 |
Maj. Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst (third from right), Ohio adjutant general, discusses the capabilities of the 179th Airlift Wing's C-27J Spartan aircraft March 19, 2012, in Mansfield, Ohio, with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (from left), U.S. Rep Jim Jordan, U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. The C-27J is capable of transporting troops and supplies to rugged areas with its ability to land on short, unimproved landing strips. If a landing is not possible or feasible, the troops or supplies can be delivered from the air utilizing a sophisticated parachute system. |
MANSFIELD, Ohio (March 23, 2012) — For more than five years, the C-27J Spartan aircraft has soared high above the sky, proving itself as a critical tool for delivering supplies and troops here at home and overseas.
On March 19 the 179th Airlift Wing hosted a media day to rally support to save the C-27J Spartan aircraft program from the Department of Defense's recently proposed budget cuts. Congress has tasked the DOD with cutting nearly $500 billion from its budget over the next decade.
As part of a broader effort to control defense spending, the Air Force's fiscal year 2013 budget request includes the elimination of the C-27J Spartan aircraft program and mission at the Mansfield Air National Guard Base, home of the 179th Airlift Wing, which would result in the elimination of 794 Ohio Air National Guard jobs. Of that, 309 are full-time positions and 485 are part-time positions.
Attending the event were U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, and U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, Pat Tiberi and Bob Gibbs. All vowed to work in a bipartisan manner to petition the Air Force's recommendation.
Portman said the base is critical for the Mansfield economy, and the C-27J aircraft is more cost effective than the C-130 Hercules, a larger cargo transport aircraft that the 179th previously flew.
"This plane operates at about $2,100 an hour," Portman said. "The larger C-130 aircraft that the Air Force is proposing to have replace the C-27J operates between $6,000 and $7,000 an hour."
Members of the Ohio delegation said they're working with their colleagues in Congress to inform them about the mission and capabilities of the C-27J aircraft, and the importance of reducing the Defense budget in a sensible way.
Proving its worth overseas last year in Afghanistan, the C-27J Spartan aircraft also is an important tool in accomplishing the Homeland Defense mission.
"The C-27J can land in places after natural disasters in the United States such as in the case of the awful tornado that just occurred in southern Ohio," Brown said. "It is more environmentally sound."
Brown said the delegation plans to build bipartisan support around the country for the National Guard.
The community of Mansfield has also taken a strong interest in the fate of the C-27J aircraft and mission. John A. Brown, chair of the Richland Community Development Group, said the future of the of Mansfield's local Guard members is a very personal matter.
"These 179th Guard members are our neighbors and friends — it would be devastating," Chairman Brown said. "We're talking about a loss of jobs in an area that has already been hit hard by the recent recession. It would be a huge hit on Lahm Airport, one of our community's greatest resources. Without the 179th, its future is in jeopardy as well — it all interconnects."
Maj. Jeff Capretto, a C-27J pilot who returned in November from a deployment to Afghanistan, said the aircraft serves an invaluable purpose.
"We cover what's called the 'last tactical mile,' where we take everything from water to blood to bullets to our troops located in remote areas, and now to be in the situation for it to be taken away, and lose the mission we have supporting the Army (with) — it's very disheartening," Capretto said.
The Ohio National Guard's senior leadership has taken Capretto's and other 179th AW members' conviction to heart, and is working with the Ohio delegation to keep the C-27J and the Mansfield base operational.
Maj. Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst, Ohio adjutant general, says she is focused on the mission at hand.
"We're going to keep this aircraft," Ashenhurst said. "I'm sensitive to what happens in Mansfield because they represent a large portion of what the Ohio National Guard contributes. What's right for Mansfield is right for our nation." |
