Residents near Selfridge Air National Guard Base noticed less air traffic this summer after approximately 350 Airmen assigned to the 127th Wing’s A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft mission deployed to an undisclosed location in late June.

In addition, a runway repair project that began in mid-July further impacted local flight operations locally, dispersing the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft mission to Detroit Metro Airport, Romulus, and Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport, Gwinn.

The 127th Air Refueling Group has cultivated partnerships with civilian airports around the state of Michigan over the past few years as they trained on specialized refueling missions.

The temporary relocation of the 127th ARG to other airports this summer has not impacted mission readiness, according to U.S. Air Force Col. Leah Voelker, 127th Air Refueling Group commander.

“Our mission is global reach and temporarily operating from dispersed locations affords us the opportunity to train as we fight, which enhances our mission capability. We are still flying, maintaining and training in aerial refueling for the Air Force, just in dispersed locations,” Voelker explained.

This dispersed training is similar to what the unit would experience in a deployed environment.

“This opportunity has allowed us to spend a few months really focusing on agile combat employment operations, improving our mission agility by demonstrating we can operate completely from different multiple locations,” he said.

The ongoing runway repair project at Selfridge involves a $9.8 million construction contract, awarded to Cadillac Asphalt, LLC, based in Canton, which is removing and replacing a nearly 20-acre area of existing asphalt at a depth of 6.25 inches, and completing structural repairs in three separate locations. The project is estimated to employ more than 100 construction workers over the duration.

After runway repairs are complete, the KC-135 will return to normal operations at Selfridge ANGB.

Comprised of approximately 1,500 personnel and flying both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, the 127th Wing supports both the Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command by providing highly skilled Airmen to missions domestically and overseas.

The 127th Wing is the host unit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which marks its 107th year of continuous military air operations in 2024.