named as home base for new unit.
PUBLISHED: July 15, 2006
By Stephen Bitsoli
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Michigan came one step closer to establishing a military air wing to guard the nation's northern border when the Senate approved an amendment by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin to a Homeland Security appropriations bill. The bill would allocate $12 million for the proposed new air wing, and now goes back to the House for conference resolution.
In August 2004, the Department of Homeland Security called for the establishment of five air wings, one each in New York, Washington, North Dakota, Montana and Michigan, to improve security along the U.S.-Canadian border. Michigan's air wing is the only one of the five not established.
"The northern border air wings enhance law enforcement, surveillance and response capabilities along our northern border," Levin said in a news release. "Its location in southeast Michigan places it in close proximity to three of our nation's busiest border crossings, the Great Lakes and several major ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway. This site in Michigan will provide an additional layer of air and marine border security along a critical section of our northern border."
Yet to be determined is where the air wing will be established. The decision is up to the Department of Homeland Security, but Levin, D-Detroit, is on record as stating it should be at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.
Frank J. Forner, president of Selfridge's Base Community Council, agrees.
"We've been trying for some time to present our case to everybody," he said. "We feel we've got the best location. We're close to the border, (with easy) accessibility from Selfridge to the rest of the state and country. It would be the ideal situation."
Plans call for the air wing to be operational by October 2007. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Maybe they'll give us some F/A-22s.
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