AR SR2

Urges the U.S. Department of Defense, Air Force, and National Guard Bureau to maintain fighter aircraft at the 188th Fighter Wing located at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Highlights the unit's operational achievements including completing A-10 Thunderbolt II weapons system conversions ahead of schedule, maintaining above-average mission capability rates, and logging 2,700 combat hours in Afghanistan without missing any assigned tasks.

Notes the 188th Fighter Wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for performance from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2010, and developed an avionics solution saving more than $1.5 million annually.

Emphasizes the wing's cost-effectiveness and unique training attributes including Razorback Range (five minutes from base) and the Hog and Shirley Military Operating Area providing airspace comparable to Nellis ranges, with estimated economic impact exceeding $150 million annually to the Fort Smith community.

Formally invites U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his staff to visit Fort Smith and the 188th Fighter Wing before the unit's spring deployment, and requires copies of the resolution be delivered to relevant federal defense agencies.