PRESS RELEASE
from the office of
CONGRESSMAN JOHN SHIMKUS
website: www.house.gov/shimkus
e-mail: steven.tomaszewski@mail.house.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steven Tomaszewski
June 21, 2006
618/344-3065; 618/322-9246
Washington, DC
..Congressmen John Shimkus (R, Illinois-19) and Jerry Costello
(D, Illinois-12) announced today that they have secured $33.5 million to maintain
the
C-9 airplanes and begin the new C-40 mission of the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott
Air
Force Base. The funds are part of the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal
year 2007.
"This is another strong endorsement of the critical role Scott Air Force
Base plays in
our national defense," said Costello. "The tremendous efforts of the
men and women
at Scott cannot be overstated. These funds are particularly important as we
are less than
a year away from the arrival of the first C-40."
"Jerry and I continue to work together to provide Scott Air Force Base
with the highest
levels of funding for the military personnel serving at Scott and for the military
equipment necessary to carry out the duties assigned to Scott," stated
Shimkus.
Personnel costs will account for $6.2 million of the total, with the rest being
used for a
variety of functions related to maintaining the C-9s and preparing for the arrival
of the
C-40s. The C-40 is the military version of the 737 and has numerous airlift
capabilities.
Scott AFB is the largest employer south of Springfield and is the fourth-largest
employer
in the St. Louis region. The 932nd Airlift Wing employs 1,000 Reservists and
civilians.
It is estimated that Scott has an economic impact of more than $2 billion on
the local
and regional economy every year.
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