Photo By Tech. Sgt. Chelsea Smith | A new state-of-the-art Quickrange live-fire space opened to Airmen of the 125th...... read more read more
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JACKSONVILLE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Fla. – The 125th Fighter Wing will officially open two new mission-critical facilities during back-to-back ribbon cutting ceremonies Jan. 29, 2021, at 9 a.m., marking a major step forward in the wing’s infrastructure modernization efforts.
The ceremony will celebrate the completion of a new fire station and a small arms indoor firing range, two long-anticipated projects that will improve emergency response capabilities, increase training capacity and enhance overall mission readiness.
The new fire station, a $10 million, 17,340-square-foot facility, replaces temporary accommodations that housed wing firefighters since 2001. The structure is the first permanent fire station for the unit in over 17 years, following the retirement of their previous building which was originally constructed in 1968.
“For the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, the 125th Fire Department will be stationed on the flight line with all of our apparatus parked inside,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. David Franklin, interim fire chief for the 125th Fighter Wing. “Our new fire station will greatly improve our response times to the airfield and flight line from the previous location across the base.”
Positioned closer to aircraft operations, the new station will enable faster emergency response times and help ensure the wing’s ability to protect multimillion-dollar fighter aircraft and the personnel who support them. The project aligns with one of the Air Force’s main focuses: modernizing facilities to support agile combat employment and dynamic force projection.
Also opening concurrently is a new $8.8 million, 7,200-square-foot indoor firing range. The 12-lane range will allow 125th Fighter Wing airmen and personnel from geographically separated units to complete small arms qualifications and sustainment training year-round without the need to travel to external ranges.
“This range reduces the logistics it takes to conduct small arms qualifications for fighter wing personnel at off-site locations,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Davis, 125th Fighter Wing security forces manager. “This improves the mission readiness for all tasks assigned to our installation and contributes to the ‘Thunder’s’ boom!”
The firing range’s opening will relieve training bottlenecks at overused facilities throughout Florida and bolster readiness for contingency response and homeland defense missions. The project is also a reflection of the wing’s continued investment in warfighter lethality and self-sufficiency.
The facility openings come on the heels of a proclamation by Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who declared Jan. 25 as 125th Fighter Wing Day, recognizing the wing’s longstanding service to the city, state and nation. Together, the new buildings stand as a testament to the wing’s commitment to mission excellence, strategic growth and the enduring partnership between the Florida Air National Guard and the community it serves.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2021 08:44 |
| Story ID: | 387699 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | CAMP BLANDING, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 496 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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