Jump to content

C-130 News: Senators add amendment to boost future of Youngstown Air Reserve Station


casey
 Share

Recommended Posts

2016-06-07 Youngtown.jpg

The U.S. Senate has added an amendment to a defense spending bill designed to have a positive impact on the future of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.

Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) co-sponsored the amendment to the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

A joint news release from the Senators says that the amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to new C-130J aircraft for facilities that include special mission units – such as aerial spray, airborne firefighting, and weather reconnaissance.

Brown and Portman have been urging the Air Force to replace YARS’ 910th Airlift Wing’s current fleet of C-130H aircraft with new C-130J aircrafts to ensure that the 910th’s specialized aerial spray mission continues safely and without interruption.

According to Brown's office, the full Defense Authorization Act has yet to be acted upon by the full Senate.

Source: http://www.wfmj.com/story/32166535/senators-add-amendment-to-boost-future-of-youngstown-air-reserve-station


View full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Portman, Brown Secure Win on Prioritizing C-130 Upgrades for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station

Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report, released today after months of negotiations between the House and Senate, includes their amendment to prioritize C-130 upgrades and strengthen the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) and its mission capabilities.  Specifically, the amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to new C-130J aircraft for special mission units like the 910th AW that have special capabilities such as aerial spray, airborne firefighting, and weather reconnaissance.  Portman and Brown have been urging the Air Force to replace YARS’ 910th Airlift Wing’s current fleet of C-130H aircraft with new C-130J aircrafts to ensure that the 910th’s Department of Defense (DoD)-mandated specialized aerial spray mission continues safely and without interruption.

“This is a victory for Youngstown and our strengthening our national defense capabilities.  Prioritizing upgrades for new C-130 aircraft will help maintain and strengthen our special mission units like the 910th at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which has become a model for other Air Reserve Stations throughout the country,” Portman stated. “C-130 modernization is critical for Youngstown and Ohio, and I am pleased that the legislation has been included in the NDAA.  It will help ensure that YARS has the top-of-the-line capabilities needed to carry out their critically important national and homeland security missions.”

“The men and women of Youngstown Air Reserve Station perform an important and unique mission and it’s critical that the 910th has the most modern C-130 fleet possible to do their job,” said Senator Brown. “The Air Force should prioritize these special mission wings when allocating aircraft. This language will benefit not just the Mahoning Valley, but all communities that benefit from the special mission at YARS.”

Source: http://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8BA99FE6-C4E8-4ABF-A58C-A1F0C29165EF

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Air base is a step closer to getting new airplanes

Our optimism with regard to the future of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station – as reflected in the headline – may be ill-advised, given the political uncertainties in Washington today.

However, we recall the statements made by President-elect Donald J. Trump about the need to increase military spending with the goal of upgrading weapons systems and other equipment.

Republican Trump, who will be sworn in Jan. 20 as the 45th president, should have the support of the GOP leadership in Congress when he submits his budget for the Pentagon.

Therein lies our positive outlook about the air reserve base and its 910th Airlift Wing. With more money flowing into the Pentagon’s coffers, military installations with specialized missions should benefit.

The 910th has the Department of Defense’s only large area – 5,000 acres or more – fixed-wing aerial spray capability to control disease-carrying insects, pest insects and undesirable vegetation, and to disperse oil spills in large bodies of water.

But that mission is being undermined because of the age of the aircraft assigned to the YARS. The fleet consists of eight C-130H Hercules cargo/troop planes – down from 12 – that were built in 1989-1990.

Because of new flying regulations, the planes need to be electronically updated with an “avoidance warning system” to continue to fly in congested air space, such as the East Coast and Europe.

The Air Force has funded the compliance portion of updating the electronics of the C-130H beginning next year that will allow the planes to meet the new regulations.

 

However, the desirable solution would be for the Pentagon to replace the aging fleet with the new C-130J cargo planes that are already being built.

We have previously used this space to not only argue for the assignment of the C-130Js to YARS, but to also point out that the base is one of the most efficient and cost-effective military installations in the country. Taxpayers have received a significant return on the millions of dollars invested in the Vienna Township facility.

Economic driver

To be sure, the base is a major economic driver in the Mahoning Valley, generating more than $100 million in activity. The 1,500 military and civilian employees contribute significantly to this region’s financial and social well-being.

That is why we have been unwavering in our support of the base and the upgrading of the fleet.

It is also why we continue to heap praise on Ohio’s two senators, Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Sherrod Brown, and the Valley’s two representatives, Democrat Tim Ryan of Howland and Republican Bill Johnson of Marietta, for their laser-like focus on the air reserve base.

That effort has brought the YARS one step closer to securing the new C-130J airplanes.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 contains an amendment crafted by Portman and Brown that is designed to benefit the Mahoning Valley.

The amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to the new C-130J planes for special-mission units like the 910th at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.

“This is a victory for Youngstown and strengthens our national defense capabilities,” Portman said.

“The men and women of Youngstown Air Reserve Station perform an important and unique mission, and it’s critical that the 910th has the most modern C-130 fleet possible to do their job,” Brown said.

Ryan, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, praised the senators for including the amendment and noted that it dovetails with a provision he inserted in the FY 2017 Defense Appropriations report.

The provision directs the Air Force to prioritize units with the oldest equipment when deciding which specialty missions to upgrade.

Rep. Johnson, a staunch supporter of Trump’s during the election, is well positioned to ensure that the new administration is aware of the importance of the YARS to the nation’s military preparedness.

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/dec/11/air-base-is-a-step-closer-to-getting-new/?mobile

 

 

US Senate passes bill that includes YARS upgrades

WASHINGTON — Ohio's U.S. Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown today announced the Senate has passed the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes their amendment to prioritize C-130 upgrades needed at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.The amendment will encourage the Air Force to act on these upgrades by requiring it to report on how it will prioritize upgrades from C-130H aircrafts to new C-130J units, which YARS needs for its special mission.Portman and Brown have been working to urge the Air Force to replace the 910th Airlift Wing’s current fleet with the new C-130J to ensure the Wing can complete its missions safely. The senators have said the updates are needed to also maintain Mahoning Valley jobs.Federal money for any upgrades has not been appropriated.

 

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/dec/08/us-senate-passes-bill-includes-yars-upgrades/#sthash.Uw3xrts9.dpuf 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...