BRAC Live

1:10 pm --The BRAC folks just took a short break and when hey get back they will be discussing the various Air National Guard base closings/realignments including the fate of the 183rd.

1:20 pm -- They're back.

2:30 pm -- St. Louis just lost the F-15s of the 131st Fighter Wing.

2:34 pm -- They are making recommendations in order of aircraft type. They just started with F-16s so that means us. However, they are starting with Air Force Reserve units before going to Air National Guard units so it will be a few minutes before the 183rd is on the block.

2:42 pm -- They are taking a ten-minute recess and when they come back it's the Air National Guard F-16s. It's show time.

2:50 pm -- Note this from CNN:

"As the commission began debating a huge shakeup of the Air National Guard, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled that the Pentagon lacks the authority to close a Pennsylvania Air National Guard unit without the governor's approval. The ruling declared the decision to close that state's unit "null and void." It wasn't immediately clear what impact that would have on the commission's deliberations."

This could be important because Illinois has also said that the federal government lacks such authority and has filed a suit of its own.

2:55 pm -- The ten-minute break is taking a little longer than advertised.

3:04 pm -- They're back again.

3:07 pm -- Crap, they are recessing until 6:00 pm our time to go over, in private, some technical issues regarding Air Guard units. (Note: I originally said 8:00 pm our time but it's 6:00 pm. I'll learn my times zones before retirement age, I promise. They are out for a three hour recess, I'll put it that way.)

3:18 pm -- I'll start a new thread at 6:00. Or you can just watch C-SPAN-2 you daytime cubicle dwellers.