Keep up the momentum for deployment center at air reserve base in Valley

The Mahoning Valley took a hit last month when state legislators denied funding a $1.2 million request to transform an unused cargo building at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport into a military deployment center for the adjacent air base.

Fortunately, however, a consortium of Mahoning Valley leaders and agencies recognized the importance and potential impact of the project and refused to give up their mission. Their perseverance paid off with acquisition of $250,000 in state funding to get the ball rolling toward paying off debt on the building and transferring it to the U.S. Air Force for a deployment center for tens of thousands of U.S. troops. It would be the sixth such facility in the Air Force network. In addition, the building would serve as a staging and response area in the event of an emergency in the region.

Given the strong start, the lead players must continue to work aggressively and cooperatively to make the project a done deal toward the center’s projected opening in 2018. The Youngstown Air Reserve Station and the Valley stand to reap myriad benefits, not the least of which is insulating the base more securely from downsizing or closure in the next round of Base Realignment and Closing expected within the next few years.

EVOLUTION OF THE PROJECT

Col. James Dignan, commander of the 910th Airlift Wing headquartered at the base, conceived the idea of the center to finally put to productive use a 13-acre cargo apron at the adjacent airport and 25,000-square-foot building originally intended for air cargo shipping. Despite several efforts over the past 15 years, those plans never materialized.

From a practical standpoint, failure to use the cargo apron and building for aviation-related activities could lead to a burdensome default on the $11 million Federal Aviation Administration grant the Western Reserve Port Authority used to build the apron 15 year ago.

Col. Dignan’s proposal calls for the facilities to be used as a place from which troops could be deployed from all branches of the military from Ohio and three neighboring states. The apron’s ability to handle large aircraft such as 747s and the relative ease of renovating the office building into a debarkation center have drawn the keen interest of state, federal and military officials alike.

Given that momentum, a variety of groups in the Valley joined forces to attract seed money for the project after full funding for the center was omitted from this year’s state capital budget. Those groups included the state and federal legislative delegations from the Valley, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, WRPA, Eastern Gateway Community College, YARS and others.

The group worked to redirect $250,000 in unused grant funding to EGCC and Lordstown for a failed oil and gas training facility in the village. Those funds were reappropriated for the debarkation center and inserted into separate legislation approved by the Legislature last week.

MUCH WORK REMAINS

Though those efforts represent a great start, clearly much more work remains. About $800,000 more will be needed to completely pay off the bond on the building and donate it to the Air Force, which likely would finance the necessary renovations.

That’s why it’s important that all partners in the project remain united and committed to carry it forward.

According to state Rep. Sean O’ Brien of Bazetta, D-63rd, discussions already have begun to include funding for the debarkation center in next year’s biennium budget and to ensure full support for it from legislative leaders.

We would also urge the Valley’s congressional delegation to exhaust any and all funding opportunities from federal sources.

Clearly, aggressive lobbying for the funding would be well worth the effort. After all, the economic impact of the airbase to the Valley remains great, and the influx of thousands of troops here would expand that impact greatly.

Most importantly, the center would expand exponentially the importance of the base to the U.S. military. YARS would then be less likely a target for closing as the inevitable shrinkage of the nation’s military assets continues. As a result, momentum for the deployment center must continue at full throttle.