The U.S. Air Force announced major cuts on Friday, including almost 10,000 jobs and 286 aircraft.
The 910th Airlift Wing in Vienna will remain open, which base commander Col. Reinhard Schmidt said is "great news." He said the Youngstown Air Reserve Station will have a net loss of two aircraft, exchanging six H2 aircrafts for four H2.5 aircrafts, which is an upgraded, more modernized version of the aircraft.
Schmidt said the upgraded aircraft will help save money, but he is also concerned about how the loss of two aircraft will affect manpower at the facility. No announcements on specific manpower changes are expected until next month.
The announcement also is good news for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport because they do work together quite a bit.
Director of Aviation Dan Dickten said any good news for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station is great news for the airport and the community itself.
"We work closely with the air base and the 910th Airlift Wing on various projects on the airfield. The 910th provides our crash fire rescue service, which was put into use just a few weeks ago when a plane went off the taxiway and had to get pulled out of the mud and onto the pavement," Dickten said.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, said Friday's announcement was good news and released the following statement through a spokesman:
"Today, the U.S. Air Force announced restructuring plans that will impact 60 installations in over 33 states. Across the nation, over 227 aircraft will be retired or canceled in fiscal year 2013, with six older-model C-130 aircraft scheduled for retirement at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. However, unlike other facilities, it was also announced that the Youngstown Air Reserve Station will receive four newer model C-130's during the restructuring. The transfer of these newer model C-130's to the Youngstown facility will enable local reservists to train on advanced technology aircraft and ensure that Youngstown has access to the same cutting edge instruments deployed throughout the U.S. Air Force."
U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the Department of Defense can and should find savings to rein in government funding, and in doing so, the Department and Congress are faced with some very tough decisions.
"Despite this challenge, I'm concerned to hear of proposals to remove two aircraft from the 910th Airlift Wing. The unique aerial spray mission performed by the 910th is a recognized and highly valued national asset we cannot afford to lose. I will continue to address this issue with administration leaders to ensure we don't inappropriately jeopardize this capability," Portman said.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said that even though the Youngstown Air Reserve Station will receive four new aircraft, he is still concerned an overall reduction in the overall number could mean job losses for the 910th Airlift Wing. He said that could be detrimental to our country's military readiness and ability to respond to domestic emergencies. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Brown said he will fight any cutbacks that will harm the Ohio men and women that serve in the U.S. military.
The 911th Airlift Wing in nearby Moon Township, Pa., was not so lucky. The Air Force announced it will be closed sometime in the next two years.
U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, R-Allegheny County, said he is extremely disappointed that the Air Force is considering closing the 911th Airlift Wing and said he will do everything he can to ensure the facility remains open.
"This base represents a large part of the western Pennsylvania economy, shutting it down would only negatively impact our community while doing little to nothing to save significant dollars at the Pentagon. There are many factors that go into shutting a base like this down and I will get to work right away to ensure the 911th remains open," Altmire said.
Some of the seven C-130 transport planes at the Moon Township base will be retired and some will move to other bases, the Air Force said in a news release.
Secretary Michael Donley said the Air Force cuts are being made under Department of Defense guidelines to retire 286 aircraft over the next five years.
Click on the attachment to read the release from the Air Force.
