The 188th Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard is set to create 15 structure firefighter jobs at Ebbing Air National Guard Base to come into compliance with government requirements. Formerly the 188th Fighter Wing with an A-10 flying mission, the 188th Wing now operates remotely piloted aircraft overseas. With the change in mission, however, came the decrease in fire protection for the base and a loss of aircraft fire protection for the Fort Smith Regional Airport through a joint-use agreement. The airport has since created its own fire department for 24-hour aircraft fire protection and has four full-time and one part-time firefighters and a fire chief.