Ohio delegation invites 910th commander to talk up Youngstown Published Jan. 30, 2015 By Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr. 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fresh off of Ohio State's victory in the first ever college playoff national championship, members of the Buckeye state's U.S. House of Representatives congressional delegation assembled a winning team of their own here at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, Jan. 23, 2015. This team, made up of leadership from Department of Defense (DoD) facilities and organizations located throughout the state of Ohio including the Air Force Reserve's Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS), were invited by Congressman Bill Johnson, representative of Ohio's 6th district, and Congressman Mike Turner, representative of Ohio's 10th district, to participate in a discussion intended to give the delegation a better understanding of the status, missions and importance of the various DoD assets located in our state. "As we continue to battle declining budgets and prepare for future Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiatives, it is imperative that members of Ohio's congressional delegation are fully informed and have a clear understanding of the unique military capabilities located in Ohio," said the joint invitation sent by the offices of Congressmen Johnson and Turner. "Comments and insights (by Ohio's DoD leadership) will be essential as we move forward and prepare to strengthen our state during future BRAC rounds." The two-hour event, held in the 4-H Center's Bob Evans Memorial Auditorium, featured opening comments by the hosting congressional panel including Congressmen Johnson and Turner as well as Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, representative of Ohio's 9th district, and Congressman Steve Stivers, representative of Ohio's 15th district. "This is a starting point. It's important we are all on the same sheet of music and putting Ohio's best foot forward," said Congressman Johnson. "The world has become a dangerous place - there is evil probing at the perimeter of freedom. The U.S. is the vanguard of that perimeter, protecting it, and Ohio is in a position to be a leader in the effort of protecting freedom." Following opening remarks, leadership of the Ohio National Guard, the Ohio Air National Guard, the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, formerly known as the Lima Tank Plant, the 88th Air Base Wing from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Col. James Dignan, 910th Airlift Wing commander and YARS installation commander, had the opportunity to give their command briefs and organizational overviews to the congressional panel. The National Guard leadership represented more than 16,000 guardsmen assigned in the state of Ohio, making up the fourth largest Air National Guard and sixth largest Army National Guard contingents among the 54 states and U.S. territories hosting National Guard units. The 910th commander represented more than 1900 Servicemembers including Air Force, Marine and Navy Reservists as well as DoD, Non-Appropriated Fund Civilian Employees and contractors. In his comments, Dignan touted the accomplishments of those assigned to the Northeast Ohio installation including the deployment of more than 5,000 Servicemembers since September 2001 in support of the Global War on Terrorism and being home to the DoD's only aerial spray capability. He also related the use of the aerial spray capability to support recovery efforts in the aftermath of such national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the unit's recent support of humanitarian airdrop missions in Iraq in August 2014. Dignan also said the 910th doesn't have any problem in keeping the unit's manning numbers where they need to be to complete the wing's missions. "To borrow a phrase from our National Guard brethren, Ohioans have a propensity to serve," Dignan said. "We never have an issue with recruiting, retention or filling positions. They love to serve, to take care of our customers, the American citizens." The 910th commander continued his comments by relating his experiences during his Capitol Hill Visits in Washington, D.C. in June 2014. "I visited 24 congressional offices from Florida to Utah. When we would walk in, they would look at me with arms crossed and ask, 'what are you doing here?'" Dignan said. "That's my opportunity to tell them what the Citizen Airmen from this small base in Northeast Ohio are doing (with our aerial spray mission) for the bases, Servicemembers and constituents in their districts, in their states across the country." After the 910th commander and the leadership from the other Ohio DoD facilities completed their presentations, the panelists asked and fielded questions regarding the presentations. The meeting concluded with closing remarks by the congressional panel regarding their vision for Ohio's DoD facilities and organizations. "We have to be agile, nimble and cost effective," concluded Congressman Johnson. "We need to work so Ohio is the obvious answer... in addressing current and future threats."