Ribbon Cutting

Senior leaders from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and the Kansas-City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cut the ribbon Nov. 7 on a new operations building constructed for the 303rd Fighter Squadron, part of the 442nd Fighter Wing, based at Whiteman. The $8.4 million facility was recently finished and will house not only the A-10 pilots in the 303rd FS but also functions such as life support, intelligence, operations support and everything associated with operating the squadron's 27 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The squadron has a history dating back to 1943 and more recently has deployed four times to Iraq and Afghanistan. The A-10 provides close-air support to combat ground forces. The Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the design and construction of the building, which took two years to complete. From left to right are: Chief Master Sgt. Allan Sturges, 442nd Fighter Wing command chief; Col James Mackey, 442nd FW vice commander; Maj Gen Frank Padilla, commander of 10th Air Force; Mr. Jess Kellock, president of the Whiteman Base Community Council; Col Mark Clemons, 442nd FW commander; Lt Col Stephen Chappel, 303rd FS director of operations; Lt Col Brian Borgen, 303rd FS commander; Brig Gen Robert Wheeler, 509th Bomb Wing commander; Mr. James Rudy, engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers; and Lt Col Mike Fitzgerald, deputy commander of the Army Corps' Kansas-City District. The 442nd is an Air Force Reserve unit based at Whiteman. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kent Kagarise)