I think I am the kiss of death. Every base I’ve ever been is now closed!!!

Staff report

Posted : Wednesday Jan 31, 2007 13:41:17 EST

Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage, Alaska will close, but its airmen and aircraft won’t be moving far.

The Air Force announced Tuesday that Kulis’ 176th Wing is packing up its hangars and offices, currently located at Anchorage’s civilian airport, and moving five miles to Elmendorf Air Force Base, home to the active-duty 3rd Wing.

A detailed timeline for the move is being worked out, but the switch should be carried out by late 2011.

Once the move is complete, the Guard’s old facilities at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will be turned over to local government agencies.

The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended the move, but the commission gave the Air Force an option of keeping Kulis open if money wasn’t available to build new facilities for the 176th at Elmendorf. The construction bill is predicted to total about $150 million.

Moving with the 176th’s airmen will be a dozen C-130H Hercules, three HC-130P tankers and five HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. The 176th’s primary flying missions are airlift and search and rescue.

As part of a wider integration of the 176th and 3rd wings at Elmendorf, active-duty C-130 crews will get flying time on Guard-owned C-130Hs and Guard pilots will fly C-17s owned by the 3rd.