Palazzo Raises Readiness Issues With Air Force Plan to Move Planes

Press Release

Congressman Steven Palazzo, (MS-4), once more raised questions with an Air Force FY15 budget proposal at a House Readiness Subcommittee hearing today. Over the past two years, Palazzo has criticized the Air Force for failing to provide fiscal or operational justification for proposed moves of the C-130J aircraft at Keesler Air Force Base. The latest proposal, which suggests moving the planes to Little Rock Air Force Base, replaces two previously scrapped plans.

In an exchange, Palazzo reminded Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer, of the Air Force's failure to justify the costs for moving the planes.

"Quite frankly, this move doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense from a cost perspective and it doesn't make sense from a readiness perspective. The latest proposal to send these planes and these Airmen to Little Rock seems like it would cost $27 million, just to move this unit. That doesn't even take into account the $58 million in construction that's been completed at Keesler in recent years in order to accommodate these planes. And then, there's also the cost of retraining personnel for work on a completely different plane. And that also takes time. So in past hearings, I've focused on the questionable costs of moving these planes, but I want to focus today on the readiness factor. So my question to you, General Spencer, from a readiness perspective, how much time and use of these planes does the Air Force stand to lose if this move goes forward?"

Palazzo also noted the unit's record-breaking performance while at Keesler: "If we want to get it to this state of readiness that this unit already has, it could possibly take up to 12 to 24 months."

In his response, Spencer provided no timelines but spoke vaguely of the Air Force's decision process as a "chess board."

Palazzo also invited General Spencer to Keesler "to see firsthand the fine facilities, the Airmen, and our South Mississippi community." Palazzo previously extended the same invitation to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and General Mark A. Welsh.

The Air Force has also failed to answer previous questions regarding claims that moving the planes would result in cost savings.

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