WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense plans to award $25 million to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station for the construction of a new fire station.

“As the Youngstown Air Reserve Station transitions to its new C-130J airframe, it is critical that it has a fire station that can support its mission requirements,” U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-14th, said in a statement announcing the funding. “I am proud to see this funding finally secured for the base, a major national security asset and employer in OH-14. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure the troops in Northeast Ohio have everything they need to protect our country.”

The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 15, provided DOD funding for fiscal year 2025 and required the Pentagon to submit plans to Congress detailing how it would spend those funds.

With the public release of its Military Construction Operating Plan, DOD confirmed its plans to provide the full $25 million for the YARS fire station project. The full plan can be viewed HERE. 

“We are grateful for Congressman Joyce’s successful efforts to secure $25 million for a new fire station at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station,” said Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. “Rep. Joyce worked with the community over the last two years to bring the new fire station at YARS to reality. We are grateful for his long-standing efforts and his recent efforts with his colleagues in Ohio to prioritize this project for the Defense Department.”

In May, Joyce and U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Jon Husted, R-Ohio, along with U.S. Reps. Michael Rulli, R-6th, and Mike Turner, R-10th, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reiterate the importance of finalizing funding for the fire station.

“This investment is a significant victory for Northeast Ohio – solidifying our region’s strategic importance and fostering positive economic growth,” Rulli said in a statement. “It ensures that Northeast Ohio remains not just relevant, but indispensable to our national security.”

YARS is home to the 910th Airlift Wing, which has a tactical airlift mission and is tasked with the Department of Defense’s sole aerial spray mission. On July 16, 2024, the base welcomed its first of eight new C-130J aircraft to replace the C-130H models.

Pictured at top: The first C-130J aircraft arrives at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station on July 16, 2024.