Today, Senator Reverend Warnock led a bipartisan delegation of Georgia lawmakers in pushing their colleagues on the Senate and House Appropriations committees to prevent proposed cuts to the Georgia National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) in Savannah
In March, President Biden proposed eliminating the Savannah CRTC as part of the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for Fiscal Year 2023
ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Slams President Biden’s Drastic Proposed Cuts to Savannah Air National Guard Base, Reiterates Strong Support for Georgia’s Critical National Security Role
This divestment of the Georgia Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center will lead to the loss of approximately 100 base positions
Lawmakers: “We would like to voice our deepest concerns about this decision to divest from a unique and cost-efficient training facility that offers unparalleled opportunities for peer-to-peer combat training, regional training conference, classified engagements, and continue to support regional operations at a time when the need for modern training environments cannot be overstated”
EXCLUSIVE — from the Associated Press: “The five Georgia congressmen, led by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, sent a letter to key members of House and Senate subcommittees that oversee defense budgets to request $11.5 million to keep open the Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah”
ICYMI from WTOC: U.S. senator, representative speak out against proposal to cut Savannah’s Combat Readiness Training Center
Washington, D.C. – Led by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), today a bipartisan delegation of Georgia lawmakers—including U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), and Austin Scott (R-GA) — pushed the Senate and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittees to prevent proposed cuts to the Georgia National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) in Savannah. The lawmakers’ letter follows President Biden’s proposal to eliminate the CRTC as part of the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for Fiscal Year 2023. In addition to reducing the military’s capacity in Georgia as local servicemembers are overseas supporting NATO’s mission to curb Russia’s war in Ukraine, the divestment of the training center will lead to the loss of approximately 100 local base positions—a significant economic hit to the base and the surrounding community.
“We would like to voice our deepest concerns about this decision to divest from a unique and cost-efficient training facility that offers unparalleled opportunities for peer-to-peer combat training, regional training conference, classified engagements, and continue to support regional operations at a time when the need for modern training environments cannot be overstated,” wrote the lawmakers.
The Savannah CRTC is a valuable Georgia national security asset. The CRTC is a cost-efficient, future-oriented training facility that shares an airfield with the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing (165 AW), which carries out critical airlift missions. Additionally, the Savannah CRTC has previously received considerable federal investments. Congress, at the request of the National Guard Bureau, has previously invested $24 million in military construction funding for a hangar to support 5th generation fighter maintenance. This project is scheduled for completion in August 2022, and closing the CRTC at this point would potentially undercut the usefulness of this investment. Furthermore, the Savannah CRTC was recently selected by Air Combat Command to host two exercises annually that are critical to the Air Force’s national security priorities.
As a fierce advocate for Georgia’s military bases and communities, servicemembers and their families, and veterans, Senator Reverend Warnock previously criticized the Administration’s misguided decision to divest federal funding from the Savannah CRTC. Additionally, working in tandem with his Georgia colleagues, Senator Warnock has successfully received a commitment from Air Force leadership to bring C-130J planes to Savannah Air National Guard Base, and he has successfully secured billions of dollars in federal investments to Georgia’s military bases—including $5 million in direct spending to complete planning and design of military barracks at Fort Stewart.
The full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Chair Tester, Vice Chair Shelby, Chair McCollum, and Ranking Member Calvert,
We write to request restoration of funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 President’s Budget Request cuts funding for the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah, Georgia.
The Savannah Air National Guard Base is home to the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing (165 AW) and the Georgia Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC). The National Guard has been using this base since 1948. The 165 AW supports critical national airlift missions, flying C-130H aircraft, soon to be upgraded to the modern C-130J. The CRTC is also a unique national security asset. Its mission is to provide a realistic and modern training environment for Air National Guardsmen from across the nation. Notably, the Savannah CRTC is one of very few locations accredited 6,000 square/foot Special Access Program Facilities (SAPF) to support 5th generation fighter aircraft (F-35, F-22), located on the Georgia coast.
Funded by the National Guard Bureau, the Savannah CRTC is a cost efficient CRTC, because it shares an airfield with the 165 AW. Importantly, the Savannah CRTC is already a site for considerable investment. Congress, at the request of the National Guard Bureau, chose to invest $25 million in military construction funding for a hangar to support 5th generation fighter maintenance. This project is scheduled for completion in August 2022. Closing the CRTC at this point would pointedly undercut the usefulness of this investment. Furthermore, the Savannah CRTC was recently selected by Air Combat Command to host two exercises annually to train for Agile Combat Employment in support of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force guidance.
We appreciate that tough decisions must be made. However, we would like to voice our deepest concerns about this decision to divest from a unique and cost-efficient training facility that offers unparalleled opportunities for peer-to-peer combat training, regional training conference, classified engagements, and continue to support regional operations at a time when the need for modern training environments cannot be overstated.
Therefore, we encourage the committee to reinstate funding for the GA CRTC and authorize $11.5 million funding for Georgia CRTC. We encourage the funding to include $3.45 million for Line 10 SAG 011F Aircraft Operations, $1.2 million for Line 20 SAG 011G Mission Support, and $350,000 for Line 60 SAG 011Z Base support. Additionally, we encourage the committee to include $6.5 million for National Guard Air Personnel to ensure operations remain fully staffed at this critical moment.
We also ask you to include report language directing the Air National Guard to share how the National Guard Bureau made this decision, details of the effects of the decision, and prevent divestment in the future until the effect of the CRTC closure can be understood on readiness in the National Guard and other services.
None of the funds appropriated by this or any other act may be used to implement reduction in force, closure or realignment of missions of the Air National Guard at the CRTC Savannah.
We urge your continued support Air National Guard readiness, and we appreciate your consideration of our request to reinstate the necessary funding for the Georgia CRTC in FY23.
Sincerely,
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