The D.C. Air National Guard has become a hot topic in ongoing negotiations over what should happen with the RFK Stadium site.
It first became a topic of interest for Maryland lawmakers back in March, when the Air Force announced it was turning Maryland’s Air National Guard squadron into one that’s focused on cyber defense on the ground.
The transition to cyber defense “aligns the Maryland Air National Guard with an enduring modern mission that meets the requirements of the National Defense Strategy,” the Air Force said in a statement.
Now, in a development first reported by The Washington Post this week, Maryland’s two U.S. senators are asking for one of D.C.’s Air National Guard squadrons as part of the negotiations over a bill that would give D.C. control of the federally owned land that the old RFK Stadium sits on.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting delegate in the House, told WTOP she would reluctantly support the idea.
“I think I have to,” Norton said. “This is the kind of deal you need to make in order to get something done.”
Still, Norton said she wasn’t happy about the development, saying she didn’t think a deal should come at the expense of D.C.’s aviation resources.
“RFK Stadium is very important and we’ve been trying to get it for a very long time, but I found this troubling nevertheless,” Norton said.
The Washington Commanders have a lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, that runs through 2027, and the team is looking around for a new home.
If D.C. were to get control of the RFK Stadium site, the city could redevelop the area, and it would be viewed as a major advantage for the District in potentially getting the team to play there.
The bill on Capitol Hill has already passed in the House and through a Senate committee.
A person familiar with the negotiations said in addition to the squadron issue, Maryland U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin is strongly focused on striking a deal with the Commanders related to redeveloping the site in Landover, should the team decide to move away from that area.
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