YARS important to Valley, nation

By Thomas Humphries

The Vindicator

The Valley is incredibly fortunate to serve as the home to multiple branches of the United States military and contribute to the continued safety and well-being of the nation. The Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which maintains Air Reserve, Naval Reserve and Marine Corps units, generates more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the Valley and more than $100 million of economic impact. Meanwhile, the Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center straddles Portage and Trumbull counties and serves as a large hub for the Ohio Army National Guard. More than unique assets, these installations underscore national pride and community vitality.

We proudly watch as our 910th Reservists lead C-130 aerial sprays over the oil-ravaged Gulf Coast or deploy on missions into hostile Middle Eastern regions. These tremendous resources also serve our region in many other ways, through impressive air shows, base emergency service activities and the Air Force’s novel municipal-blight removal training program.

Nonetheless, all military installations are increasingly at risk for reductions as the government struggles with steep budget imbalances. Our airbase has not been spared from this reality. We appreciate the Pentagon’s effort to quickly scale operations to meet spending levels and understand the important role of the active duty military. However, recognizing the challenges at hand, our political and military leaders must aggressively promote increased reliance upon our citizen-soldiers in the Reserve and Guard as a prudent means to staff a robust national defense while maintaining financial restraint.

Cost savings

This strategy is supported by separate recommendations from the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force (NCSAF) and from the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB). Last year the NCSAF recommended increasing the Reserve component of the Air Force and noted that almost $2 billion of cost savings potential could be realized by “... moving approximately 36,000 additional active airmen into the reserve components.” In response to the report, the Air Force issued its own analysis and agreed that, “ ... growth primarily in the Reserve Component is an effective and efficient option to reduce risk and meet known war-fighting demand.”

Further, the RFPB has recommended similar policies, and in February 2014, the board issued a report in response to questions from then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Here are some highlights:

The Pentagon should avoid placing the Reserves “on a shelf” waiting for the next major conflict and instead continue to use the Reserves during relative times of peace.

“Numerous costing studies suggest that the Department (of Defense) can maintain more of our defense capability and capacity for less cost with the Reserve Components.”

The Guard and Reserve, “through a decade of investment and war,” is greatly improved, so continued spending on Reserve Component readiness is advised.

With support from Ohio’s newly formed state military commissions and the continued advocacy of our federal delegation, including U.S. Sens.Portman and Brown and Reps. Ryan, Johnson and Joyce, we will enhance our contribution to national defense through the Reserve and Guard. Yet, it remains our responsibility as citizens to appreciate the regional contribution and global impact of those in uniform serving right here in our community.

Humphries is a military veteran and president & CEO of the Regional Chamber, which recently launched the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission with additional support from the Western Reserve Port Authority, Trumbull 100 and Trumbull County Community Foundation.