Now that Congress has pushed forward a must-pass federal spending bill, a unique deal in Maryland is cleared for takeoff. The Maryland Air National Guard is preparing to absorb the 121st Fighter Squadron from the DC Air National Guard. In exchange, the nation’s capital will become the new owners of the Washington Commander’s former football stadium.
The multifaceted deal also provides millions of dollars to help rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March, killing six workers.
According to Maryland Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Drew Dougherty, the deal marks a “historic moment” to secure future flying missions for his team, which was due to take on an exclusively cyber role.
“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.”
Statement by Maryland Air National Guard
The Maryland unit will now assume the F-16 fighter jets’ mission: be ready for around-the-clock deployment.
At the same time, the pending transfer gives D.C. control of the federally owned land surrounding the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium—where Washington’s NFL franchise played between 1961 and 1996—for nearly 100 years.
However, while the deal could help officials lure the Commanders from Maryland back to D.C., the new land ownership doesn’t guarantee that D.C. can build a new stadium. Instead, the district and the Commanders must negotiate an agreement before construction can begin.