by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)
The plaudits were frequent and magnanimous Friday (May 5) as political and business leaders met at the Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith to ceremonially mark the U.S. Air Force’s decision to locate a foreign military pilot training center on the base.
Ebbing, home to the 188th Wing in Fort Smith and co-located with the Fort Smith Regional Airport, was selected in March by the U.S. Air Force to be the long-term pilot training center supporting F-16 and F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Ebbing was selected over the Selfridge Air National Guard base north of Detroit.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the federal agency managing the FMS, notes that the program provides “responsible arms sales to further national security and foreign policy objectives by strengthening bilateral defense relations, supporting coalition building, and enhancing interoperability between U.S. forces and militaries of friends and allies.”
(from left) U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., Gov. Sarah Sanders, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, participate in a press conference Friday (May 5) at Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith.