Portman leads effort to upgrade C-130 fleet at YARS

The Ohio Congressional delegation recently urged the Air Force to upgrade the Youngstown Air Reserve Station’s (YARS) 910th Airlift Wing.

Sens. Rob Portman (R) and Sherrod Brown (D), and Reps. Tim Ryan (D), Bill Johnson (R), and Dave Joyce (R) joined to urge the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to replace the YARS fleet of eight C-130H aircraft with 10 C-130Js.

“The Youngstown Air Reserve Station has become a model for other Air Reserve Stations throughout the country, but if we want to maintain this level of high performance, we must upgrade the aircraft at the base,” Portman said. “I am proud of my strong record of support for C-130 modernization and will continue to work to ensure they have the capabilities needed to carry out their critically important operations.”

The 910th Airlift Wing performs a mandated Department of Defense specialized pesticide aerial spray mission. It is the only fleet available to perform these missions to protect personnel from pests. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the 910th deployed three C-130H aircraft. 

In addition to the aerial spray missions, the 910th carries out Ohio Air National Guard missions. By modernizing the aging fleet, which suffers additional wear and tear as it performs low-altitude spraying missions, the 910th can support both its mandated aerial spray and overseas tactical airlift missions.

“It is now, more than ever, critical that we provide our military with the resources they need to protect us and defend our country,” Joyce said. “This starts with modernizing the C-130 by making sure the men and women stationed at YARS have the equipment and tools necessary to respond to emergencies that arise.”