The U.S. Air Force has agreed to transfer the District of Columbia’s Air National Guard fighter squadron to Maryland’s National Guard in a major deal that will see the nation’s capital take over the site of RFK stadium.
The pending transfer is the last of three demands Maryland made in exchange for backing D.C.’s efforts to gain control of the federally owned land surrounding the stadium, the Washington Post reported Monday.
"The men and women of the Maryland Air National Guard are some of the finest and most experienced pilots in the world. In partnership with our congressional delegation and federal partners, we have advocated vigorously to maintain Maryland’s flying mission, both in the interest of national security and to continue the proud tradition that Maryland plays in defending our country," Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said in a joint statement with the state’s senators on Monday.
Democrat D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser envisions a return of the NFL’s Washington Commanders as the centerpiece of her redevelopment plans for that site.
The site of the stadium, renamed after Robert F. Kennedy in January 1969 months after the assassination of the former U.S. senator, attorney general and brother of President John F. Kennedy, was the Commanders’ home from 1961 to 1996 before the franchise moved in 1997 to a new stadium in Landover, Maryland, about five miles away.
Maryland’s Air National Guard is currently home to the 104th Fighter Squadron of A-10C Thunderbolt II jets, based in Middle River east of Baltimore. But the Air Force has been trying to phase out the 1970s-era A-10 for years, and the 104th Fighter Squadron was scheduled to be "divested" by Sept. 30. The 121st Fighter Squadron flies the more modern F-16 and is based at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County. It is not known whether the squadron will stay there or move to Middle River.
All of the deal’s components fell under federal purview — the transfer of D.C.’s 21 fighter jets, full federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and the transfer of the RFK Stadium site to D.C., according to the Post. Early Saturday, the Senate passed the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act by unanimous consent. Earlier this year, the House passed the legislation, which grants D.C. control of the site for 99 years.
It had been stalled in the Senate in large part because of objections from Maryland's senators who viewed the no-cost land transfer to D.C. as unfairly benefiting the city in the regional competition to play host to the next Commanders stadium. The senators also wanted assurances that if the team moved, Maryland would not be left with its own abandoned stadium, which the state eventually received.
The Commanders weeks ago gave Maryland written assurances about deconstructing its current stadium in Landover should the team decide to leave, the Post reported.
Maryland Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Drew Dougherty called the deal a "historic moment" for the unit.
"Over the past few years, we have been resolute on our commitment to securing a future flying mission. This transition is the first step in delivering a path where we can maintain our highly experienced pilots and maintainers, positions that are critically manned across the total force, while still keeping Maryland at the forefront of cyber operation," Dougherty said in a statement.