TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — KGUN 9’s work covering neighborhood news includes the unique neighborhood of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (DM). You’ll see a variety of aircraft there, as the base evolves from its primary role as a base for the A-10 and into its new mission as a special operations wing.

The base means a lot to the local economy and the good news is that the base population is actually expected to grow from the new mission with more people and their families.

Craig Smith and Pat Parris will be live from Davis-Monthan Thursday night as we continue to take our show on the road to a neighborhood near you. Watch live here at 5 and 6 p.m

For nearly 50 years, the A-10 has been the symbol of Davis-Monthan, affectionately called the warthog for its ugly appearance but beautiful abilities to punish bad guys and protect troops on the ground.

But DM and Tucson have grown up together for almost the last hundred years.

“I like to say there’s really no difference between Tucson and Davis-Monthan and I mean, I think Davis-Monthan is Tucson and Tucson is Davis-Monthan.”

Jay Bickley is a retired Air Force colonel. He served on DM and now serves as president of DM50, an organization that works to keep DM an active part of Tucson life.

Southern Arizona leaders have worried for years that when The Air Force retired the A-10DM’s impact would shrink from the 16,000 jobs and $2.6 billion it adds to the regional economy now.

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But the Air Force says that in its proposed new role in special operations, DM will have more people than it did as an A-10 base — about 1,300 more service members and about 1,300 additional dependents.

When the Air Force retires the A-10, you’ll look up and see different aircraft: Like the Sky Warden, based on a crop duster but able to take on some of the A-10’s close air support role—and do it from tough , remote areas.

And the MC-130J – based on the C-130 cargo plane but optimized to fly low and at night to deliver special operations troops and supplies to challenging mission locations.

DM will be a training ground for some of these troops to keep them sharp for missions where they can be in small groups in close combat, or on the ground to gather intelligence to direct air power.

Those who live on base often find a second home with Mama Louisa at Craycroft. Suzy Elefante says it opened just under 70 years ago. Her family has been hosting base families since they bought the restaurant 51 years ago.

“You see things change, but people come and go, and then you see people come back years later and they say, ‘Oh, I was an Airman at Davis-Monthan and we used to eat here all the time, and I wanted to come back and try.”

Jay Bickley says the sense of community support is important when an active-duty Airman is deployed somewhere far away but the family stays here.

Craig Smith and Pat Parris will be live from Davis-Monthan Thursday night as we continue to take our show on the road to a neighborhood near you. Watch live here at 5 and 6 p.m