Ellmers Introduces Amendment to Protect Fort Bragg's 440th

Press Release

Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement this morning after introducing an amendment to H.R. 4435- the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA), protecting Fort Bragg's 440th Airlift Wing from inactivation:

"This morning, I introduced an amendment to the NDAA that will protect Fort Bragg from losing its 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Airfield. Since this proposal was first announced by the Obama administration in March, my office has been working with military officials at Fort Bragg and the Defense Department to investigate how this decision was made, how it would impact the surrounding community of Fort Bragg, and what legislative alternatives could be provided to prevent this from happening. Based on these discussions and the leadership of my North Carolina colleagues here in the House, I decided to introduce this amendment today to this year's NDAA."

"While these proposed cuts do not reflect a final agreement, I remain deeply concerned about the effect this will have back home. These cuts would be detrimental for the Fayetteville community--eradicating jobs and damaging the livelihood of many hard working men and women who serve Fort Bragg and Pope Airfield. Not only do these cuts exceed what the law requires, they present unnecessary burdens on Fort Bragg and Pope Airfield troops, their families and our national security. It is also imperative that commanders and soldiers continue to have access to the flexible and quality training that this joint mission has provided over the past seven years. As the proud representative of Fort Bragg, I will continue to work with our military to ensure they have the resources to remain mission-ready as the dominant force for freedom throughout the world."

This morning, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers introduced a bipartisan amendment to the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect Fort Bragg's 440th Airlift Wing from proposed inactivation by the Defense Department. Joining Congresswoman Ellmers as original co-sponsors were Congressmen Richard Hudson, Mike McIntyre and David Price. This amendment, if passed, would prohibit the availability of funds to inactivate the 440th Airlift Wing, stating:

"None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2015 for the Department of Defense may be used to inactivate, relocate, or otherwise disrupt the mission, personnel, or aircraft of the 400th Airlift Wing."

On March 4, 2014, Congresswoman Ellmers learned that the 440th Airlift Wing would be inactivated from Pope Field at Fort Bragg under President Obama's FY15 budget proposal. Following this announcement, Congresswoman Ellmers joined North Carolina Representatives Richard Hudson, David Price, and Mike McIntyre in a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey expressing concern over President Obama's proposed deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing located at Pope Field.

On April 2, 2014, Congresswoman Ellmers submitted language to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. The language would prohibit any funds from being used to inactivate, relocate, or otherwise disrupt the mission, personnel, or aircraft of the 440th Airlift Wing. This language is currently being reviewed by the Appropriations Committee.

On Wednesday, April 9th, Congresswoman Ellmers testified during a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) hearing entitled "FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Member Hearing." This meeting allowed for members who do not sit on the committee to voice their opinions, concerns, and priorities for the 2015 fiscal year. Congresswoman Ellmers used this opportunity to address her concerns with the president's proposal to inactivate the 440th Airlift Wing located at Pope Air Field.

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