A Valdosta, Georgia, newspaper is reporting that Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma now may be competing for a new mission with just one other base instead of two.
The Air Force is considering Arnold for Common Battlefield Airmen Training, a new mission that would give airmen a 25-day crash course in weapons and field operations.
Arnold was competing with Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and Barksdale in Louisiana. But the Valdosta Daily Times – using several high ranking Air Force officials as sources – reports that Moody is out of the running.
A recommendation is expected to come from the Air Force before years end. Along with the mission comes 14-thousand airmen visiting per year as well as 800 jobs. Communities surrounding Arnold have welcomed the mission for its potential economic benefits.