06.10.15

Durbin Meets with Members of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce in Washington

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with members of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce to discuss local priorities including economic development, transportation improvements, and the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield. Durbin met last week with Lieutenant General Stanley Clarke, Director of the Air National Guard, to continue discussions regarding the future of Springfield’s 183rd Fighter Wing. A photo of today’s meeting is available here.

  

“Last week, I met with Lieutenant General Clarke and he assured me he knows the potential of Springfield’s 183rd Fighter Wing,” Durbin said. “Today, I met with members of Springfield’s Chamber of Commerce to discuss how we can continuing supporting the future of the 183rd Fighter Wing. We all share a common goal: finding ways that the Air National Guard can benefit both from the 183rd Fighter Wing’s potential and its proven record of success.”

  

As part of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, General Grass and General Clarke will be assigning four new Cyber Operations Squadrons. The Air National Guard will be evaluating locations for these cyber squadrons over the next year. In June 2014, the 183rd celebrated the completion of significant upgrades to technology and facility infrastructure at four different buildings. The new secure, classified command center is s particularly suited to a cyber mission. In April, Durbin wrote to Chief of the National Guard Bureau General Frank Grass in support of establishing a new Cyber Operations Squadron within the 183rd Fighter Wing.

  

Attendees of today’s meeting include: Mayor Jim Langfelder, Mayor of Springfield; Chris Hembrough, President and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce; Colonel John Patterson, Commander of the 183rd Fighter Wing; Dr. Charlotte Warren, President of Lincoln Land Community College; and others.