Mayor of Tucson visits the 162nd Fighter Wing Published Feb. 14, 2014 By Senior Airman Lacey Roberts 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Tucson, Ariz. -- Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor of Tucson, visited the Tucson Air National Guard Feb. 7, to tour the 162nd Fighter Wing and learn more about the wing's missions. Col. Phil Purcell, the 162nd Fighter Wing Commander, met the mayor and presented a wing mission brief. Although he has visited before, the mayor never had the opportunity to tour the base. The tour began with a look at the airpark, but the highlight was on the flight line where the F-16 Fighting Falcons were returning from their flights. The mayor had an up close look at the jets and the opportunity to witness them in action. "This is an important asset in this community. The ANG is a very important asset historically and traditionally," said Rothschild. While the visit focused on the current wing missions, the mayor and commander discussed the importance of the community and the base's connection to Tucson. We believe that this community has pride in knowing that our base plays a huge part of the national defensive structure and our own community's defense, said Purcell. "As you can see, we have a number of missions. We are very proud of those missions and would like to continue to work with the community," said Purcell. There are no immediate mission changes expected for the wing, but the mayor and commander are committed to keeping the community informed of future endeavors for the 162nd Fighter Wing.