MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — The roar of fighter jets is nothing new at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, but the announcement that Qatari pilots may potentially soon train alongside American forces has sparked both enthusiasm and concern in this military community of about 17,000.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Oct. 10 that Qatar plans to build a facility at the Idaho base , with buildings for training and maintenance, a partnership that has been discussed since 2017 but caught even local officials by surprise.

In a press conference Tuesday, Mountain Home Mayor Rich Sykes – who has been in office since 2016 – said he's been involved in discussions around the partnership for years.

"They flew myself and our military liaison, Marty Anderson, out to Qatar to talk to their Air Force

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