Moses Lake hosts Fairchild airmen

MOSES LAKE - Several people filled the Grant County International Airport in November to send off airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base.

The airmen finished their temporary assignment in Moses Lake, which began in February.

The improvements made to the runway at Fairchild are complete, said Fairchild Col. Paul Guemmer.

He and Col. Rich Kelly accepted the runway from the contractor.

They started flight-testing the instrument approaches and landed aircraft on the new runway.

Guemmer leaves from Moses Lake and Kelly takes off from Spokane International Airport.

"I know we not only had the facility and the support, we also had huge community support behind us," Guemmer said.

In 2011, groups of 150 to 200 airmen stayed in Moses Lake from one to three weeks at a time. Many were separated from their families and returning from overseas deployments.

At the same time, Fairchild's higher headquarters didn't reduce tasking levels. Although working from Moses Lake, they supported operations in Japan, combat missions in Afghanistan and counterdrug operations in South America. They also deployed airmen to Guam and to operations in Libya and other parts of the Middle East.

Five airplanes and 130 personnel departed from Moses Lake earlier this year to support Libyan operations.

Three months ago, airmen were already at a "surge level" of 75 percent, which they hadn't been at since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Bill Perdue, of Sonico, a business located at the Port of Moses Lake, watched the young men and women work this summer at the airport.

Their work ethic and good manners really stood out, he said.

Perdue thanked them for the service they provide to the country.

Larry Godden, of Million Air Moses Lake, said the company is proud to be part of this operation.

In 1982, Fairchild had 20 tankers and 10 B-52s stationed in Grant County. This longer stint gave Million Air a chance to make some good friendships.

Port of Moses Lake Commission President Kent Jones said they looked at the KC-135s flying in their airspace a lot differently now because of the personal connections made.

Nancy Stout, of Moses Lake, said the community had open arms for the airmen.

"They've been really happy to have them here," she said. "I just think it's had a really positive effect for the community all the way around. It will be sad to see them go."