The commanding general at the military base in Fort Bragg, N.C., has offered his support for keeping an airlift wing that the Air Force is seeking to dismantle, the Fayetteville Observer reports.
Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps, told the Fayetteville Regional Chamber on Monday that the 440th Airlift Wing "should not go." The Air Force has already initiated efforts to move personnel from the 440th, which is mostly a reserve unit of about 1,200 airmen.
The 440th assists with training for several airborne units at the base, including the 18th Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and special operations forces. Those forces are often called upon to respond to security emergencies around the world.
Critics say removing permanent planes from Fort Bragg would hamper the readiness of the airborne contingency units and ultimately prove more costly. Planes will have to be flown in from other bases for training missions.
"Of all places in the world, why would we take that capability away from Fort Bragg?" Anderson said.
The Air Force has yet to submit a legally mandated report to Congress on the future of the C-130 aircraft flown by the 440th. Air Force Reserve officials say they are allowed to move people, if not planes, from the unit in response to budget constraints.
Anderson’s comments add to mounting support on Capitol Hill for maintaining the airlift unit. Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) expressed concerns on Friday about the proposed inactivation of the 440th in a letter to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.
"The anticipated deactivation of the 440th AW would come at a time when the nation is facing growing uncertainty abroad that could require a military response—a response that only forces at Fort Bragg can provide," Tillis wrote.