Governor announces site for Predator remote piloted vehicle
CAMP MABRY, Texas (Aug. 17, 2005) – Governor Rick Perry, in a news conference at Ellington Field in Houston, approved the recommendation presented by a panel of senior aviation and support officers and the Adjutant General of Texas naming Ellington Field Air National Guard Base the home for the new Predator squadron. The panel looked at every military installation in Texas and then ranked each potential site according to several demanding criteria that included airspace and range access, weather, existing facilities, robust communications access, and recruiting population base.
When the assignment of Predator units to the National Guard was first announced in December 2004, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wood, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, said: “The Air Force has always viewed our three components -- the active duty, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve -- as equal partners. We have taken great pride in our seamless integration and expeditionary operations and feel the time is right to try this integration at home.”