PITTSBURGH (AP) - U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is sending a letter to the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force in hopes of keeping a Pittsburgh-area base open.
Casey, a Democrat, teamed with other western Pennsylvania lawmakers to overturn plans to close the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township last September.
But Casey plans a news conference in Pittsburgh Thursday, and says he’s sending the letter because he fears the base might once again be on the chopping block in an upcoming report on which bases and installations the commission will recommend closing.
The Air Force had planned to close the base, which employs about 2,000, saying it would save about $354 million. The Air Force says the eight C-130 refueling planes housed there are among the oldest in its fleet.
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