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Ohio Officials Weigh In On Future Of Air Force

Some of Ohio’s leaders are giving their points of view to a commission set up to study what, if any, structural changes should be made to the U.S. Air Force.

Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor says cuts in the military budget have hurt Ohio, causing the state to lose jobs and top flight equipment. But she says that hasn’t kept the state’s air force employees from doing their jobs.

MT:  In the face of adversity, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our ever changing force.

Major General Deborah Ashenhurst, the Adjutant General of Ohio’s National Guard, says it’s important to remember the force is performing important state and national duties while saving money for the government.

DA:  The Air National Guard, as a single member, is about a third of the cost of our active duty but the air national guard provides 35% of the air force capability for only about 6 percent of the total air force budget. The flexibility that having a standing reserve component brings is that it can be surged to meet the needs of the nation while being retained at a lower cost through the rest of the times of peace that we are looking forward to.

The commission, mandated by congress, is gathering public input from around the nation right now. The commission is scheduled to report its recommendations to President Obama in February .