WESTFIELD – The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard was scheduled to conduct early morning flights this morning. The pre-dawn missions launched from Barnes-Westfield Regional Airport in Westfield.
“We do not want to alarm the residents around the local area of Westfield who may be startled by the increase in aircraft activity during the morning hours,” said the 104th in as tatement released to the press Friday. “The pre-dawn flights are a critical part of our mission.
“With our 24/7 alert posture, our Airmen could respond to an airborne threat at any time protecting one quarter of the nation’s population and one third of the its Gross Domestic Product,” the statement went on to say. “We often do not have the luxury of advance notice, however, when we can prepare we will try to share as much information as we can. Thank you for your continued support.”
The 104th Fighter Wing is equipped with the F-15 Eagle. One mission of the 104th is Aerospace Control Alert (ACA), providing armed fighters ready to scramble in a moment’s notice to protect the Northeastfrom any airborne threat. The unit is responsible for protecting a quarter of the nation’s population and one third of the Gross Domestic Product.
