Commander talks up YARS on Capitol Hill Published July 17, 2017 By Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr. 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Air Force Reserve 910th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Dan Sarachene, based at Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS), Ohio, visited the congressional offices of representatives from Ohio and Pennsylvania during his first Capitol Hill visit, June 29, 2017. Sarachene discussed the wing’s mission as well as several issues concerning the unit and installation during visits to the offices of the Ohio and Pennsylvania congressional delegations. The commander met with Congressman Bill Johnson from Ohio’s Sixth District, Congressman Tim Ryan from Ohio’s Thirteenth District, Congressman David Joyce from Ohio’s Fourteenth District and Congressman Jim Renacci from Ohio’s Sixteenth District. Sarachene also met with staffers from the offices of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Mike Tuner from Ohio’s Tenth District and Congressman Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania’s Third District. Hundreds of Servicemembers and Department of Defense civilian employees assigned to YARS are constituents in these congressional districts. The commander’s visits also highlighted the unit’s one-of-a-kind large area, fixed wing aerial spray capability. Sarachene wanted to remind the legislators and their staffers of the wing’s Department of Defense (DoD)-unique mission. He also wanted to share what the 910th brings to the Air Force Reserve and the DoD as well as how the wing’s mission contributes to the well-being of the populations of several states. He said the 910th conducted over 14 missions at more than nine locations in seven states in Fiscal Year 2016. “YARS is one of only nine Reserve host installations in the U.S,” said Sarachene. “It is my job to tell them what role the 910th plays in our national defense and about the missions we do in all these states across the country every year. I want to tell everyone this little gem of a base in Northeast Ohio has a big impact on national defense, across the globe and across the country.” According to Air Force Reserve Office of Policy Integration, the Capitol Hill Program enables wing commanders to meet annually with Congressmen representing their areas. The primary purpose of the program is to assist commanders in improving and building on relationships established with Congressional delegations and to increase their unit’s visibility with members of Congress.