About this series:
Congress continues to stand in the way of the Air Force’s plan to retire the A-10 — the main flying mission based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. But at the same time, the Air Force has begun training on the plane’s intended replacement, the F-35. Tucson, so far, has been passed over as a base for the new fighter jet.
The Air Force also says it has excess real estate and wants Congress to endorse a process — possibly starting in 2017 — that would lead to base realignments and closures.
Against this backdrop, Arizona Daily Star reporters Sarah Garrecht Gassen and David Wichner have examined the future of Davis-Monthan. What do the community and local governments need to do to ensure that the Air Force sees long-term value in D-M? What are D-M’s assets and how might they fit into new or expanded missions?
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The Star’s reporting took us to Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada and California to see how other communities support and protect their bases.
