(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter announced that the Senate Armed Services Committee is currently marking up the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 and says he’s committed to getting the Air Force to clearly explain proposed cuts to A-10s at Barksdale Air Force Base and used by Fort Polk, as well as the future of B-52s and the Global Strike Command.

            “These are huge priorities for Louisiana, and I’ve been unconvinced that there’s been sufficient coordination between the Air Force and the Army to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent as wisely as possible and that the Air Force did all it could to minimize the effect of losing A-10s on operations at Fort Polk,” Vitter said. “This committee markup will be critical this week, and I’ll be focused on helping preserve Louisiana’s viability for national security and I’ll be strongly pushing amendments that support maintaining and increasing Barksdale’s capabilities.”

Vitter raised similar concerns in a committee hearing in March. He questioned Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. Click here to watch video of Vitter’s questioning of Schwartz and Donley.

            Approximately 70 percent of Joint Readiness Training Center exercises at Fort Polk involve support from A-10s based at nearby England Airpark and at Barksdale Air Force Base. Vitter pressed the Air Force on whether it made its decision in a “smokestack” without consulting Army officials on how Army operations at Fort Polk would be affected by the loss of A-10s.

            Vitter and 12 other Senators on the Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.) last week asking them to included legislation to require the Department of Defense to report on the impact of proposed force structure adjustments before taking actions.

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