In the News

Rep. Renee Ellmers is calling for the Air Force to prove it can support the Home of the Airborne without a dedicated airlift wing.

Ellmers, whose congressional district includes Fort Bragg, met Monday with local military leaders and the chief of the Air Force Reserve.

She discussed the pending inactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing, which currently flies the only C-130s permanently based at Fort Bragg.

The Air Force plans to inactivate the Reserve wing in September, the end of the fiscal year.

Last week, Army officials signed off on the plan, which local leaders have fought for nearly two years.

After her meetings, Ellmers said saving the 440th was her No. 1 priority. Congress has 90 days to review the decision.

Ellmers said the Air Force needs to prove to Congress that it can do what it promises by showing definitive proof that it can support the majority of Army airlift requests over a 12-month span.

Ellmers said she wants the inactivation delayed for at least that long, but said she would prefer a two-year hold on the decision to allow time for a new president and new defense leaders to take office.

"The wisest decision we can make is to just put this on hold for two years," she said. "We need to take a step backward."

Air Force officials have said they can meet Fort Bragg training needs with outside air crews.

Those crews already support the majority of accepted missions on Fort Bragg.

But critics of the plan question the economics of such an operation and the ability of the Air Force to support operations on Fort Bragg when they already fall short of what the Army asks to do.

In recent months, several Fort Bragg leaders have expressed concerns about the availability of Air Force planes, even as commanders have pushed for more airborne training.

Ellmers had two meetings on Fort Bragg.

In one, she met with Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commanding general of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps,

In the other, she met with Lt. Gen. James "JJ" Jackson, the chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, and the 440th command team, Col. Karl A. Schmitkons and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky V. Hart.

Jackson was on Fort Bragg to meet with local leaders.

Originally, he was not slated to meet with any airmen from the 440th, but plans changed over the weekend, airmen said.

When asked how the meetings went, Ellmers praised the local leaders.

"I can't say enough about our leadership at Fort Bragg," she said. "They understand the decisions and are dealing with it the best they can."

Ellmers said the meetings were encouraging and only reaffirmed her belief of the importance of the 440th.

"This is not something we can walk away from," Ellmers said. "I just don't believe their plan is going to work."

Ellmers returns to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and said she will meet with leaders in the House to discuss what comes next.

In the meantime, Ellmers encouraged local supporters of the 440th to have their voice, heard, too.

She encouraged residents to write letters of support to local media and others in Congress.

"This is the time to do it," Ellmers said. "We need to come together as a community."

The article above appeared in The Fayetteville Observer, February 9, 2016