AIR RESERVE STATION $1 million upgrade to help save base, Ryan says

Rep. Tim Ryan is working to obtain more money for the facility.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
VIENNA -- The more federal money obtained by the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, the better its chance of surviving the next round of base closings, said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, presented a $1 million check today to Brig. Gen. Michael F. Gjede, the outgoing commander of the 910th Airlift Wing, the major military component at the base.
"The No. 1 priority for me and my office is to keep this base here," Ryan said. "Any money we get brings us one step closer to saving the base. Upgrading our equipment will help keep the base here."
The money comes from the 2003 U.S. Defense Appropriations Bill, and will be used to upgrade aerial mosquito-spraying equipment at the base.
The station hosts the U.S. Department of Defense's only fixed-wing mosquito-spraying unit.
The station has six sets of spray equipment, each worth about $1 million. The funds will allow two to four of the sets to be upgraded to disperse an even finer spray, Gjede said.
"Our spray systems are 1980s technology, and it's starting to show its age," Gjede said. "The technology for spraying has improved vastly over the years. This $1 million will go a long way towards improving our system."
The federal government is tentatively scheduled to announce next year the closure of about one-quarter of the nation's military bases.
The U.S. House voted last month to delay the implementation of the Base Realignment and Closure process for two years. The U.S. Senate and the Bush administration want the process to go on as planned in 2005. The two legislative bodies will hold a conference committee to work out the differences in the two bills.
Also, President Bush would veto any defense bill that delays the base closure plan, and the House doesn't appear to have the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto.
Taking action
Local air base supporters are preparing plans to save the base under the assumption that the BRAC list will be released next year. Local supporters say the air base employs 2,400 people and contributes nearly $100 million annually into the Mahoning Valley's economy.
A $45,000 study conducted by The Spectrum Group, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm, on the base's strengths and weaknesses is expected to be finished next month. Operation: Save Our Airbase Reservists, a local group of political and business officials, is spearheading the effort to keep the base open, and hired the D.C. company.
Also, Ryan, a big booster of the base and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is working to obtain more money for the military facility. Ryan was able to place $954,000 for the base in the 2004 Defense Authorization Bill to plan and design housing facilities for reservists at the base.
The base needs $10 million to build the facility, Gjede said.
If it survives the House-Senate conference committee, the money would be used to plan and design a 131-room lodging facility for reservists.
skolnick@vindy.com