MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Selfridge Air National Guard Base is a joint operations base with every branch of the military except for the U.S. Space Force. It’s also home to the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and more.
It’s operated by the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard. Because of the aging fleet at the air base, the base’s future is uncertain -- Not whether or not the base will exist, but what it will be doing and how big it will be.
The good news is that in early 2024, the Air Force announced Selfridge would get 12 new state-of-the-art KC-46A refueling tankers to replace the KC-135s that are being retired. However, there is a problem. The A-10 fighter is also being retired and there’s no replacement slated for Selfridge, leaving many on the base concerned about the size and scope of what happens.
Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, with the Michigan National Guard, is leading the fight to replace the A-10s -- along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.
“It’s about the future of a community, the economy and of our homeland security,” Whitmer said. “Selfridge is a unique base. These tankers are a great victory for us, but the work is not over.”
That work is the fight to replace the A-10s. Without a fighting mission, personnel will be cut and the economy will take a hit.
“If we don’t get a replacement mission for the A-10s, we will lose 368 positions for personnel, and 174 of them approximately are full-time positions,” Rogers said. “That constitutes about a $10 million economic impact to the local community.”
“There’s about $850 million in annual statewide impact from this base,” Whitmer said. “30,000 full-time civilian employees that are employed because of this space. I mean, these are just two quick, but compelling stats about why we’re we’re putting so much effort into making sure that we got these tankers that we get a fighting mission and that we get additional investment in this space.”
As a border state, there’s also a discussion about Selfridge’s role in national security.
“The geography play puts Selfridge in a very key place. So one where it is in the country, particularly up in the northern part,” Peters said. “And as we look at the Pacific Theater, once again, becoming an area of great concern, one way to get to the Pacific quickly is over the Arctic. The fact that we are a northern base, with routes across the Arctic actually can get aircraft and much quicker over that route, but it’s also a potential vulnerability to the United States. Homeland as well over the Arctic, which is why this base is important.”
It’s important, but expensive too. Because of the operating costs, the Air Force has thoughts on reducing the footprint of Selfridge -- or at least how much of it they own. Rogers said the Air Force has planned to take the air base from two flying missions to one and has debated partnering with commercial entities in an effort to reduce costs.
“They look at Selfridge and they look at the cost of Selfridge and they always look for reasons to cut our budget,” Rogers said.
For several years, a bipartisan delegation has been lobbying decision-makers to market and sell Selfridge.
“Well, I mean, it’s really simple. You go through what what the cost is, what the expertise is, what all the assets are that are related here and Michigan doesn’t just stack up on paper, we’re the best place to be,” Whitmer said. “And that’s not just the spin of the Michigan Governor that you would expect. It is, I think, very persuasive when you actually sit down and look at it.”
Part of their case is a big selling point for Selfridge -- new infrastructure. Whitmer has pledged $100 million in improvements.
“We’ve got so much industry that has spun off from Selfridge. We’ve got so many talented people that their mission here is around these fighters and so ensuring that this is a base that is competitive on every analysis is important,” Whitmer said. “And that’s why we’ve got to continue to make sure that we’ve got cutting edge from the runway to a hangar to everything else that’s necessary as we want to compete for this future fighter mission.”
Something else on the horizon is the changing face of warfare. Peters believes new technology could bring new opportunities.
“I’m always reminded of a quote that Wayne Gretzky had that I think speaks volumes about how we should think about Selfridge. They asked Wayne, ‘Why are you such a great hockey player?’ And he said, ‘Well, I never skate to where the puck is. I always skate to where the puck is going.’ That’s where we have to be, where the puck is going,” Peters said. “And one of those areas is color I’ve heard of combat aircraft, which are uncrewed aircraft that work in conjunction with a combat fighter. Right now the Congress, so we’re looking at spending about $5.8 billion to construct 1,000 of those aircraft. Those 1000 aircraft are going to have to be based somewhere. Selfridge is a great place to base them.”
It’s a fight few of us knew was happening. It’s a fight to keep Selfridge on the right radar. It’s a fight for our national borders, jobs, the economy -- it’s a fight not yet lost.
“Yeah, they have a plan, but plans change in plans can change based on need. It’s an uphill battle. But it’s not a battle that’s lost,” Rogers said.