Defense Bill Contains Amendment that Aids YARS

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman praised yesterday’s passage by the Senate of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which included their amendment to strengthen the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and its mission.

Specifically, the amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to new C-130J aircrafts for facilities that include special mission units such as aerial spray, airborne firefighting, and weather reconnaissance.

Brown and Portman have urged the Air Force to replace the 910th Airlift Wing’s fleet of C-130H aircraft with new C-130J aircraft to ensure that its Department of Defense-mandated specialized aerial spray mission continues safely and without interruption.

“The Air Force should prioritize special mission units like the 910th when deciding where to station C-130Js and I will continue to urge that the Air Force modernize the C-130H fleet throughout Ohio. YARS deserves our full support and I’m glad that the Senate-passed bill included this important amendment,” Brown, D-Ohio, said.

“This bipartisan legislation is critical to ensuring that our soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines have the vital resources needed to accomplish their national security missions around the world,” Portman, R-Ohio, said.” At a time when our country is under attack, passing this bill will help better prepare this administration and the next one to confront and defeat the threat from ISIL and radical Islamist terrorists.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.