Niagara Air Base Looks Ahead Despite Proposed Cuts | News

NIAGARA FALLS, NY - The Niagara Military Affairs Council is pressing ahead with efforts to make sure the Niagara Falls Air Base remains open, despite the mixed news from the Pentagon regarding the planes and one of the units at the base.

The Air Force announced that under its latest proposal to Congress, the 107th Air National Guard unit would lose its flying mission at the base as some of the C-130 cargo planes were pulled out.

The 914th Air Force Reserve unit would actually get some new planes in the coming years, but now the press is on to convince the Pentagon to find some new role for the 107th.

John Cooper of the Niagara Military Affairs Council said, "The 107th at this point in time, if this proposal goes through, does not have a mission. There has been no statement concerning the 850 positions at the 107th at this time. And so we still feel that we will work on behalf of them to find another mission."

The NIMAC council stresses this change in mission is just a proposal which Congress must approve and they are working closely with a paid lobbyist and local Congressional delegation to try to keep the base open.