The Base Realignment and Closure Commission decided last week to close the 440th Airlift Wing at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. The U.S. Department of Defense recommended the base close as part of a nationwide plan to streamline military structures and reduce excess resources, and the BRAC Commission agreed in a vote to shut down the Air Force Reserve base.

The 440th, known as the “Flying Badgers,” has been in Milwaukee since the late 1950s. “It is pretty disappointing news for everybody here,” said 440th spokesman Dennis Mehring. “We have been a valuable asset to the military and the nation for quite a few years. We have the best crews, maintenance people and employees in the nation.”

The resolution to close the base came after a long bipartisan fight between several state and U.S. legislators and politicians to save the 440th.

Luke Punzenberger, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, said the decision is frustrating, especially after efforts to keep the base open, and added that the base’s closing will be a loss for the military.

“Whether it was Honduras, Haiti, Kosovo or Kuwait, the ‘Flying Badgers’ have played a critical role in the success of several historic military missions and proven themselves a vital component of our armed forces,” Punzenberger said.

The 440th Airlift Wing houses eight C-130H Hercules transport planes and over 1,400 full and part-time reservists and civilian employees, 380 of whom are full-time civilian workers.

“We fly people, equipment and supplies to the forward edge of battle areas in places like Iraq,” Mehring said.

The 440th has been flying missions for Operation: Iraqi Freedom and currently has one plane in use overseas that is scheduled to return in mid-September.

While many of the full-time workers will be transferred, Mehring said the part-time workers’ future has not yet been determined.

“The official plan hasn’t been completed at this time,” Mehring said, “so we really don’t know for sure where our people or planes will be going.”

The closing will have an economic impact on Milwaukee and the state of more than $90 million per year, according to Mehring.

While the 440th awaits detailed information regarding the closing, the City of Milwaukee will take on the task of finding a use for the base once it has been vacated.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the base closing is frustrating for the city and a panel has been formed to assess potential development options.

“This was obviously a horrible blow,” Barrett said in an e-mail. “As we’ve looked around at other communities around the country that have had [base] closures, some have been able to make lemonade out of lemons.”

Barrett noted the 100-acre site, with its proximity to the airport and freeway, would be an appealing location for future commercial use.

The BRAC commission is slated to present its recommendations to President George W. Bush Sept. 8. Bush will have two weeks to consider the decisions and either send them to Congress or return the report to BRAC for reassessment. Congress will then have 45 days to decide whether to uphold or reject the recommendations.

Though the future of the 440th is still uncertain, Mehring said the personnel are dedicated to its mission.

“We’re good soldiers,” Mehring said. “And we’ll follow orders and close it up when the time comes.”