It's official: Base will be secure

Congress voted 324-85 to not change the BRAC report that keeps the Valley air base open.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
VIENNA -- The Youngstown Air Reserve Station has survived what U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan called the final hurdle to securing its future when the House defeated an effort to reject the final report of the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
President Bush had previously signed off on the BRAC 2005 report Sept. 8 and sent it back to Congress on Sept. 15, which triggered a 45-legislative day period for Congress to reject the report.
Since the BRAC Commission's report spares the air reserve station from closure, Thursday's vote -- 324-85 -- represented the last remaining threat to one of the Mahoning Valley's most important facilities, said Ryan, of Niles, D-17.
"The entire community came together to support the air base, and we can all breathe a final sigh of relief, & quot; he said.
"The last legal nail has been put in the BRAC 2005 process," said Reid Dulberger, co-chairman of Operation: Save Our Airbase Reservists, and executive vice president of the Regional Chamber.
Donations to be returned
Operation: SOAR is winding down, and expects to return about 50 percent of the money donated by private contributors by the end of the year. Because YARS was not on the BRAC closure list, only about half of the financial war chest was needed, he said.
Retired Brig. Gen. Michael Gjede, former commander of the Air Force Reserve's 910th Airlift Wing at the base, said he is thrilled about the way the BRAC report turned out.
"The community came together ... and the base stood on its own merits," said Gjede, who was executive director of Operation: SOAR. He left SOAR immediately after President Bush signed off on the BRAC report.
He said Operation: SOAR was prepared to respond should the air base have been on BRAC's closure list. Even though that proved unnecessary, he believes the operation played an important role in energizing the community and making it more aware of the air station.
Strong leadership
Ryan commended the leadership of Operation: SOAR, who he said dedicated so much time and effort to protecting the reserve station.
"Their efforts are deeply appreciated, not only by me, but also by all of our men and women in uniform serving at the base, & quot; Ryan said.
The base is the area's fifth-largest employer in the Mahoning Valley, with 2,400 workers, and the facility estimates it puts more than $120 million into the local economy and has created more than 700 off-base jobs. It also houses Navy and Marine reserve operations.
It provides the only full-time, fixed-wing aerial spray capability in the Department of Defense. In addition, the air base's reservists have aided relief efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and contributed to several recent military operations including Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Ryan said.
alcorn@vindy.com