Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The 911th Airlift wing in Moon will remain open for another year, but uncertainty remains about its future.
The 911th Airlift Wing will keep its eight C-130 tactical aircraft through 2014, maintaining its full flying mission for one year. U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, announced today that a planned 2013 closure of the base will not occur. Operations at the base will continue into next year, Murphy said in a statement. The Air Force renewed the base's mission today. The 911th has faced previous closure attempts, including one in 2005. “The past 12 months aside, countless members of our community have been fighting since 2004 to block misguided and misinformed attempts to close the 911th," Murphy said in a statement. The 911th's mission after 2014 remains unclear. Murphy said efforts to stave off a closure have not ended. “Despite …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The governor is proposing to spend $200,000 to help communities gather economic evidence about how the closure of a base would impact their area. The money could help the 911th Airlift Wing make its case to remain open.
Buried deep inside Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget proposal released this week is a small line item to help communities gather economic evidence about how the closure of a base would impact their area. The $200,000 is just a drop in the bucket of the $28.4 billion budget, but it could go a long way to protecting the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township–and other bases across the state–from being shuttered by the federal government. Steve Kratz, a spokesman for the Department of Community and Economic Development, said that funding would provide additional staff for a committee tasked with gathering evidence about the economic impact of these military bases. “That’s going to allow the committee to hire an additional staffer and provide additional…
Monday, February 4, 2013
Officials are working to stave off a closure of the Moon Township-based 911th Airlift Wing.
A Pentagon working group charged with deciding whether the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon will keep its flying mission has accepted data submitted by Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and the Military Affairs Coalition of Western Pennsylvania. According to Murphy's office, the Congressman has submitted data and documentation about the 911th to Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Moeller, who is leading the Pentagon's analysis of the wing. Moeller is expected to visit the base and conduct an assessment of its operations. A visit scheduled for January was postponed due to inclement weather. The U.S. Air Force has again taken initial steps toward closing the airlift wing after March 2013—after the expiration of a law put in place to delay a closure. …
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Air Force official was expected to conduct an on-the-ground-inspection of the wing today.
A planned tour and assessment of the 911th Airlift Wing to be taken by Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Moeller has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Murphy invited Moeller to tour the facility today and discuss the air base's future in a closed-door meeting, according to a statement from the Congressman. The U.S. Air Force has again taken initial steps toward closing the airlift wing after March 2013—after the expiration of a law put in place to delay a closure. Military officials said closing the 911th, which employs 1,100 military and 300 civilian personnel, would save $350 million. All personnel positions on the base would be eliminated under the proposed closure. Murphy and other local …
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Pennsylvania governor speaks at the Moon Township-based air wing, urging military officials to scrap plans to shutter the base.
Standing beneath the wings of a C-130 aircraft at the 911th Airlift Wing, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said he would work with Pennsylvania's federal lawmakers to fight renewed plans to close the Moon Township air base. Corbett, appearing alongside Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and state Sen. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, implored military officials and federal lawmakers to end efforts to close the 911th as a cost-saving measure. "I'm going to ask our (Pennsylvania) congressional delegation to do whatever they need to do to save this base," Corbett said. The U.S. Air Force has again taken initial steps toward closing the airlift wing after March 2013— after the expiration of a law put…
40.492373
-80.211261
U.S. Air Force
2475 Defense Ave, Coraopolis, PA
/articles/gov-corbett-backs-efforts-to-save-911th-airlift-wing
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/locations/8468550
40.4554
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1000 Airport Boulevard, Coraopolis, PA
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Saturday, November 24, 2012
Officials will discuss the future of the air base with reservists and Moon-area community members.
After dodging a planned 2012 closure, Moon Township's 911th Airlift Wing is again in jeopardy. The Air Force is pursuing an effort to shut down the base in March 2013—right after a temporary law to prevent such a closure expires, according to a statement from Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair . Murphy will host a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Moon Municipal Building. The meeting is open to the public. The Congressman will discuss the future of the air reserve base and take questions. The proposed 2012 closure was a part of a plan to trim $8.7 billion from the Air Force's 2013 budget. The closure would have included the elimination of the base's 1,100 military and 300 civilian positions. The 911th was first targeted for…
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1000 Beaver Grade Rd, Moon Township, PA
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Thursday, August 23, 2012
Rep. Tim Murphy and Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner call for the Air Force to be more transparent in potential closure of Moon Township air base.
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner hopes to audit the 911th Airlift Wing in an effort to save the Moon Township base from a potential closure in the coming years. Wagner and Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, will spearhead an audit of the 911th and present its findings to Air Force officials to stave off another closure attempt, the pair announced on Wednesday. The two sent a joint letter to U.S. Defense Department Secretary Leon Panetta and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, outlining the air wing's efficiencies and requesting additional data used in the Air Force's decision earlier this year to close the base. The Air Force planned to shut down the 911th this year as a cost-cutting measure, eliminating each of its more than…
Thursday, July 5, 2012
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta directed military officials last month to halt all aircraft retirements until Congress deliberates on the measure. The move suspended the upcoming closure of Moon Township's 911th Airlift Wing for at least one year. Rea
Air Force officials announced plans earlier this year to close the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township after suspending the base's eight C-130 tactical aircraft, which are among the oldest flying in the military. More than 1,100 military and 200 civilian jobs were slated to be eliminated with the closure. In June, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the suspension of all planned aircraft retirements, pending Congressional deliberation on the matter. The move delays the closure of the 911th for one year. For more on the story, click here.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Defense Secretary Panetta halts aircraft retirements at base until Congress takes action.
Update: Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, announced today that the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township will remain open for at least one more year following a directive from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Panetta directed Air Force officials to delay any aircraft transfers or retirements until Congress takes action on the measure. The Secretary toured the 911th in June. The reprieve will maintain more than 1,100 military and 300 civilian jobs at the air base. From the Congressman: “This is welcome news for our region’s military families and an important recognition of the role Congress must play in authorizing base closures and major changes to our military’s structure. Even with this decision, our efforts are not finished, and I’m …
Friday, June 8, 2012
Secretary Michael Donley tours the Moon Township air base.
At the request of Pennsylvania lawmakers, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley toured the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township Thursday. The Air Force announced plans earlier this year to shutter the Moon-based wing and lay off each of its more than 1,100 military and 280 civilian personnel positions as a part of an effort to reduce federal defense spending. The closing would retire each of the base's C-130 aircraft, which are among the oldest tactical planes in the country. No details were available on Donley's tour of the wing. Reps. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, and Mike Kelly, R-Butler, released a joint statement on Donley's visit. “It’s an …
Sean Moury
8:32 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Close the base. Save taxpayer money more ›