GRAND FORKS - Grand Forks Air Force Base officials are scheduled to receive their first unmanned aerial vehicle next spring, but it won't be one of their own, the base commander says.

The base's transition from air refueling tankers to drones is expected to begin with a UAV from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Col. Diane Hull said.

"I'm kind of surprised, actually, but it makes perfect sense," Hull said. The base will be able to work out bugs in the system before the Air Force UAVs arrive, she said.

Hull recently wrapped up her first year as commander of the base that survived the last round of base closings but lost its identity as a KC-135 air refueling tanker base. The first of four squadrons officially was deactivated in June.

"In some ways, it's sad to see the end of an era," Hull said. "But the UAV is really the wave of the future."

Wade Pearson, chairman of the Grand Forks military appreciation committee, said residents are warming up to the UAVs.

"This is going to be the main area of the country for development and training of the UAVs. That's pretty exciting," Pearson said. "You've got a lot of partners that will be working on cutting edge projects."

The base held an open house over the weekend to tout its future as one of five northern border security centers.

The Border Patrol, North Dakota Air National Guard and University of North Dakota are involved in UAV projects at the base. The National Guard will fly the Air Force drones from its Fargo base.

Hull, 45, the daughter of a U.S. Army officer and a tanker pilot herself, said base personnel are embracing the technology of unmanned systems. The UAV operators are either trained Air Force pilots or navigators who hold civilian pilot's licenses.

"We don't just take somebody out of the video arcade," Hull said. "You have to be trained and have good air sense and know all of the rules of the road, if you will."

The change at the base comes at a time when the Air Force is cutting 50,000 positions. There are currently 2,200 military personnel in Grand Forks, down about 300 since the transition was announced, Hull said.

The commander also said the base would be able to handle new KC-X tankers that are expected to be ready by 2011. Construction recently was finished on a new runway, and other facilities have been improved.

Hull said the high and low points of her first year at the helm both involve current missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. She called the base's contributions a success.

"But I really do wish I could have some control on how often people have to deploy," she said. "We have many people who are gone over half the year. It seems like as soon as they come home, we send them out again."

Pearson said Hull has continued the base's close relationship with community members.

"I don't think things have changed a lot from an outsider's perspective," he said. "I'm always just amazed by the quality of the men and women out there."