Obama’s Clueless White House

White House Unaware Obama Wants To Close Down Ohio Air Base That He Will Land At Tomorrow

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WH Spokesman Jay Carney Was Not Aware That Air Force One Will Land At An Ohio Air Base That Obama Wants To Eliminate. REPORTER: “Can you talk a little bit about why the president is going back to the same area of Akron, Ohio tomorrow that he has visited before? And in Mansfield the local paper is reporting if President Obama has his way his Air Force One arrival would be one of the final flights into the Mansfield airport, because the president wants to do away with the mission for the 800 guardsmen at the Mansfield.” WH Spokesman Jay Carney: “I’ll have to take the question, I’m not aware of that particular issue. In terms of why is he going to Ohio and Akron -” REPORTER: “But that area of Ohio, Mansfield and Akron, I mean he was just there on the bus tour.” CARNEY: “There is not an inch of Ohio that the president does not love to visit. It’s a great state, my wife’s home state.” REPORTER: “In terms of Mansfield, can we get you to take that question?” CARNEY: “Sure. I’m not aware of even the policy implications or what issue this is.” (White House Press Briefing, 7/31/12)

Obama Will Land At The Mansfield-Lahm National Guard Base On Wednesday When He Campaigns In Ohio – The Very Base Threatened By His FY2013 Defense Budget Cuts. “The 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard base where Air Force One will land Wednesday morning remains threatened by President Barack Obama’s proposed cuts to the military budget.” (Lou Whitmire, “Air Force One To Land At Threatened Mansfield Base,”Mansfield News Journal, 7/31/12)

• Obama Will Jeopardize 551 Part-Time And 204 Full-Time Airmen’s Jobs At Mansfield Air National Guard Base As His Defense Cuts Would Eliminate The C-27J Program, Leaving The Wing Without A Flying Mission. “President Barack Obama has cited an aircraft flown by the Mansfield Air National Guard Base as an example of ‘unnecessary’ defense programs and recommended it for termination… Elimination of the program would leave the 179th Airlift Wing without a flying mission. It could jeopardize the future of the unit, which has 551 part-time and 204 full-time airmen. The Mansfield base has two of its four C-27Js deployed in Afghanistan. It received the planes last summer, and was the first base in the country to deploy to Afghanistan with them.” (Bryan Bullock, “Mansfield Base’s C-27js Called ‘Unnecessary,'” The Mansfield News Journal, 2/14/12)

The Threatened C27-Js Will Be Positioned So Obama Will See Them When Air Force One Lands. “The C27-Js will be positioned at the base so Obama sees them when Air Force One taxis in, Col. Michael Howard, 179th Airlift Wing vice commander, said Monday.” (Lou Whitmire, “Air Force One To Land At Threatened Mansfield Base,” Mansfield News Journal, 7/31/12)

• Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): “When The President Travels To Mansfield On Wednesday, I Hope He Will Get A Better Sense Of Just How Vital The C-27J Program Is To The Air National Guard Base At Mansfield And The Economy Of North Central Ohio.” “Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, said he too hopes the president takes note. ‘When the president travels to Mansfield on Wednesday, I hope he will get a better sense of just how vital the C-27J program is to the Air National Guard Base at Mansfield and the economy of north central Ohio,’ Brown said.” (Lou Whitmire, “Air Force One To Land At Threatened Mansfield Base,” Mansfield News Journal, 7/31/12)

Mansfield News Journal: “Please Explain To The People Of Mansfield Why The U . S . Government Wants To Eliminate Such A Worthwhile Part Of Our Community And Nation.” “Beyond the threat to national security, Mansfield stands to lose nearly 1,000 jobs if the president gets his way. So, Mr. President, please explain to the people of Mansfield why the U.S. government wants to eliminate such a worthwhile part of our community and nation.” (Editorial, “A Few Questions For The President,” Mansfield News Journal, 7/29/12)

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): Eliminating The C-27J Program In Mansfield Is “Pound Foolish.” “‘Our message to Secretary Donley was clear: eliminating the C-27J program is pennywise but pound foolish. In addition to affecting roughly 800 jobs in Mansfield, eliminating the C-27J program would affect domestic relief efforts and shift Air Force operations to cargo planes that are more expensive to operate,’ Brown said.” (Press Release, “Sens. Brown, Portman Organize Ohio Delegation Meeting With Air Force Secretary To Urge Preservation Of C-27J Program,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, 3/21/12)

• Brown: Eliminating The C-27J Would Be Detrimental To The Mansfield Community. “On Monday, I traveled to Mansfield to meet with the men and women of Ohio’s Air National Guard. While we do need to make some tough decisions on how to continue to meet our national security needs while reducing our deficit, the C-27J is more cost-efficient than other aircraft and it is a vital part of our military mission-and that’s why eliminating the C-27J would be detrimental to both our national security and the Mansfield community.” (Press Release, “Sens. Brown, Portman Organize Ohio Delegation Meeting With Air Force Secretary To Urge Preservation Of C-27J Program,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, 3/21/12)

Mansfield Isn’t The Only Ohio Base Threatened By Obama’s Budget

As Part Of Obama’s FY2013 Budget, The Youngstown Air Reserve Station Will Lose 97 Part-Time And 33 Full-Time Jobs. “The Youngstown Air Reserve Station will lose 97 part-time and 33 full-time positions in fiscal year 2013, part of the plan to cut $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years.” (Denise Dick, “Vienna Air Base To Lose 130 Positions, A 7% Cut,” Vindy, 3/8/12)

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base To Lose 452 Positions As Part Of A Reduction Of 10,000 Positions Across The Air Force. “Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will lose 452 positions among active-duty and civilian ranks this year and next, part of a cost-cutting reduction of approximately 10,000 positions across the Air Force, defense officials said Tuesday. The 445th Airlift Wing, the unit at Wright-Patterson that flies C-17 transport aircraft for the Air Force, will see a net gain of 57 positions among weekend and full-time reservists, the Air Force said.” (John Nolan And Barrie Barber, “452 Positions To Be Cut At Wright-Patterson,” The Dayton Daily News, 3/6/12)

Even Obama’s Own Council Of Governors Opposes His Air Force Cuts

President Obama’s Council of Governors Has “Significant Concerns” About Proposed Defense Spending Cuts. “President Barack Obama’s Council of Governors, which is co-chaired by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, said in a letter to Air Force officials this week it has ‘significant concerns’ about proposed defense spending cuts that would place the burden of Air Force reductions on the Air National Guard.” (William Petroski, “Governors Offer Plan To Preserve Air Guard Operations,” Des Moines Register, 3/22/12)

• Governors Branstad (R-IA) And Gregoire (D-WA) Sent A Letter To Air Force Secretary Michael Donley Regarding The Defense Budget, Saying “Significant Differences Remain With Respect To Manpower Reductions, Fighter Aircraft And Airlift Needs.” “Branstad and Gregoire sent a letter dated Monday to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz regarding the alternative budget proposal. It said that after numerous discussions with Air Force officials, ‘significant differences remain with respect to manpower reductions, fighter aircraft and airlift needs.'” (William Petroski, “Governors Offer Plan To Preserve Air Guard Operations,” Des Moines Register, 3/22/12)

OBAMA’S FY2013 BUDGET: WRONG FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

Obama’s FY 2013 Budget Cuts Defense Spending By $487 Billion Over The Next Ten Years. “An array of military programs, from fighter jets to retiree benefits, would be nicked to squeeze savings in the Pentagon’s $525 billion budget for 2013, according to officials and documents released Monday. The proposed 2013 budget represents the Pentagon’s first installment in a plan to reduce its projected spending by $487 billion over 10 years. Congress must approve the changes.”(Tom Vanden Brook “Pentagon Budget Calls For Cuts To Jets, Benefits,” USA Today, 2/13/12)

Obama Proposed A “Historic Shift” In Military Capabilities, Leaving The Army Unprepared To Fight Two Wars At Once. “President Barack Obama on Thursday proposed a historic shift in the U.S. military’s size and ambitions, scaling back its ability to wage the type of war and occupation that just concluded in Iraq as the administration seeks to cut defense spending over the next decade. Under the proposal, the Army would face a 14% reduction in troops-leaving it with too few to conduct two grueling ground wars at once, long a strategic imperative of the Defense Department.” (Julian Barnes and Nathan Hodge, “Military Faces Historic Shift,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/6/12)

“Defense Department May Have To Force Soldiers, Marines Or Other Members Of The Military Out Of The Services For The First Time Since The Aftermath Of The Cold War.”“The Defense Department may have to force soldiers, Marines or other members of the military out of the services for the first time since the aftermath of the Cold War to achieve the spending reductions in its budget proposal. The Pentagon plans to cut 67,100 soldiers from active and reserve Army units and the Army National Guard in the five years starting Oct. 1, as well as 15,200 from the active and reserve ranks of the Marine Corps as part of an effort to save $487 billion over a decade, according to the budget sent to Congress today. The Navy and Air Force would lose fewer people – 8,600 and 1,700 respectively – because of their role in a strategic shift toward the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.” (Viola Gienger and Roxana Tiron, “Pentagon May Oust Troops Involuntarily Under Budget Cuts,” Bloomberg, 2/15/12)