What’s the Plan?:

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) has added an amendment to the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill that would direct the Air Force to provide a report “containing a detailed plan of the current and future aviation assets” to be based at the Niagara Fall Air Reserve Station. BRAC 2005 removes the KC-135s from the Air National Guard’s 107th Air Refueling Wing at Niagara Falls, and calls for the Air Guardsmen to unite with the Air Force Reserve Command’s unit at Niagara Falls, the 914th Airlift Wing, which flies C-130H cargo aircraft. On the House floor, Slaughter noted that the arrangement “is the first time in Air Force history that a Guard unit will associate with a Reserve unit.” She added that New York elected officials have worked with both the Air Guard and Reserve for more than a year and a half “to determine the optimal allocation of aircraft.” Either the effort hasn’t been successful or the Air Force hasn’t blessed it, since Slaughter added that “the uncertainty surrounding what comes next at Niagara has created a lot of anxiety” for service members and the community. She wants the Air Force to “determine a way forward” this year. Last year, the Army announced plans to group some Army Reserve units at the facility.