Durbin Meets With Air Force Secretary To Urge For New, Additional Mission At 183rd Wing In Springfield
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to discuss operations at the Air National Guard 183rd Wing in Springfield, Illinois. During the meeting, Durbin urged the Secretary to consider the 183rd for new, additional missions, noting the capabilities of the facility and the expertise of the women and men who work at the Wing.
“The 183rd Wing is more than capable to take on new, additional missions. Today, I sat down with Secretary Wilson to again urge her to seriously consider the track record of success of the women and men who make up the 183rd as she considers future missions this year,” Durbin said.
A photo of today’s meeting is available here.
Durbin has led bipartisan efforts among Illinois’ Congressional Delegation in pressing the Air Force and the Air National Guard to identify new missions for the 183rd Wing. Since 2007, Durbin has successfully secured four extensions of the firefighting unit at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, which was originally scheduled to expire in September of 2008. Durbin first began working in 2006 with then-Senator Barack Obama to keep jobs at the 183rd Wing and secure a new flying mission that would keep the firefighting unit in Springfield.
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