RENO, Nev. –
Editor's note: The following column written by Col. Catherine Grush, commander, 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, ran in the Reno Gazette Journal on May 6. For a link to that story, click here.
The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, provides a high-caliber military unit here in Reno with a history dating back to 1948. The High Rollers — starting with P-51 fighters in the late-1940s to reconnaissance with F-101 and F-4 jets (1965-1995) and eventually cargo and transport with C-130 Hercules (1995-present) — represent a long-standing institution here in the Biggest Little City.
Understandably, the National Guard Bureau’s decision last week to award an upgraded C-130J model fleet to the 153rd Airlift Wing in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and not Reno, left many in the High Roller family frustrated by a decision not reflective of the historical performance of the Nevada Air National Guard.
We are thrilled for those we serve alongside in the Wyoming Air National Guard, who are set to begin receiving their C-130J models in 2028. The 153rd and the 152nd make up half the airlift wings in the four-unit Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) team as a federal surge capacity supporting the U.S. Forest Service for large-scale, wildland fires nationwide. Last week, the High Rollers trained in Channel Islands, California, with the other three airlift wings for our annual spring training in preparation for the upcoming fire season.
It is unfortunate that the National Guard Bureau’s decision was inevitably going to leave one MAFFS Guard unit without upgraded C-130s. This Wing’s strategically advantageous location in the foothills of the Sierra near some of the nation’s largest wildland fires has proved key to the speed of our response and logistics effectiveness.
Make no mistake about it: High Rollers will continue to excel and execute any activation call from the state or federal government. However, I am concerned what this means for the future of our one-wing state in Nevada. Without upgrades, Nevada will continue to remain at risk for future basing decisions, just as we were in 2005 when the Base Realignment and Closure Act was implemented by the Defense Department. The Nevada Air National Guard survived those cuts and a decade later entered a critical firefighting mission — all while it continued to answer the call for overseas deployment cycles. We must remain steadfast with our community partners as we continue to reason why an upgraded fleet is necessary for the future of Reno’s most visible military presence.
I am also concerned, particularly as a Nevadan, how future decisions may impact the Nevada Air National Guard and our community. The Nevada Air National Guard employs more than 1,200 full-time federal workers — whether civilian or uniformed — which includes the total number of drill status Guardsmen who juggle full-time civilian employment along with their part-time military duties. A recent study by the University of Nevada, Reno estimated that annual financial impact for our community at more than $123 million. But it’s much more than a financial impact. For more than 75 years, the Nevada Air National Guard has embodied our community with so many of us serving across the state, our nation and globally.
Nevada Air National Guard leadership will never stop working to support our members, our community, our state and nation with an eye toward the future. While we are pleased for our friends in Wyoming, we will continue to fight for resources and relevancy in the 21st century. This setback does not change that fact. We stand steadfast to answer our state and nation’s call and ensure the well-being of our community and fellow Nevadans as the High Rollers.