MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — Air Force Secretary Michael Donley came to the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township at the request of U.S. Senator Bob Casey who urged him to tour the base which has been ordered to shut down.

The secretary spent two hours at the base which immediately made an impression.

“They indicated now they didn’t know we had as much land available for future growth, that they thought we were landlocked here – that’s not the case,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

“We were able to take him on a tour, show him – show him and the general some of the areas that they could utilize for future flights.”

The local leaders and base commanders all laid out their arguments about cost efficiencies, the effectiveness of the 911th and its strategic location.

“I actually asked the secretary before he left, ‘Did we give him some other things to think about?’ and he said, ‘Yes, definitely,’” Sally Haas with the Airport Area Regional Chamber of Commerce said. “So, I think that’s encouraging that he obviously saw some things.”

While supporters of the 911th are optimistic, Secretary Donley left without making any commitment or giving any timetable for a decision.

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