Trump touts new fighter jet mission at Selfridge, shares credit with ‘effective' Whitmer
A Michigan military base is getting a much-needed boost after the Trump administration picked it as the future home of new fighter jets.
The 21 aircraft in a new F-15EX fighter mission headed for Michigan's Selfridge Air National Guard Base would not only keep the lights on of the century-old facility but also help expand part of its service footprint over the next several years.
President Donald Trump exits Air Force One on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. The arrival coincides with Trumps first 100 days in office under his second presidency. (Ayrton Breckenridge/mlive.com/TNS)
It was an announcement Tuesday met with brief cheers and applause from more than 250 service members who greeted President Donald Trump in a hangar on base ahead of a nearby rally to mark the first 100 days of his second term in office.
The F-15s are an aircraft-for-aircraft replacement for the retiring A-10 Thunderbolt II brigade, according to Major General Paul Rogers, after state and base officials spent the last five years 'fighting relentlessly' with the Air Force to bring in a new mission.
Flanked by two A-10s — specially emblazoned with Nos. 45 and 47 for his presidential numbers — Trump laid a lot of the credit on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer just weeks after she made the trek to Washington to advocate for the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talks with military officials while waiting for President Trump to arrive on Air Force One on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. (Ayrton Breckenridge/mlive.com/TNS)
'For decades, they've been trying to save this facility,' Trump told the crowd. 'I didn't realize that. … I heard about it from some people, including your governor, who has done a very good job. She came to see me.
'That's the reason she came to see me, by the way, to save Selfridge, and she was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people that love this place and what it stands for.'
Trump thanked Whitmer for bringing Selfridge to his administration's attention, joking he's 'not supposed to do that' because she's a Democrat.
The governor appeared among other government representatives behind Trump, including Republican state House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Leader Aric Nesbitt.
Air Force One lands on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. The arrival coincides with Trumps first 100 days in office under his second presidency. (Ayrton Breckenridge/mlive.com/TNS)
The A-10, also known as the 'Warthog,' Trump said, was 'an incredible plane.' He recalled the original Selfridge field's first take off in 1917, its legacy in training Tuskegee airmen during World War II and other 'generations of Michigan patriots,' and its history as a 'crucial pillar of North American air defense' as the largest military airspace complex east of the Mississippi River.
Adding Michiganders 'have feared for the future of the base' and the $850 million economic impact it represented for the state, Trump said, 'Wow. Wouldn't that have been a shame to close?'
It was a sentiment shared by other dignitaries on site, who lauded Trump's leadership in ushering the new fighter mission forward.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked him 'for restoring the warrior ethos' and rebuilding the military at large. Woven into his announcement, Trump trumpeted a proposed $1 trillion defense investment.
Hall said it was the 'first time in decades' they could say 'Selfridge is winning' because of the new mission. 'No one else could save Selfridge,' he said.
Whitmer's remarks were also brief, sharing gratitude for the announcement itself and the work that went into it.
'I am really damn happy we're here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,' she said. 'It's crucial for the Michigan economy. It's crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security and our future.'
In a separate statement released Tuesday, the governor called the investment a 'huge, bipartisan win' for Michigan that was 'decades in the making' to help grow the local economy and keep the country safe.
'Since day one, I've been laser-focused on securing a new fighter mission at Selfridge and supporting the brave service members who step up for our communities every day,' Whitmer said. 'I appreciate the president's partnership on this new fighter mission that will protect jobs and show the world that Michigan is the best place to pioneer the next innovations in national defense.'
Rogers, too, credited bipartisan leadership with Tuesday's announcement.
Although centered in Macomb County, he pointed to the air space historically utilized by the base's training pilots up over Lake Huron and toward Alpena. The new mission, he said, continues that history and the role pilots who train at Selfridge play around the world.
'This is a huge kind of influencer within that training capability here. And then, of course, they're always training for their war fighting mission, so they deploy overseas,' Rogers said. 'The A-10 unit was in Jordan last year. They're scheduled to go to a yet-to-be disclosed location this coming year in '26. Then, as soon as they come back now, they're going to be in this transition to a new aircraft. So, it's a very exciting time.'
The rollout of the F-15s, he said, was expected to begin in 2028.
Although the initial personnel numbers will remain the same, Rogers said the incoming change overall will mean an expansion in footprint for the base.
In addition to the F-15s, they're also set to replace eight KC-135 Stratotankers with 12 new KC-46 Pegasus refueling tankers. The aircraft are manufactured by Boeing.
'Selfridge will be growing with those two new aircraft coming in,' Rogers said.
___
© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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