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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2004

SCHUMER, CLINTON: KEY SENATE PANEL APPROVES $990,000 FOR GABRESKI AIRPORT IN WESTHAMPTON

Funding part of Department of Defense Military Construction Appropriations approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee

Washington, DC – Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today that a Senate panel had given preliminary approval for $990,000 in planning and design funds for a Pararescue Readiness Facility at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton.

The news came as the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2005 Department of Defense Military Construction bill yesterday afternoon. With the bill’s passage by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bill will now be sent to the Senate floor. The bill must then go into conference with the House version before being approved by Congress.

“From World War II to the Korean War to the Cold War, Gabreski Airport’s unique location has made it key to defending both our region and our nation and protecting those traveling the Atlantic Ocean,” Schumer said. “The bottom line is that there just isn’t space at Gabreski for a first-rare parachute rescue operation anymore, but almost a million dollars will go a long way toward remedying that.”

“These funds are a vital step forward in continuing to insure that the 106th rescue wing will have the proper training equipment for the life saving rescues they perform,” Senator Clinton said. “These men and women have put their lives in jeopardy to save others. And in these troubling times it is vital that we continue to supply our military with the best training and equipment.”

Gabreski Airport is home to the New York Air National Guard 106th Rescue Group. They perform search and rescue services, as well as coverage for the NASA space shuttle launches.

Gabreski Airport’s current pararescue (parachute rescue) operation is housed in two facilities that provide only 28 percent of required space, well below what the government authorizes for them. The lack of space for all the equipment maintenance shops requires that work be performed outside, which results in limited maintenance during portions of the year. This problem is compounded by the fact that the base is located near the Atlantic Ocean, exposing equipment stored outside to the corrosive salt air. This facility is not properly configured or sited to accept the pararescue mission permanently. The survival equipment shop is located in multiple facilities, improperly configured, and the old facilities are separate from pararescue, their main user. Multiple facilities and lack of required space have created inefficiencies, command and control problems, and higher operating costs.

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