St. Paul’s Fire Department Closes

The Minnesota Air National Guard’s 133rd Airlift Wing in St. Paul closed its fire department, ending its 42 years of operations. During the closing ceremony, wing officials honored the department’s firefighters past and present, according to an Oct. 18 wing release. The decision to close the fire department came as a result of Defense Department reductions caused by budget cuts, states the release. Many of the fire department’s 27 airmen moved on to new occupations within the wing, which operates C-130s. Some transferred to other Air Guard fire departments. “You’ve already had the best job in the Air Force. Now you are moving on to exciting new opportunities,” said SMSgt. Tom McDonough, the wing’s fire chief, during the late September farewell ceremony. (St. Paul report by MSgt. Mark Legvold)