An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 16, 2012

Air Guard units close chapters, begin anew

By Master Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa Florida National Guard Public Affairs

STARKE, Fla. - In the span of a few moments one Florida Air National Guard unit became part of the past, and another became the way of the future.

On April 12, the Florida Air Guard's Weather Readiness Training Center was inactivated as the 131st Training Flight was activated in its place.

A small afternoon ceremony at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center marked the transition – a transition that will increase the training unit's abilities and successes, said Florida Air Guard leadership.

The WRTC's mission was to train Air Force and Air National Guard weather personnel in combat meteorological tasks. The 131st Training Flight will continue to provide the same support, but the designation as a "numbered unit" will increase its effectiveness in the Air National Guard and help it better equip and train weather Airmen to go into combat zones.

"The unit will finally be its own numbered unit, and that's going to give the personnel in the unit the ability to be eligible for unit-level awards," said Air Force Maj. John Waltbilling, the 131st TF commander and former WRTC commandant. "And it gives us the command authority that our students deserve."

Currently, Air National Guard personnel from 42 states have trained at the WRTC, but Airmen from all 54 Air National Guard states and territories are eligible for the combat weather training.

Waltbilling said now under the 131st that also means the training program could expand into areas outside weather-related tasks and could include Battlefield Airman Skills, vehicle operations, AFTR training records, and other ancillary tasks.

"As the training missions continue to morph and evolve, the 131st Training Flight will continue to meet the needs of today's Air Force and the National Guard through the dedication and adherence to the Air Force core values exemplified by all its personnel," he said.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Air National Guard's 118th Airlift Wing recently converted to a new mission as well. Re-designated as the 118th Wing, the unit – which can trace its history back to World War I – retains a flying mission as the Air Education and Training Command's C-130 International Training Center.

"These new missions are a culmination of efforts by our elected officials, Tennessee governors, and the command and staff of the Tennessee National Guard," said Army Maj. Gen. Terry M. Haston, the adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard. "It truly benefits Tennessee for us to advance our volunteer tradition into the future of warfare with modern missions."

A formal mission announcement ceremony for the 118th Wing was held April 14 at Berry Air National Guard Base in Nashville, Tenn.

-The Tennessee National Guard also contributed to this story

"It's an honor to have the [Army] National Guard command sergeant major come here," said Army Spc. Michael Hilario, a member of ADT 4. "You have somebody of that rank and the stature that he holds in Washington…that speaks volumes to me. It lets us know that we're on the right track."

 

 

Related Articles
Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Berg, a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter pilot, assigned to A Company, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion, conducts flight operations over Southeast Alaska near Juneau, Jan. 24, 2025. The Juneau-based Black Hawk aircrew conducts their federal mission training requirements and, when available, can respond to emergency requests by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center or the State Emergency Operations Center.
Alaska Army National Guard Conducts Medevac Mission
By Dana Rosso, | June 5, 2025
JUNEAUA, Alaska – A UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to A Company, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion, transported a patient from Skagway to Juneau June 3, following a medical evacuation request from the Alaska...

U.S. Air National Guard civilian firefighters, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, pose in front of the fire truck that was the first on scene, South Burlington, VT, June 4, 2025. These firefighters provided the first fire truck on scene to a local fire.
Vermont Air Guard First on Scene of South Burlington Fire
By Airman Raymond LaChance, | June 4, 2025
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Doireann Chesbrough, a civilian firefighter for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, was sitting next to the radio in the dayroom of the station as the sun began to set over the Green...

Paratroopers from the Colorado National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces stand together before the first joint Colorado-Jordan airborne Friendship Jump, Watkins, Colorado, April 23, 2025. Members parachuted from a CH-47 Chinook as part of an event to strengthen interoperability and deepen the partnership between the two forces.
Airborne Operation Strengthens Colorado Guard, Jordan Partnership
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 4, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.The April 23...