Boise Mayor David Bieter said he only had a few brief chances to speak to U.S. Air Force leaders about the fate of Gowen Field’s A-10 mission while in Montgomery, Ala. two weeks ago.

Nothing’s certain yet, Bieter said. But based on those conversations and others he’s had with people in and around the military, he came away with the impression that the Air Force could delay its move — scheduled for this year — to ground the 22 A-10s based at Gowen Field, the Idaho Air Guard base south of Boise, for a few years.

Mostly, Bieter was in Alabama to attend the annual National Security Forum at the Air Force’s Air War College. The three-day event, to which Bieter received a personal invitation from Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, briefed about 160 people from around the country on a variety of national security topics.

“We got a whole lot of context,” Bieter said. “We talked about Syria, Pakistan, Russia, China and parts of the Middle East. A CIA presenter talking only about the CIA.”

News broke early last year that the Air Force was planning to decommission the A-10, a 40-year-old design meant to support ground troops, over the next five years. One proposal was to move the Idaho Guard’s air fleet operations from Gowen Field to Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Another proposal was to keep the fleet in Boise and replace the A-10s with F-15Es, a high-speed jet designed in the 1970s that can hit air and ground targets, or F-35s, a cutting-edge, single-seat stealth fighter that can carry out a variety of missions, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, electronic attacks, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to Lockheed Martin, the plane’s manufacturer.

A move to the F-15 or F-35 is also uncertain, Bieter said.

Sven Berg: 377-6275; Twitter: @IDS_SvenBerg

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.

Mayor David H. Bieter this week will attend the annual National Security Forum at the Air Force Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Mayor Bieter accepted a personal invitation from the Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James, to attend the May 5-7 event, which provides an opportunity for civilian leaders, officers, and AWC students to engage on national and international security issues.

Mayor Bieter views this trip as an important opportunity to advocate for and further strengthen Boise’s relationship with the broader Air Force community. Such relationships will be essential as the Air Force discusses retiring its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolts, including those operated out of Boise’s Gowen Field by the Idaho Air National Guard.

“I look forward to updating Air Force and national security leaders on our community’s desire to see Gowen Field continue as an integral part of the Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force’s future,” Bieter said. “This forum will give me a great opportunity to discuss the broader national security picture and advocate for a long-term, stand-alone mission for Gowen Field if the A-10 is retired.”

Mayor Bieter’s trip comes on the heels of Secretary James’s February visit to Gowen Field. In addition to Secretary James, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III – who will be at the Forum – and Director of the Air National Guard Stanley Clarke have visited Gowen in the last year. These visits illustrate that the Air Force is taking its decisions about the Idaho Air National Guard and Gowen Field’s futures seriously.

Support for the A-10s remains steadfast in Congress, as demonstrated by the fact that the House Armed Services Committee’s proposed annual defense bill – passed by the Committee last week – fully funds the A-10 and includes a prohibition on the plane’s early retirement. For Gowen, such a retirement would move the Idaho Air National Guard to an association with F-15Es at Mountain Home Air Force Base – a significant blow to the Treasure Valley Economy. Mayor Bieter has worked closely with members of the Idaho congressional delegation to resist Air Force plans to roll back Gowen Field’s role in national security.

At the local level, the Treasure Valley has been active in showing its support for Gowen and the A-10s that call it home. Mayor Bieter joined with community leaders to create Gowen Strong, which is advocating for a long-term flying mission for the brave men and women of the Idaho Air National Guard at Gowen Field, including, possibly, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

“I continue to strongly believe that a robust Gowen will be vital to the future of the Air Force as it seeks to modernize and innovate,” Mayor Bieter said. “I am confident the people of Boise are with me on this, and I will continue to advocate for Gowen and Boise to military and congressional leaders, including those attending this week’s forum at the Air War College.”