New York Air National Guard Opens New MQ-9 Hanger at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield

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The new 174th Attack Wing Launch and Recovery Facility at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield.

FORT DRUM, NY (11/04/2013)(readMedia)-- The New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing will officially open its new $5.1 million MQ-9 hangar at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield here on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

WHO: Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York; Major General Verle Johnston, commander of the New York Air National Guard; and Col. Greg Semmel, commander of the 174th Attack Wing.

WHAT: Ribbon cutting ceremony with short remarks by the participants.

WHEN: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013

.WHERE: Wheeler Sack Army Air Field. Members of the press meet at the Fort Drum Media Operations Center on Route 26 to be escorted to the facility by Major Jeff Brown

Coverage Opportunities:

An MQ-9 Reaper aircraft will be available for still and video photography along with supporting equipment. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place outside and the 174th Attack Wing Honor Guard will be part of the ceremony. Ribbon cutting participants will make remarks and be available for interviews.

BACKGROUND

MQ-9 Launch and Recovery Hanger Facility

The $5,194,860 facility took nine months to build and will house two MQ-9 aircraft within 12,000 square feet of storage space.

The 174th Attack Wing currently operates in a temporary hangar and space allocated from the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade that does not allow enough hangar space to shelter all aircraft needed for flying ops and conduct routine maintenance on the aircraft.

The 174th Attack Wing uses the runways at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield to launch aircraft which are used to train MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators from the Active Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

The new hanger is the first step in a series of Air National Guard building projects planned for Wheeler Sack Army Airfield. The wing plans on building a second hangar in the coming year to support launch and recovery operations which will allow the 174th to move completely out of the Army facilities.

The newly constructed hangar incorporates green technology to reduce energy use. This includes in floor hearing, translucent panels to bring in natural light, a solar hot water heater and solar collector panels built into the walls which allow the sun to help heat the building.

"This new hangar directly impacts the 174th Attack Wing's capability to execute daily flying operations from Ft Drum in support of the Air Combat Command's MQ-9 training syllabus, and directly impacts our ability to supply combat ready aircrew to the combatant commanders in support of worldwide operations," said Col. Greg Semmel the commander of the 174th Attack Wing.

174th ATTACK WING

Based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse the 174th Attack Wing operates the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. Airmen from the wing train MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators for the Active Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum, and Hancock Field. They also train MQ-9 maintainers at the Field Training Detachment at Hancock Field.

The 174th Attack Wing's personnel also operate MQ-9 aircraft around the world from a command and control center at the base, and also deploy around the world as part of Air Force Air Expeditionary Wings.

Members of the 174th Attack Wing also respond to state emergencies and other state domestic operations missions when called upon and maintain high-tech communications and command and control equipment that can be called upon by the governor of New York when required.