Community Corner
Pentagon to Draw Back Air National Guard Cuts
The Defense Department will re-examine the retirement of 24 C-130 tactical aircraft, but not those at the 911th, according to reports.
An Air Force spokeswoman said plans to re-examine a series of planned cutbacks at air bases throughout the country will not save Moon Township’s 911th Airlift Wing, reports the Associated Press.
Defense Department Secretary Leon Panetta announced plans Monday to restore 24 C-130 tactical aircraft planned to be retired from various Air National Guard installations, according to the Air Force Times.
But an Air Force spokeswoman told the AP that the plan will not restore the eight C-130s set to be retired in 2013 from the 911th, which is an Air Force Reserve installation.
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The 911th was targeted by the Air Force earlier this year for because of the of its C-130 planes, which were manufactured in the 1960s. The closure will eliminate all of the base’s more than 1,100 military and 280 civilian positions.
The closure is a part of an effort to reduce the Air Force's 2013 fiscal budget by more than $8.7 billion.
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Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, released a statement on the Defense Department announcement:
“Today’s announcement is an acknowledgement of flaws in the initial force structure recommendations, and I’m hopeful that this is a sign that the Pentagon is willing to undertake a genuine cost benefit analysis comparing the 911th against other military installations with similar missions.
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