C-130 News: House committee's bill protects C-130 work at Robins

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Robins Air Force Base could soon earn the title of Center of Excellence for C-130 maintenance.

Congressman Austin Scott of the 8th District says the House Armed Services Committee included language in the National Defense Acquisition Act that would protect the work done by Air Force depots, particularly on the C-130.

Scott says the original version of the bill included language that "attacked the depots" and questioned their limited capacity to handle the workload and suggested moving the work out of the depots. He says he fought to remove that language. Instead, the approved version of the bill asks the Air Force to provide a report on the capacity at all of its depots and it includes other provisions that Scott hopes will eventually bring more work to the depots instead of the private sector.

"I feel very good about Robins Air Force Base and what's happening there with the performance and how fast we're getting the planes turned around," says Scott.

On top of that, Scott says he has been in talks with General Lee Levy, Commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center, about naming Robins Air Force Base as a Center of Excellence. Scott explains that would make Robins the preferred depot for C-130 maintenance.

Scott says that would be a great thing for Robins, especially in the case of another round of Base Realignment and Closure, which he says is likely in the next three to four years.

Also included in the National Defense Acquisition Act is language to keep the Air Force's A-10 fleet, which Scott says has been a battle between the Air Force and the committee for about 6 years. Keeping the A-10s would mean continuing jobs for Macon's Boeing plant and its wing replacement program.

Scott also says the recapitalization of the JSTARS fleet will continue under the NDAA with $128 Million included to move forward with plans to design a smaller airframe while keeping the current model planes active in the meantime.

Scott says he feels assured that the final draft of the bill will mean good things for Robins, but he has some reservations about its effect on overall national security.

Scott says the final version would maintain the level of base funding, despite cuts suggested in the Obama Administration's budget proposal. Scott says the committee decided to take $18 Million out of the Overseas Contingency Operations Budget, or war funds, and reallocate it for base operations spending. However, Scott says that only leaves enough funds in the OCO budget for six months at the current spending level.

"We recognize that when we have a new president, one of the things we will have to do for our next president is pass a supplemental OCO," says Scott.

The NDAA passed the committee 60-2 and now heads to the House floor.

Source: http://www.13wmaz.com/news/military/house-committees-bill-protects-c-130-work-at-robins/159865722

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