Lawmakers from Ohio and Texas are assessing how Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has done since a 2008 Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC. Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio’s 10thdistrict and Congressman John Carter from Texas spent about four hours Monday touring Wright-Patt facilities.
Carter is Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations. His visit to Wright-Patt was in part to look at results of the 2008 BRAC that brought a $230 million investment in military construction at the base. It also brought more than 1,000 new jobs to the area.
“I will tell you what you’re doing is premiere and outstanding, and they’re doing great work in various areas," he said.
Turner says another round of BRAC is on the way, possibly as early as 2017, and he hopes it will be good for Wright-Patt—maybe consolidating more operations here.
“As you look at Wright-Patt," the congressman said, "we certainly hope the Department of Defense would follow congressman Carter’s analysis of looking at core bases and core operational centers, and then consolidating in those, that would certainly give us an advantage here locally.”
The last BRAC turned out well for Wright-Patt, but sequestration and budget cuts have had negative impacts recently. This summer thousands of civilian workers at the base were offered the option to retire early or take a buyout in an effort to prepare for a cut of 372 positions at the base this fall.
