Portman should lead fight to keep Valley’s base open

In the not so distant past, state and national officeholders – and candidates for the positions – would stand in front of the rusting edifices that marked the death of the Mahoning Valley’s steel industry and pledge to fight on behalf of the economically depressed region.

Many promises were made, but relatively few were kept. It thus took more than two decades for the Valley to stabilize its economy and begin the rebuilding process.

Today, politicians pay a visit to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Township and pledge to fight any attempt to close the base, which is home to the 910th Airlift Wing. The threat of closure by the Pentagon gets more serious each year, which is why we have long advocated a coordinated campaign involving political, business and community leaders.

Last month, we noted in this space that the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission will be making its recommendations in 2017.

Congressional mandate

The commission has a congressional mandate to reduce the number of military installations in this country to bring about cuts in Defense spending. There have been previous base closings, and there will be others in the future.

That’s why laserlike vigilance is demanded.

The YARS has been successful over the years in making the case to Washington that the facility is essential to the nation’s defense strategy. It does help that the YARS is one of the most cost-effective military installations in the country.

But, let there be no misunderstanding: There is a political component – even though no one in Congress or the administration of President Barack Obama will admit to it – that comes into play when all things are equal.

Therefore, the Valley needs to round up all the support it can on Capitol Hill. We have previously acknowledged the roles played by this region’s two congressmen, Tim Ryan, D-Howland, and Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, and of Ohio’s two senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman.

Of the four, Portman is in the strongest position to lead the fight for the YARS. As a member of the majority party, the senator can make deals with his colleagues in Congress to benefit the facility. His membership on the powerful budget committee gives him the ability to interact with the heads of departments and their staffs.

During a visit to the air reserve station in Vienna earlier this month, Sen. Portman reiterated what we and others have been saying for some time: Equipment and the fleet of airplanes operated by the 910th Airlift Wing must be upgraded.

The senator contended the unit is “important for our country” because it has a unique mission.

“They help around the globe with their spraying mission not just to deal with mosquito infestations, but to deal with oil spills – for instance, the big one in the Gulf of Mexico recently.” The 910th is also responsible for getting rid of undesirable vegetation, especially in places where troops are deployed.

High praise

The 910th is the Department of Defense’s only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray unit. The senator praised the men and women for the job they’re doing “with old equipment.”

We wholeheartedly agree, which is why we call on Portman to use his influence and his connections with the Pentagon to persuade the decision-makers to modernize the fleet of aircraft.

Congressman Ryan, who made the air base a top priority immediately after taking office in 2003, introduced language in the fiscal year 2016 House Defense Spending Bill to give the Air Force Reserve special-mission units, including the 910th, access to new equipment, including the C-130J airplanes, which are already being used by the Air Force’s Active Component.

The new planes are technologically advanced compared with the C-130Hs now in use by the 910th.

Portman said all the right things when he visited the base. Now, we urge him to do all the right things, including working with his colleagues from Ohio to persuade the Defense Department to reward the YARS for doing such an outstanding job of not only accomplishing its mission but saving taxpayer dollars.