SCHUMER: 109th AIRLIFT WING’S FLEET OF AIRCRAFT AT STRATTON AIR NAT’L GUARD BASE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FULL NSF FUNDING FOR MISSIONS TO POLAR REGIONS
Schumer Reveals that in FY2104 Appropriations, the NSF Will Receive $7.8 Billion & Will Fully Fund the Arctic & Antarctic Research Missions Carried out by the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air Base
Earlier this Month, Schumer Toured Stratton Air Base and Fought to Maintain NSF Funding for Stratton Air Base – 4 of 10 Primary Aircraft at Stratton Air Base Will Continue to Receive NSF Funding (Br>
Schumer: Stratton Air Base Supports Local Jobs and is a Nat’l Resource for Scientific Research
Last week, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has confirmed to Schumer’s office that they will continue to fully fund the polar research missions that support four of the ten primary aircraft of the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Schenectady. Earlier this month Schumer toured the base, and vowed to fight to maintain NSF funding for Stratton through the appropriations process. The appropriations bill, agreed to by both houses of Congress, funds the NSF at $7.8 billion. With that funding secured, the NSF will maintain funding for the Antarctic research missions of the 109th Airlift Wing. The commitment means that Stratton’s current fleet of aircraft, which log over 2,600 hours of NSF research missions a year, will continue their unique research expeditions to the Artic and Antarctica. Stratton Air Base directly supports 1,262 jobs and has an estimated economic impact of over $100 million based on their payroll, expenditures, and the secondary jobs the base supports.
“The NSF’s commitment to fully fund the research missions at Stratton will keep the 109th Airlift Wing in the sky and keep the local economy flying high with them. The NSF funds four of the base’s ten aircraft and sponsors thousands of hours in research missions, which only Stratton’s fleet of polar-capable aircraft can complete,” said Schumer. “The news of sustained NSF funding is good for Stratton and good for the country: it means a hub of jobs and commerce in the Capital Region will continue to receive necessary federal support and it means they can continue to conduct valuable scientific research missions at the very ends of the earth.”
The Stratton Air National Guard Base has ten primary aircraft assigned to it, four of which are supported by NSF funding. Air National Guard Wings regularly have at least eight primary assigned aircraft, so the NSF support is vital to the overall mission of the 109th Airlift Wing. Schumer emphasized that the NSF’s commitment to fully fund the 109th Airlift Wing means Stratton Air Base can maintain its aircraft, facilities, and personnel levels.
Schumer highlighted that Stratton Air Base is a local economic resource and a national scientific resource worth maintaining. The 109th Airlift Wing, housed at the Stratton Air Base, has the Department of Defense’s only ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft, which provides cargo lift capability to polar destinations, and has therefore played a vital role in the NSF’s research expeditions to polar regions, specifically Antarctica. Throughout the year, the 109th Airlift Wing deploys to Antarctica, Greenland, and above the Arctic Circle to support NSF research missions. For Operation DEEP FREEZE, the 109th Airlift Wing sends up to eight aircraft, aircrews, and maintenance teams to Antarctica.
Schumer specifically outlined the massive economic benefit reaped by the Capital Region by having Stratton Air Base fully staffed and funded. The base generates over $100 million in economic activity for the region; annually paying over $60 million in payroll, over $24 million in expenditures, and over $20 million in secondary jobs that it supports. It also employs 1,262 people between the 109th Airlift Wing, New York State Counterdrug Headquarters, and 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. What’s more, Schumer noted the 109th Airlift Wing has been vital during times of crisis in New York. The 109th Airlift Wing provided support during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, and after the attack on September 11th.
The flexibility of the 109th Airlift Wing allows it to support missions both nationally and globally. It assists the National Command Authority on every continent with rapid runway repair, civil engineering, security forces, aeromedical evacuation, communication, transportation, and other important services. It has also aided in Federal Missions, such as Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. The 109th assisted in relief efforts for Hurricane Ivan and the Mechanicville Tornado, and provided support for Hurricanes Irene, Katrina, and Sandy.