Military Notebook: 116th Air Control Wing opens new maintenance facility

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • macon telegraph
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.- --  The 116th Air Control Wing unveiled its new $5 million Avionics Maintenance Facility on Dec. 9.

The organization held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building that will serve as the only maintenance center for avionics of the E-8C jet flown by the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, according to a release. The 116th ACW operates J-STARS in conjunction with the 461st Air Control Wing.

The 116th is an Air National Guard unit, and the 461st is an active-duty unit.

The facility will also serve as the primary repair center for Edwards Test Center B-1B avionics.

"The guardsmen who will work at the new facility have an average of 19 years of experience," Maj. Robby Key, 116th Maintenance Squadron commander, said in the release. "This will bode well as we serve our internal customers and other stakeholders across the Air National Guard and Air Force."

An advantage of the building is that it is close to the flight lines, the release stated, which improves efficiency by reducing the transit time from the aircraft to the repair center.