Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 04, 2012

Pentagon bows to politics in 911th's survival

By Brian Bowling

The Pentagon's decision to delay the closing of a local air base amid pressure from local officials illustrates how politics shapes decisions of national security.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta acknowledged in a June 22 letter to lawmakers that growing congressional opposition raises the likelihood that next year's budget won't allow the Air Force to retire older aircraft and close the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon.

"While the Air Force could proceed with these previously addressed moves, the more prudent course of action is to take a cautious approach," Panetta wrote.

He said the Defense Department would wait until at least the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, to determine whether Congress, in developing the Pentagon's budget, would provide "clear support for a way forward."

A Pentagon spokeswoman declined to say what would happen if Congress does not pass spending legislation by Sept. 30.

The Air Force has proposed closing the 911th and cutting staffing at the Air National Guard's adjacent 171st Air Refueling Wing in Findlay to help it meet a five-year goal of cutting spending by $8.7 billion while updating its fleet.

In May, Panetta toed a harder line when he said if Congress forces the Air Force to keep spending money on aircraft and facilities it no longer needs, it will have to cut back modernization efforts.

Ultimately, Congress risks "hollowing out" the military, he said.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, and Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, have led the fight to keep the 911th open and the 171st at its current staffing. Neither agrees with Panetta's assessment.

"It's dumbfounding to hear anyone suggest that saving the 911th Airlift Wing somehow endangers national security," Murphy said. "The assertion is preposterous. House and Senate lawmakers adopted legislation to keep the 911th open because we proved it is one of our nation's most valuable bases."

Two defense analysts split on whether Congress is interfering with national security.

John Pike, an analyst who operates GlobalSecurity.org, said the Reserve and Guard air units demonstrated in Afghanistan and Iraq that they are as effective as the active-duty units, and that has left the Air Force in a bind.

Moving more of its forces to Guard and Reserve units would save money by lowering personnel costs, but it would limit promotion opportunities for active-duty officers, he said.

"I think that's what is driving (the Air Force plan)," he said. "What they're starting with is maintaining promotion opportunities in the active component."

Mark Gunzinger, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and a former senior adviser to the Air Force, said the plan makes tough choices, but is in the best interest of the country's long-term security.

"His isn't a case of the active versus the reserve; it's a case of how can the Air Force best balance its resources," he said. "You can pick apart individual moves, individual bases and the impact on localities, but you have to look at the whole."

Air Force officials announced plans in February to close the 911th. The base had been slated to close by September 2013.

Casey said Panetta's letter delaying a decision on the 911th shows a willingness by the Pentagon to discuss the base closing.

"We still got a lot of work to do," he said.