New mission plan for Battle Creek ANG

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - Michigan's top military man shared his battle plan with the troops Friday morning.

Despite past mission changes, Guard members thought their future was secure.

Even though they knew they would lose their current mission, the C-21 aircraft on the tarmac at the W.K. Kellogg Airport, they had another one lined up -- the C-27 cargo plane.

Then the budget came out. Last week the U.S. Air Force said it plans to retire nearly 300 aircraft, including the C-27s. That cut could cost the base 85 part-time and 26 full time personnel.

On Friday the state's director of Military and Veterans Affairs told airmen in Battle Creek what he has been telling the people who control the purse strings in Washington, D.C. -- not only is their mission important but it's also cost effective.

So if it's not about the numbers, what's driving the decision?

"It's almost like, well, here we go again. And it's more about the, I hate to say, the politics of the issues. But it is because the business model doesn't drive you there," said Major General Gregory Vadnais.

Along with the more than 100 members of the military, there are another 260 civilians that work on the base, from nurses to firefighters, who could lose their jobs.

"I have asked the Air Force to provide more information on the justification for its proposed changes, and intend to explore this issue when Air Force officials appear before the Armed Services Committee," said Sen. Carl Levin in a statement regarding the Battle Creek ANG base. "On the positive side, the new mission for Battle Creek is vital to our nation's future defense, with potential for growth as the importance of unmanned aircraft continues to increase. On the other hand, I am concerned about potential personnel reductions, which is why I have written to the Air Force to ask for more details on their proposal and to encourage the service to mitigate any potential personnel reductions."