Sen. Brown tries to prevent loss of planes at Guard base in Mansfield
Bucyrus Telegraph Forum — The Pentagon outlined plans Thursday to shrink the U.S. military, including a recommendation that an aircraft program at Mansfield Air National Guard Base go on the chopping block.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said termination of the C-27J Spartan aircraft program could put about 350 full-time jobs and 1,000 part-time jobs in jeopardy and raise questions about the future of the base.
“There’s no question that we need to reduce our deficit. But we shouldn’t do it on the backs of the hard-working men and women of the 179th Airlift Wing,” Brown said.
Brown sent a letter Thursday to President Barack Obama asking him to reject proposals to eliminate the C-27J program until the ramifications have been fully studied.
If the program is eliminated, Brown asked the president to ensure the Department of Defense identify a replacement mission for the Mansfield base, which has been threatened with closure in the past.
