The Happy Hooligans celebrated their 60th birthday today by saying farewell to F-16 fighter jets and welcoming two new missions.
The North Dakota Air National Guard started in Fargo Jan. 16, 1947, prompting North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven to declare today Happy Hooligans Day.
During a ceremony this morning at the Fargo guard base, pilots took off in four F-16 fighter jets and flew over Fargo one last time.
The F-16s - which have been roaring around Fargo since 1990 - are being retired by the military.
In Fargo they're being replaced with C-21 transport planes and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles. Both were on display in the main hangar today.
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After the Fargo flyover, the F-16s headed to Bismarck. They planned to refuel in air with the 219th Air Refueling Wing from the Grand Forks (N.D.) Air Force Base.
The planes were expected to arrive around 2:45 p.m. at the boneyard, an aerospace storage and maintenance facility in Tucson, Ariz.
"It's kind of emotional, end of an era," said Lt. Col Brad Derrig, a pilot who flew one of the F-16s today.
But as the military's needs change, it's important for the guard to have relevant missions, Derrig said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Andrea Domaskin at (701) 241-5556
