AIR FORCE RESERVE STATION Senators wants answers on cargo planes' removal

Base officials say no jobs will be lost.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- Ohio's U.S. senators are pushing for answers about how the planned removal of four cargo planes from the Youngstown Air Force Reserve Station will affect base operations.
The Pentagon announced plans last year to permanently move four of the 16 C-130H aircraft from the 910th Airlift Wing in Vienna to a base in Minneapolis.
The first of the four planes was to leave next year, but that has been postponed because the unit that was to receive them has been deployed overseas, said base spokesman Master Sgt. Bryan Ripple.
They would be moved one at a time over a period of years, he said.
Questions
"We would like to know what plans are in place to bring replacement aircraft to the 910th Airlift Wing, allowing this unit to continue to perform its important role in support of the United States Armed Forces," Sens. George V. Voinovich and Mike DeWine said in a letter Wednesday to the secretary of the Air Force.
"We would also like to know the specific impact this transfer will have on personnel authorizations, and what plans are in place to reassign affected individuals, if necessary. For example, we are told this decision puts at risk roughly 34 full-time and 100 part-time positions in fiscal year 2004," the letter continues.
No job loss expected
Base officials believe that planes to be moved from the local base will not be replaced, Ripple said.
They do not believe, however, there will be any accompanying job loss, he said.
"General [Michael] Gjede does not expect any jobs to be affected at the base," Ripple said. Gjede is the base commander.
Officials expected that the airlift wing would complete the same number of missions, with the same number of people, by putting the 12 remaining planes to more frequent use, he said.
Community leaders have expressed hope that the Air Force could move additional aircraft to the Youngstown Air Force Reserve Station if it survives the next round of military base closures, scheduled to be announced in 2005.
siff@vindy.com