From its perch at Moffett, the 129th Rescue Wing has rescued people 1,400 miles out at sea and hikers in East San Jose's Alum Rock Park.

Sunnyvale has put great time and effort into keeping the 129th at Moffett. In 1999, the city helped Congresswoman Anna Eshoo secure $16 million from the Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee to build a new maintenance hanger at the airfield, to replace one built during World War II. Eshoo continued to help the 129th by lobbying in Washington, D.C., in July 2003, and was instrumental in keeping the wing here in the South Bay.

"It means we have the protection of the Air National Guard in case of an emergency, and we also get almost 300 members of the community living and shopping

here," said Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Ron Swegles—who sits on the Military Affairs Council and served in the Navy.

Moffett became the operating base of the 129th Rescue Wing in 1984 after moving from Hayward Airport where it had been based since 1955. Members of the wing have served around the world, most recently in Turkey and Iraq.

They spent eight months in Turkey before the beginning of the current war in Iraq, as part of Operation Northern Watch—the decade-long patrol of the "No-Fly Zone" over Iraq. The rescue wing was later positioned at Bashur Airfield, north of Baghdad, to provide support for American troops in the area.

The 129th is unique among similar squadrons because of its helicopters' ability to refuel in midair. This ability means they can dramatically extend their range at sea, covering almost 1,500 miles, where the Coast Guard can only go about 300 miles out.

But in recent years, the wing has had trouble recruiting in the Bay Area. According to Public Affairs Officer Lt. Toni Gray, the high cost-of-living makes it difficult for the 250 full-time members of the wing to live near the airfield.

Housing is less expensive in Merced County, and the upgraded facilities would have ultimately saved the Air Force money. Gray said it would have cost $46 million to move to Atwater, but because of an almost $100 million cut to the Air Force's budget, the funding is simply not available.

The decision met with approval from Eshoo—whose office is based in Palo Alto—but upset her counterpart from the Merced area.

"I believe that every effort should be made to support troops fighting the war on terror, but this decision is the result of poor planning by administration officials, who find themselves cash-strapped in Iraq and looking to save money in the short-term, even if that means postponing projects that save money in the long run," said Congressman Dennis Cardoza—of Merced—in a written statement.

Gray said the Air National Guard rescinded its request for funding rather than wait to have it rejected for lack of money.

"Should money become available, there is a possibility that the funding request will come back up," Gray said.

So far, Gray said reactions have been mixed from members of the wing. Some are relieved that they won't have to uproot their families, but others are not so content. In anticipation of the move that many thought was imminent, some members purchased homes in Merced County.