Peoria County's 182nd Airlift Wing Expands

When the 182nd Airlift Wing switched to the C-130 plane more than a decade ago - its squadron kept growing...and growing.

Commander Col.Robbie Robertson says, " We were running out of room. As the C-130 mission evolves - we add equipment. As the equipment gets added - we needed places to put it."

That place - is now reality. Saturday - the Air National Guard cut the ribbon a new 11 million dollar facility.

Lt. Col. Rick Wainman says, "Our guys have been waiting and waiting and waiting, and just being able to move in to it finally and jump right there - they're all really excited."

The new building will house the most essential C-130 operations, including training, flight planning, safety, and life support......at one time - that was all spread across the base.

Lt. Col. Wainman says, "The Guard can make due with whatever you give us. They give us a box out in the middle of the field - we can make due with that. That's what we kinda been doing since they went in to C-130s."

Now with it all in one building - the Guard hopes this makes operations run more efficiently.

Col. Robertson says, " We're able to maintenance them faster with our air crew survival equipment, and also, the crews come out a little bit better trained to fly them, because we're able to do more in mass training."

Lt. Col. Wainman adds , "It makes the guys feel like everything is in order. They come in- they know what to expect - it's all right there. When things work more efficiently like that - it just helps to get out the door and get the mission done."

A mission the guard's excited about as it looks to settle down in this new addition.