Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, Air National Guard director, was in California to herald the establishment of March Air Reserve Base as the “centerpiece” for ANG’s evolution into Predator unmanned aerial vehicle operations. At a dedication ceremony Tuesday, McKinley said that ANG personnel from other states destined to pick up a Predator mission will come to March to “learn tactics, techniques, procedures, and how to maintain [the UAVs],” reports the Riverside Press-Enterprise. The 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, formerly the 163rd Air Refueling Wing, at March is the first ANG unit to employ the Predator. Its airmen have been training with active duty Predator units at Creech AFB, Nev.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.