Military

Ft Wayne IAP (ANG)

The 122nd Fighter Wing (FW) of the Indiana Air National Guard occupies 166 acres of leased land on the Fort Wayne International Airport (IAP), located approximately three miles south of downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. The mission of the 122nd FW is to achieve and maintain the level of operational readiness that will provide trained and equipped combat-ready tactical units, capable of global deployment, ready for immediate integration into the active Air Force to assure air offense, air defense, or joint action with ground forces. The unit currently flies the F-16 Falcon. The 122 FW occupies five administrative, and 30 industrial buildings totaling approximately 423,000 square feet with 287 full-time personnel. A unit training drill is conducted twice a month and results in a surge of up to a total of 974 personnel.

There are currently three funded projects that will affect the base in the future. The first is a project entitled "Replace Fuel Cell and Corrosion Control Facility" which had a planned start date of October 2001. The second is a project entitled "Repair of Base Roads": realignment and construction of 4350 LF roadway including a new main entrance, planned bid date was 2001 with construction in 2002. The third is entitled "Construction of New Dining Facility/Medical Training Facility" which is ongoing with completion scheduled for September 2002.

The airport now known as Fort Wayne International Airport was originally named "Baer Field" as a World War II military base. The total cost of the airport in 1941 was $10 million. During World War II more than 100,000 military personnel served at the airport. The military base was made up of more than 100 buildings.

Following the war, the federal government sold the airport to the city of Fort Wayne for one dollar. Many buildings were torn down to allow for parking lot expansion. The City renamed the airport "Fort Wayne Municipal Airport" in 1946. The Airport Authority changed the name again in 1991 to its current name of Fort Wayne International Airport. The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority was created in 1985 by a law adopted by the Indiana General Assembly in Indianapolis. Community leaders wanted to create a governing body to operate the airport under higher industry standards while devoting energy into making the airport less dependent on tax dollars.

The Airport Authority's objective is to provide safe, efficient, economically self-sustaining air transportation facilities responsive to community and user needs. Since its creation, more than $90 million has been invested in improvements to Fort Wayne International Airport. Airport officials have actively pursued federal funding that has allowed the Airport Authority to rebuild infrastructure.

The Air Trade Center at Fort Wayne International Airport offers 450 acres of master-planned industrial space. Ten (10) T-hangars are available at the Fort Wayne International Airport for small single or light twin engine aircraft. Typical size of a T-hangar is 44 feet wide and 38 feet deep with 14' foot high door clearance. Currently all T-Hangars are occupied.

BRAC 2005

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Capital Airport Air Guard Station, IL. It would distribute the 183d Fighter Wing's F-16s to the 122d Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne International Airport Air Guard Station, IN, (15 aircraft). As a result, the 122d Fighter Wing's F-16s (15 aircraft) would retire. DoD also recommended to realign Hulman Regional Airport Air Guard Station, IN. The 181st Fighter Wing's F-16s would be distributed to the 122d Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne International Airport Air Guard Station, IN (nine aircraft), and retirement (six aircraft). In the same recommendation, DoD recommended to realign Fort Wayne Air Guard Station, IN; and Lackland Air Force Base, TX; by relocating its baselevel F-110 intermediate maintenance, along with similar equipment from 4 other installations to Capital, establishing a Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) at Capital for F110 engines. Capital (115) and Hulman (119) were both ranked low in military value by the fighter MCI. Although somewhat lower (130) the ANG recommended Fort Wayne be retained because of its record of recruiting and its proximity to Hulman--allowing the experienced airmen there to remain available to the Indiana ANG. Assuming no economic recovery, this recommendation could result in a maximum potential reduction of 232 jobs (136 direct jobs and 96 indirect jobs) over the 2006-2011 period in the Terre Haute, IN, Metropolitan Statistical economic area (0.3 percent).