By Gil Rodriguez Texas Insider
Published: 09-08-08
A Workhorse Re-visited
The Conventions are over. Legislators head back to Washington following their summer recess and the issue my good friend Jim Cardle brought to your attention last week needs to be revisited. It’s worth re-visiting because it affects us Texans directly.
The C-17 Globemaster is an award-winning workhorse of military and humanitarian airlift and despite its place as an Air Force favorite Pentagon officials have proposed eliminating the program.
This program is important not just for national defense but for worldwide humanitarian assistance.
The United States Air Force took delivery of the first C-17 in 1993. Since then the C-17 has accumulated 15 years and over one millions hours of flight time.
Exceeding and outperforming all expectations the C-17 fleet has become the world’s most versatile and reliable troop and cargo aircraft.
In 1998 C-17s delivered cargo to victims of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and Nicaragua. In 2001 C-17’s carried federal relief workers and 30000 lbs of supplies to flood-soaked Houston Texas.
Additionally the C-17 delivered emergency relief and supplies to the hurricane devastated gulf coast after Hurricane Katrina and recent earthquake affected regions in Pakistan. In fact during the past few days C-17 crews from around the country (including 70 from Altus AFB) were on 24-hour alert during the onslaught of Hurricane Gustav.
Despite its record of success and proven reliability for the U.S. military the C-17 is caught in budgetary limbo. The future of the aircraft and the 30000 American jobs and industrial base it supports are up in the air waiting for Washington to decide how many more C-17s it wants.
Production of the C-17 supports more than 30000 jobs across the country with well over 3000 here in Texas. With more than a $1.5 billion annual impact to our states economy ending production would cause an immediate and measurable impact to our economy.
I have included below a list of important Texas Congressional leaders that must be made aware of our concerns. Please take a few minutes to write or call your representative in Washington asking them to support continued production for this excellent aircraft. Be sure to copy me on your letter so we may track the strength of our readership’s communication to Congress.
Senate
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R – Dallas)
Senate Committee on Appropriations – Defense Appropriations Subcommittee
Phone: 202-224-5922
Fax: 202-224-0776
John Cornyn (R – San Antonio)
Senate Armed Services Committee – Airland and Emerging Threats & Capabilities Subcommittees
Phone: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856
House
Sam Johnson (R 3rd – Plano)
House Committee on Ways & Means
Phone: 202-225-4201
Fax: 202-225-1485
Kay Granger (R 12th – Fort Worth)
House Committee on Appropriations – Defense Appropriations Subcommittee
Phone: 202-225-5071
Fax: 202-225-5683
Mac Thornberry (R 13th – Amarillo)
House Committee on Armed Services – Terrorism Unconventional Threats & Capabilities Subcommittee
Phone: 202-225-3706
Fax: 202-225-3486
Silvestre Reyes (D 16th – El Paso)
House Armed Services Committee
House Select Committee on Intelligence (Chair)
Phone: 202-225-4831
Fax: 202-225-2016
Chet Edwards (D 17th – Waco)
House Committee on Appropriations – Military Construction Veterans Affairs & Related Agencies Subcommittees
Phone: 202-225-6105
Fax: 202-225-2234
Solomon Ortiz (D 27th – Corpus Christi)
House Committee on Armed Services – Military Readiness Subcommittee
Phone: 202-225-7742
Fax: 202-226-1134
Gil Rodriguez is the Managing Editor for TexasInsider.org .
