After 66 years in operation, new headquarters to replace current 119th Wing Headquarters

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For 66 years, the 119th Wing Headquarters has been home here in Fargo. And beginning in May of 2026, a new home for the wing will be designed.

“We’re going to build a new $33 million headquarters, which will also be a regional training site as well. It’s about 22,400 square feet, so it’ll be a big facility. And that’s really important not just for the 119th, but also, this is one of four regional training sites in the country,” said Sen. John Hoeven.

The announcement of the new headquarters comes in as part of various projects that are currently being worked on. A new operations center has been in construction, with the MQ-9 Reaper mission having moved into the new space in 2023. The center is expected to be fully operational later this year.

“So whether it’s equipment or facilities, our guys have to have the latest, greatest stuff because they’re in fight. I mean, they’re not practicing, they are doing it. And so the new ops center, we obviously have to have it because of the sophistication and the security requirements with the mission they’re performing,” said Hoeven.

The old operations center will be converted into a data center for the Test Resource Management Center’s Sky Range hypersonic missile testing program.

“Currently, the Air Force is going through a lot of different changes organizationally, structurally and really the building you are in today was designed for back when we were flying P-51s. So, no doubt there’s probably some prop smoke from the old pilots that were in this room. Still embedded in these walls, and really it’s out of date for what we do today,” said Colonel Ryan Ayers, Deputy Wing Commander for the 119th Wing.

The new facility is expected to start construction by 2027.

A senate committee approved an initial $2 million for planning and design work, which is estimated to be completed by May, 2026.