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Voinovich Learns More about Youngstown Air Base
"By Dan O'BrienVIENNA, Ohio -- What precisely sets the Youngstown Air Reserve Station apart from other military installations across the country?U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, heard plenty of answers Monday as he and U.S. Rep. Timothy Ryan, D-17 Ohio, met with representatives from the Air Force Reserve, the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve at the air base."The more unique this air station is, the better off you are," Voinovich said during a morning briefing conducted by Col. Timothy Thomson, wing commander of the 910th Airlift Wing. Voinovich is touring several military facilities in Ohio just two months before the Base Realignment and Closure Committee, or BRAC, submits a preliminary list for base closings.Over the next four to five years, the Department of Defense plans to close and consolidate an as yet undetermined number of military bases across the country in an effort to save money. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has said there's 25% excess capacity across the United States although there's no indication how that translates into closed and consolidated bases.A preliminary list of earmarked bases is due May 16 while a final list will be sent to President Bush Sept. 8. The president has until Sept. 23 to reject or accept, in its entirety, that final list.Congress then has 45 legislative days to act likewise. If it fails to act within this time frame, the closings automatically take effect. The bases would close within four or five years.Supporters of the air base are doing everything possible to ensure the Youngstown Air Reserve Station is not on the May 16 list."We're going to put our best foot forward," Voinovich told reporters during a press conference at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. There, he met with Save Our Airbase Reservists, or SOAR, a local organization formed to drum up support for and awareness of the air base.With more than 1,400 reservists, the 910th and its support groups represent the largest presence on the base. When combined with the Naval and Marine operations, the base employs a total of 1,963 full- and part-time.On average, the base has an economic impact of $100 million a year in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, Youngstown State University's Center for Regional and Urban Studiers determined. During the briefing, Thomson outlined the base's strengths, emphasizing its attributes and capabilities. Voinovich, taking notes and listening, repeatedly asked questions regarding the air station's mission, operations, deployments, aircraft and skill-level of the personnel.The Youngstown base has several features not found at any other base, Thomson said. First, the air base is the only facility that is home to a fixed-base C-130 aerial spray unit operating within the Department of Defense. The spray unit is used to disinfect and kill infestation at various military installations across the country. The unit has also helped in spray missions after natural disasters such as hurricanes.An important aspect of these missions is that they are flown by highly-trained reservists located here. Should the unit move, there stands a good chance the support crew would not follow, Thomson stressed.Moreover, he said the air base has a 3,500-foot runway used specifically for assault-zone landing training and is only base in the Midwest with such a capability.The air base will be modified to accommodate night-vision training at the base, Thomson added, another operation that distinguishes the base.The base is home to 12 C-130H aircraft, Thomson continued, and the reservists have supported missions in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. At its peak, the base had 560 reservists deployed in forward areas around the world.At one point during the briefing, the senator became choked with emotion as he expressed his gratitude for the "sacrifice you're making." His voice trailing off and tears brimming in his eyes, he recalled offering his sympathies recently to an Ohio family who lost a loved one overseas. "Thank you for what you're doing," he said.At the press conference afterward, Voinovich said he wants to be sure everything that promotes the base's capabilities is included in the application. How BRAC decides, he noted, will be based strictly on criteria, not politics. There may be room for some give and-take, however, once the first list is made public May 16. "I learned a lot of things I didn't know about the facility," Voinovich told reporters. The Naval and Marine presence, the existence of the spray unit, the assault- zone capability and the economic impact will influence decision makers at the Pentagon. Another plus for the Youngstown air base, Ryan added, is that it has ample room for expansion. "It means that some of the bases that close can move here," he noted.Should the Youngstown base end up on the May 16 list, then all efforts will be made to have it removed, said retired Brig. Gen. Michael Gjede, former wing commander at the 910th and chairman of SOAR. "On May 16, the gloves come off," he said.Even if the Youngstown base is excluded from the initial list, there remains a chance it could be part of the final package submitted to the president, Gjede suggested. "There's always the threat you can be substituted. But if you're off the list, you want to do everything to stay off the list," he said.Contact Dan O'Brien at [email protected]"