Wing commander grateful for support

The air base provided about $100 million to the local economy this year.
VIENNA -- The 910th Airlift Wing was busy this year, including efforts to keep its home -- the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.
"I want to thank the local community for standing shoulder to shoulder with us during one of the most challenging and dynamic years in the history of our airlift wing," Col. Timothy J. Thomson, wing commander, said Thursday.
In May, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld released his list of military base closures and realignment recommendations.
Although the list to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission didn't include the local base, the community stood strong in an effort to retain it in case it was added to the list later.
"Many consider our base one of the finest Air Force Reserve Command installations in the country. Their praise holds no merit without including all the wonderful people who supported this base," Thomson said.
Positive decision
He explained that the commission's decision strengthens the Mahoning and Shenango valleys through job preservation and other economic positives.
The wing provided more than $110 million to the local economy, including military and civilian payrolls, job creation for contractors who work on the base and indirect jobs created in the local community.
In July, more than 90 reservists from the 757th Airlift Squadron, one of the two squadrons assigned to the 910th, flew combat missions from February 2003 through August 2004.
The squadron supported six military operations, including Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, flying 3,400 missions and transporting 26,000 people and 5,000 tons of cargo.
Second unit
The second unit of the 910th, the 773th Airlift Squadron, transported more than 50,000 people and 9,000 tons of cargo during 5,500 missions during the six operations.
The 910th remains the only full-time, fixed-wing aerial spray unit in the Department of Defense. It was used during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to keep insect-borne diseases from spreading.
During this year, the unit flew 71 sorties for a total of 231 hours and sprayed more than 3 million acres.
Also during the year, all 12 of the 910th C-130 aircraft deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom -- a mission capability of 89.2 percent, which is 10 percent higher than the standard.
The base saw $5 million in construction during the year. The projects included the addition of sprinkler systems, repairs to lodging, road and parking lot maintenance, fire suppression upgrades in hangars, night vision lighting system for runways and upgrades in security.