Casey urges keeping 911th Airlift Wing open

Enlarge Image

The 911th Airlift Wing had been targeted for closure earlier this year in budget cuts at the Pentagon.

Sen. Bob Casey's office said he met with a top Air Force officer to make the case for keeping the 911th Airlift Wing open in Moon Township.

The 911th was targeted for closure earlier this year through Pentagon budget cuts but the efforts of the southwestern Pennsylvania congressional delegation kept that from happening, at least temporarily.

Casey met with Major Gen. Tod D. Wolters, director of the legislative liaison office for the secretary of the Air Force, to ask that the 911th be kept open, which would save hundreds of jobs.

"The installation has an incredibly skilled workforce that bolsters our national defense and saves the Pentagon money in the long run," Casey said in a statement. "I made it clear to Major General Walters that an effort to close the 911th is not an acceptable outcome, and that I will continue to strongly advocate on behalf of this important installation, not only for Pennsylvania but for our national security."