32 replies to this topic

[sbelcher]

Has anybody else heard the rumor about AFRC shutting down 3 C-130 wings starting in Feb 2012

[SQUAWK3274]

I haven't, but I sure hope not...that would be a great way to finish up here at The Rock - finally qual'd and no where to go. Where did you hear that?

Edited by SQUAWK3274, 22 December 2011 - 12:23 AM.

[MC5Wes]

Pittsburgh is shutting down. Its part of the 2005 BRAC. The planes are moving to Pope.

[HerkFE]

Well I'm an O.R.F. now but one of my buds who is still in said the AFRC boss was at my old unit last week. He told them something to the effect that he had some big decisions to make soon and that he wanted them to know that it wasn't personal, just business. So the rumor that is going around there is that they are on the short list.

MC5Wes, on 22 December 2011 - 03:11 AM, said:

Pittsburgh is shutting down. Its part of the 2005 BRAC. The planes are moving to Pope.

Uhhh, their planes have been gone to Pope but they got the Oklahoma City Guard's iron and are still open. Oklahoma City Guard moved across town to Tinker, converted to the -135, and share the iron with the AFRC unit.

[Loach]

I thought Pittsburgh was saved from the 2005 BRAC? As I remember it (having been at Willow Grove at the time), both Pitt and Willow Grove were on the BRAC list. That forced the PA congressional delegation and governor to pick one to fight for, and they chose to make the case for Pittsburgh, and it was taken off the list. I always thought they wanted to close Willow Grove, but knew that if Pittsburgh didn't make the list, that the PA congressional delegation would fight hard to save it. By adding Pittsburgh, they out-politicked the politicians.

[TacoJohn]

Quote

Pittsburgh is shutting down. Its part of the 2005 BRAC. The planes are moving to Pope

Uhhhhhhhhhh........What?

[HerkFE]

Loach, on 22 December 2011 - 07:47 AM, said:

I thought Pittsburgh was saved from the 2005 BRAC? As I remember it (having been at Willow Grove at the time), both Pitt and Willow Grove were on the BRAC list. That forced the PA congressional delegation and governor to pick one to fight for, and they chose to make the case for Pittsburgh, and it was taken off the list. I always thought they wanted to close Willow Grove, but knew that if Pittsburgh didn't make the list, that the PA congressional delegation would fight hard to save it. By adding Pittsburgh, they out-politicked the politicians.

Not sure about all of the details with Willow Grove but Pitt was saved but did have to send their ~ late 80's birds to Pope and they got the late 70's models from OKC.

[MC5Wes]

Sorry about that. Before I became an ART I was a Traditional at the 171st at Pittsburgh. And didnt know they swapped tails after I left the area.

Anyways, I was told last week that we needed to hire any new ARTs right away. As priority placement from the C-130 units being closed would come first. The only unit mentioned was Pittsburgh. If the rumour is 3 units. Then thats about a 35 percent cut.

94th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
302d Airlift Wing, (C-130) Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
440th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina
908th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
910th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Base, Ohio
911th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania
914th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York
934th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota

[lloyd christmas]

Maybe that it how they plan on filling the jobs at the new reserve squadron that is standing up at Little Rock.

[Royal]

MC5Wes, on 23 December 2011 - 10:48 AM, said:

94th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
302d Airlift Wing, (C-130) Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
440th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina
908th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
910th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Base, Ohio
911th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania
914th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York
934th Airlift Wing, (C-130) Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota

So you're saying these are the units that might be on the chopping block?

[MC5Wes]

These are the C-130 Squadrons minus the AFRC Rescue, Special Ops and Weather units. Did anyone hear anything about closing any of them?

[Loach]

I would think that unit at Pope AAF (or whatever it is now) is safe. If they close the 440th, then there'll be nothing based at Pope for direct support for the 82nd and XVIIIth Airborne Corps. If they shut down a reserve unit that's co-located with a Guard unit (like Niagra Falls or Pittsburgh), what does that mean for the guard unit located there at well? Seems hard to think that there'd be much savings from simply reducing the number of tails at a location (i.e. somebody still has to pay to maintain a "base", right)? Although the guard did stay open at Willow Grove (w/o tails). I agree that it would probably make more sense to close/consolidate a stand-alone unit (not that I want to see any body close) like Youngstown.

[HerkFE]

Loach, on 27 December 2011 - 10:07 AM, said:

I would think that unit at Pope AAF (or whatever it is now) is safe. If they close the 440th, then there'll be nothing based at Pope for direct support for the 82nd and XVIIIth Airborne Corps. If they shut down a reserve unit that's co-located with a Guard unit (like Niagra Falls or Pittsburgh), what does that mean for the guard unit located there at well? Seems hard to think that there'd be much savings from simply reducing the number of tails at a location (i.e. somebody still has to pay to maintain a "base", right)? Although the guard did stay open at Willow Grove (w/o tails). I agree that it would probably make more sense to close/consolidate a stand-alone unit (not that I want to see any body close) like Youngstown.

Loach, what you are saying makes sense. The problem is these closures/consolidations/BRACs (call it what you want) are rarely done in a manner that makes sense and saves money. It's always done according deals made in back rooms and on the golf course.

[MC5Wes]

It never makes any sense. The Air Force closed down the F-15 FTU at Tyndall. And now they are going to restart it. By closing my TFI unit. And using the aircraft.

[matmacwc]

MC5Wes, on 31 December 2011 - 10:51 AM, said:

It never makes any sense. The Air Force closed down the F-15 FTU at Tyndall. And now they are going to restart it. By closing my TFI unit. And using the aircraft.

Must be at Nellis, are they letting you PCS down there?

[MC5Wes]

I wish. I would give my left you know what to be an ART in Panama City.

Right now they have not announced where the new FTU will be located.

So in the mean time I have been assigned to another unit on base.

[MC5Wes]

Another article about the Air Force losing airframes.

http://www.wired.com...cut/#more-68545

Danger Room has learned that around 200 airplanes, mostly older models, will eventually be retired without replacement. That represents about a 5 percent reduction in the overall fleet of about 4,000 aircraft. Exactly which planes will go is unclear. But under any scenario, the positions of thousands of airmen who fly and maintain those planes will be phased out. The majority of those airmen will be reservists and Air National Guardsmen.

[matmacwc]

Who is Danger Room?

[Magnum]

matmacwc, on 04 January 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

Who is Danger Room?

The division at wired.com.

According to the picture in that article, apparently at least 1 of the aircraft will be a Mig-21.