According to Air Force sources, the U.S. Senate may consider an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act when they return on December 9. The NDAA is voted on each year as part of defense authorization legislation. President Barack Obama said of signing NDAA for 2013 that the bill “authorizes essential support for service members and their families, renews vital national security programs, and helps ensure that the United States will continue to have the strongest military in the world.”
However, according to documents from the Air Force, the boots on the ground will be lacking the essential support provided by the A-10.
Currently, it is unclear whether Senator Kelly Ayotte’s amendment to secure funding for the A-10 will make it to the floor or not. According to sources, there are immeasurable political considerations involved. Senator Ayotte has filed a separate bill, outside of the NDAA, to save the A-10. Her intent is that this bill will be heard prior to the President’s budget rollout in Feb 2014.
US House Speaker John Boehner has harshly criticized the Democratic-run Senate for failing to pass two annual Pentagon bills, and has urged the upper chamber to “get serious.” In economic terms the situation is very serious to residents of communities like Tucson which is home to the A-10. Sources say that the plans for Tucson are as follows:
1. 354FS (A-10 Operational Unit) will close Oct 1, 2014. They will have flying hours cut prior to this date, likely will start after the President’s budget rollout in Feb 2014. People (jobs) will start departing Tucson in large numbers in summer 2014. Conservative direct job loss is 1000.
2. 357FS (A-10 Training Unit) will close Oct 1, 2015. They will have flying hours cut prior to this date and people will start departing Tucson in large numbers in summer 2015. Conservative direct job loss is 1000.
3. 47FS (A-10 Training Unit) will close Oct 1, 2018. The USAF is stating these aircraft will be replaced by an F-16 squadron, the aircraft will be coming from Hill AFB who is getting the F-35. This replacement plan is a bait and switch, meaning these jets will never come to Tucson. The first problem is the F-35 program has many issues. The F-35 will be late arriving to Hill AFB by at least one year and most likely two years. Next – the USAF does not have enough F-16s from Hill to provide to all the units they have promised them to…the F-16s are really going to Ft Worth TX and Homestead AFB FL..not to Tucson. Because the F-16s never arrive to Tucson – net loss in direct jobs is another 1000.
Using calculations previously reported by Davis-Monthan regarding the economic impact on the community of jobs at DMAFB, which injects $1.6 billion into the community annually, the loss of 1,000 jobs and the resulting loss to the community ranges between $341 million to $480 million annually.
According to Defense News, the Senate tried to finish its 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thanksgiving, but “basically gave up on Nov. 20 after a Democratic-Republican spat over amendments.” As a result, it is imperative that communities like Tucson, which has a vital economic interest in the continuation of the A-10 program, begin contacting the senate members before December 9.
To View the USAF A-10 DIVESTMENT PLAN click here.
Senate contact numbers:
Alexander, Lamar (TN)(202) 224-4944
Ayotte, Kelly (NH)(202) 224-3324
Baldwin, Tammy (WI)(202) 224-5653
Barrasso, John (WY)(202) 224-6441
Baucus, Max (MT)(202) 224-2651
Begich, Mark (AK)(202) 224-3004
Bennet, Michael F. (CO)(202) 224-5852
Blumenthal, Richard (CT)(202) 224-2823
Blunt, Roy (MO)(202) 224-5721
Booker, Cory A. (NJ)(202) 224-3224
Boozman, John (AR)(202) 224-4843
Boxer, Barbara (CA)(202) 224-3553
Brown, Sherrod (OH)(202) 224-2315
Burr, Richard (NC)(202) 224-3154
Cantwell, Maria (WA)(202) 224-3441
Cardin, Benjamin L. (MD)(202) 224-4524
Carper, Thomas R. (DE)(202) 224-2441
Casey, Robert P., Jr. (PA)(202) 224-6324
Chambliss, Saxby (GA)(202) 224-3521
Coats, Daniel (IN)(202) 224-5623
Coburn, Tom (OK)(202) 224-5754
Cochran, Thad (MS) (202) 224-5054
Collins, Susan M. (ME) (202) 224-2523
Coons, Christopher A. (DE) (202) 224-5042
Corker, Bob (TN) (202) 224-3344
Cornyn, John (TX)(202) 224-2934
Crapo, Mike (ID)(202) 224-6142
Cruz, Ted (TX)(202) 224-5922
Donnelly, Joe (IN)(202) 224-4814
Durbin, Richard J. (IL)(202) 224-2152
Enzi, Michael B. (WY)(202) 224-3424
Feinstein, Dianne (CA)(202) 224-3841
Fischer, Deb (NE)(202) 224-6551
Flake, Jeff (AZ)(202) 224-4521
Franken, Al (MN)(202) 224-5641
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (NY)(202) 224-4451
Graham, Lindsey (SC)(202) 224-5972
Grassley, Chuck (IA)(202) 224-3744
Hagan, Kay R. (NC)(202) 224-6342
Harkin, Tom (IA)(202) 224-3254
Hatch, Orrin G. (UT)(202) 224-5251
Heinrich, Martin (NM)(202) 224-5521
Heitkamp, Heidi (ND)(202) 224-2043
Heller, Dean (NV)(202) 224-6244
Hirono, Mazie K. (HI)(202) 224-6361
Hoeven, John (ND)(202) 224-2551
Inhofe, James M. (OK)(202) 224-4721
Isakson, Johnny (GA)(202) 224-3643
Johanns, Mike (NE)(202) 224-4224
Johnson, Ron (WI)(202) 224-5323
Johnson, Tim (SD)(202) 224-5842
Kaine, Tim (VA)(202) 224-4024
King, Angus S., Jr. (ME)(202) 224-5344
Kirk, Mark (IL)(202) 224-2854
Klobuchar, Amy (MN)(202) 224-3244
Landrieu, Mary L. (LA)(202) 224-5824
Leahy, Patrick J. (VT)(202) 224-4242
Lee, Mike (UT)(202) 224-5444
Levin, Carl (MI)(202) 224-6221
Manchin, Joe, (WV)(202) 224-3954
Markey, Edward J. (MA)(202) 224-2742
McCain, John (AZ)(202) 224-2235
McCaskill, Claire (MO)(202) 224-6154
McConnell, Mitch (KY)(202) 224-2541
Menendez, Robert (NJ)(202) 224-4744
Merkley, Jeff (OR)(202) 224-3753
Mikulski, Barbara A. (MD)(202) 224-4654
Moran, Jerry (KS)(202) 224-6521
Murkowski, Lisa (AK)(202) 224-6665
Murphy, Christopher (CT)(202) 224-4041
Murray, Patty (WA)(202) 224-2621
Nelson, Bill (FL)(202) 224-5274
Paul, Rand (KY)(202) 224-4343
Portman, Rob (OH)(202) 224-3353
Pryor, Mark L. (AR)(202) 224-2353
Reed, Jack (RI)(202) 224-4642
Reid, Harry (NV)(202) 224-3542
Risch, James E. (ID)(202) 224-2752
Roberts, Pat (KS)(202) 224-4774
Rockefeller, John D., IV (WV)(202) 224-6472
Rubio, Marco (FL)(202) 224-3041
Sanders, Bernard (VT)(202) 224-5141
Schatz, Brian (HI)(202) 224-3934
Schumer, Charles E. (NY)(202) 224-6542
Scott, Tim (SC)(202) 224-6121
Sessions, Jeff (AL)(202) 224-4124
Shaheen, Jeanne (NH)(202) 224-2841
Shelby, Richard C. (AL)(202) 224-5744
Stabenow, Debbie (MI)(202) 224-4822
Tester, Jon (MT)(202) 224-2644
Thune, John (SD)(202) 224-2321
Toomey, Patrick J. (PA)(202) 224-4254
Udall, Mark (CO)(202) 224-5941
Udall, Tom (NM)(202) 224-6621
Vitter, David (LA)(202) 224-4623
Warner, Mark R. (VA)(202) 224-2023
Warren, Elizabeth (MA)(202) 224-4543
Whitehouse, Sheldon (RI)(202) 224-2921
Wicker, Roger F. (MS)(202) 224-6253
Wyden, Ron (OR)(202) 224-5244