PEORIA, Ill. – If Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have their way, the 182nd Airlift Wing unit in Peoria won’t be going away any time soon.
Durbin and Duckworth, along with U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and others, met with military leaders at the Peoria unit Tuesday, which they say included Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown, Jr. Durbin said following the “historic” meeting, it was up to the lawmakers in attendance to “seal the deal.”
“If there’s a plan in the Air Force over the next five years to close Air Guard C130 Units, does it include Peoria?” Durbin says Brown was asked. “The answer was ‘No. It does not include Peoria.'”
Duckworth says legislation she and Durbin are working on should support that.
“I was able to secure provisions in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act to maintain a minimum total aircraft inventory of 292 C130’s,” says Duckworth.
Durbin, Duckworth, and Bustos were joined by Gov. JB Pritzker and Peoria Mayor Rita Ali at the Peoria Air National Guard headquarters to make the announcement.
Duckworth said during the event that she does not trust the Taliban regarding the promises made for peace in Afghanistan, following their takeover of that country’s government. Duckworth, who served in the Air National Guard and retired as a lieutenant after severe injuries and lost legs fighting in the war on terror, says the original mission of U.S. troops in Afghanistan was complete, and now the goal must be getting Americans out of the country safely.
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