Local Bases Slated For Closure Given 1-Year Reprieve

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The 911th Airlift Wing and 171st Air Refueling Wing have been given new life – at least for now.

Both bases had been slated to close, but it appears that decision will be delayed by at least one year, which will save about 2,500 jobs for now.

Initially, both were being closed in an effort to save the Air Force some money. However, the Pentagon has issued a stay in all structural adjustments and base realignments.

One of the people at the forefront of the effort to save both of the bases is U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy.

"So, this is good news for our local bases - the 911th and 171st. We're excited about this. We still have a long way to go, but it does give us a lot of time to make sure we're working with the Secretary of Defense. The other good news is it got to his attention. This is what we'd hoped all along because for the longest time the Secretary of Defense was not aware of the details of these closures," Rep. Murphy said.

Both of the units have consistently rated high in both readiness and proficiency and had been on many missions when it came to the War on Terror.

The Department of Defense studies acknowledged the 911th employs 2,500 people with an annual economic impact of $93 million, while the 171st has 1,400 employees with an annual economic impact of $54 million.

However, the Pentagon is looking to cut $870 billion from their budget over the next 10 years.

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