Thirty pilots and air crews and six F-15 jet fighters from the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air National Guard may be patrolling Hawaii skies for a "a few months" beyond their scheduled January departure.

The Montana jets and air crew have been at  Joint Base Pearl-Hickam since August.

Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, Hawaii National Guard spokesman, said the Montana Air Guard is performing the 24-hour combat alert mission while Hawaii Air Guard personnel converts from the F-15 to the new F-22 Raptor.

The Montana guard and their F-15s must be ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to fly at a moment’s notice if an aircraft is in trouble or an unidentified plane enters restricted airspace or acts erratically.