Air Force A-10 plans could cost Tucson up to $480 million annually

A-10
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia flies over Afghanistan in this 2011 photo.

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