Members of the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing at March Air Reserve Base in California are now ready to begin training the Airmen on the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system. Officials expect to fly their first "live" training sortie in January from the former George Air Force Base, now known as Southern California Logistics Airport after having successfully surpassed two years of combat operations flying the Predator. Unit officials transitioned from their support mission flying the KC-135 Stratotanker to conducting active combat flying the Predator. After beginning Predator flight operations, the wing was charged to provide three continuous combat air patrols over Southwest Asia. As a result of the "surge," the wing has amassed more than 21,000 flying hours supporting combat operations overseas by providing combatant commanders with 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week aerial surveillance and precision strike capability. Once the facilities and infrastructure needed to support the flying program at SCLA are in place, the wing will begin flying the Predator locally in preparation for its first class of Predator aviators, which is scheduled to begin in April 2009. Initially the wing will begin training Air National Guard members as Predator aircrews, but the program is expected to expand to include training active duty aviators as well to relieve some of the load for Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, currently the only base training Predator aircrews. Currently, the wing conducts Predator maintenance training in its recently-established, state-of-the-art field training detachment operating under Creech AFB Det. 13 as part of Air Education and Training Command. The fully-accredited maintenance training facility currently trains active duty and Guard Predator maintenance personnel.