B-1 bomber is symbol of freedom for small Ga. town.(Chicago Tribune)

WARNER ROBINS, Ga._For five years, residents of this central Georgia farming community have lived with the roaring thunder of B-1 bombers taking off and landing at Robins Air Force Base.

The gigantic planes and their intrusive noise have become as much a part of the rural landscape here as the cows grazing in pastures along Interstate 75.

For many residents in this town of 50,000, the bombers are a symbol of freedom. And the noise is a small price to pay for the military base that has spawned a thriving community and pours more than $3 billion a year into the state's economy.

"We've gotten so used to the B-1s, I can't imagine what it would be like without them," said King Flip, a Warner Robins police officer. "They represent freedom and they provide economic security for our town. The B-1 has got to survive."

But the future of the aging long-range strategic bomber is far from clear. Last week, the Defense Department announced plans to cut the U.S. B-1 fleet by a third and consolidate the remaining planes at military bases in Texas and South Dakota.

The eight bombers that have been supported by the Air National Guard at Robins since 1996 would be removed, along with those in Kansas and Idaho. Some 1,000 full- and part-time guardsmen based in Georgia could be out of work.

State officials, including Gov. Roy Barnes, have said that removing the bombers would leave Robins extremely vulnerable when the Pentagon initiates a new round of base closures in 2003. Last week's surprise announcement has angered many Georgia politicians, including U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, a Democrat who has been key in helping President Bush pass his legislative agenda in Washington.