KTVB - Full Story
BOISE -- The Idaho Air National Guard is honoring two Treasure Valley cities with special nose art on two of its airplanes.
At Gowen Field Friday afternoon, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter helped unveil the "Pride of Boise" artwork on an A-10 Thunderbolt Two.
And Mayor Tammy de Weerd stood underneath the "Pride of Meridian."
"I couldn't wipe my smile off my face if I wanted to," she said. "We have a host of guard members that live and serve in our community, both in our businesses, certainly for the city of Meridian. We're very proud of 'em."
Boise and Meridian are just the first of several Idaho communities that the Air Guard is honoring in this way.
"We all have ties, whether it's employees or relatives or friends, and it's a very important time for all of us to step forward and do what we can to keep a flying mission at Gowen Field," said Bieter.
Bieter says he and supporters of the "Gowen Strong" campaign are doing everything they can to keep that mission here, and says he knows the effort will be a success if federal officials take an objective look.
"An independent study commissioned by Congress singled out Gowen as an Air Guard base that should get more activity," said Bieter. "And then the F-35 process - the very competitive process - we made a very short list to receive the F-35. So we know if they look at it objectively, we'll win."
Concerns about the future of Gowen Field rose after the Air Force indicated that it plans to retire the A-10, but it is sticking around for at least a couple more years.
BOISE -- The Idaho Air National Guard is honoring two Treasure Valley cities with special nose art on two of its airplanes.
At Gowen Field Friday afternoon, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter helped unveil the "Pride of Boise" artwork on an A-10 Thunderbolt Two.
And Mayor Tammy de Weerd stood underneath the "Pride of Meridian."
"I couldn't wipe my smile off my face if I wanted to," she said. "We have a host of guard members that live and serve in our community, both in our businesses, certainly for the city of Meridian. We're very proud of 'em."
Boise and Meridian are just the first of several Idaho communities that the Air Guard is honoring in this way.
"We all have ties, whether it's employees or relatives or friends, and it's a very important time for all of us to step forward and do what we can to keep a flying mission at Gowen Field," said Bieter.
Bieter says he and supporters of the "Gowen Strong" campaign are doing everything they can to keep that mission here, and says he knows the effort will be a success if federal officials take an objective look.
"An independent study commissioned by Congress singled out Gowen as an Air Guard base that should get more activity," said Bieter. "And then the F-35 process - the very competitive process - we made a very short list to receive the F-35. So we know if they look at it objectively, we'll win."
Concerns about the future of Gowen Field rose after the Air Force indicated that it plans to retire the A-10, but it is sticking around for at least a couple more years.
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