Business Leader: Closure of 911th Threatens Thousands of Jobs

Officials from the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce said the planned closure of the Air Force Reserve's 911th Airlift Wing could impact as many as 2,500 military and civilian jobs in the Pittsburgh International Airport region.

"In speaking with our military folks over there, we believe that about $114 million in salaries are generated from the base," Sally Haas from the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce said. "It trickles down into related services. It's contracts, it's infrastructure and support services. That's a lot of money, and it's a big deal." 

The Air Force to retire each of the Moon-based airlift wing's C-130 aircraft and shutter the base as a part of an $8.7 billion military restructuring initiative aimed at drastically reducing federal defense spending. 

Citing a "changing geopolitical climate," the Air Force has targeted multiple bases for re-alignment, including the Moon's 171st Refueling Wing, which is slated to retire seven KC-135 refueling tanker planes under the plan. The reductions coincide with the winding down of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The Air Force did not address its plans for handling the assignments of more than 1,300 military personnel assigned to the 911th, which draws reservists from several states. There are 318 civilians employed at the base. Haas said the elimination of those jobs could leave a significant mark on the Moon area economy. 

Local Congressional leaders and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald expressed dismay last week at the decision to shutter the base. Haas said local political leaders and other officials met yesterday to discuss the matter. 

"[Congressional leaders] are being as proactive as they possibly can," Haas said. "There will be a meeting [Monday] to make sure that everybody is on the same page." 

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, yesterday said that he and other members of Congress plan to meet with Air Force officials regarding the closure plan.  

“I intend to clearly demonstrate the 911 Airlift Wing is one of the most cost-effective facilities in the Air Force,” Murphy said. 

Haas, a member Air Force Chief of Staff Civic Leader Program, learned early last week of Air Force plans to close the base while meeting with military officials in Washington, D.C. 

"I was hearing it on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, before the news came out," Haas said. "We were in Congressional offices, meeting with Congressional leaders about this." 

She said lawmakers might push to have the base assigned a new mission: Currently the base organizes airlift of airborne forces, equipment and supplies. That mission, however, ends with the retirement of its fleet of C-130 aircraft.

"So the base has lost their mission when they loose their aircraft, but if the base would get a re-mission it could potentially stay open," she said.

Haas said the 171st, which is only facing a reduction in aircraft, "are in a better position to stay intact." 

Haas said Congressional leaders plan to tout the cost-savings associated with the 911th and the 171st: The two bases share runways with the Pittsburgh International Airport, which the Allegheny County Airport Authority maintains. 

"The efficiency because of our relationship with Pitt makes the 911th a model for running a base in an economical way," she said. 

"We're just going to do everything that we can do," she said. "[The Air Force] had numbers wrong. They were quoting things that were wrong, and we want this based on facts." 

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