Blumenauer Praises Final Vote to Keep 142nd Fighter Wing at Portland Air Base
Washington, DC – Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives vote to approve the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round and keep the Air National Guard 142nd Fighter Wing at the Portland Air Base:
“I am elated that our 142nd Fighter Wing is finally off the chopping block and that the Oregon Air Guard will continue protecting our region’s skies. Today’s vote finalizes the BRAC Commission’s decision to save the 142nd. I was proud to be part of a united effort from our entire congressional delegation and our governor to keep this vital regional and national asset on the job.
“The men and women of the Oregon National Guard know that I will continue to fight for them as they do their duty to keep the state and nation secure. From the pilots to the maintenance crews to the Guard’s top cadre, the 142nd Fighter Wing is truly a national treasure that will continue to stand guard for us. Today, all of Oregon breathes a sigh of relief.”
On May 13, 2005 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld forwarded his recommendations of base closures and realignments to the BRAC Commission. This list included realigning the Air National Guard 142nd Fighter Wing and the Air Force Reserve 939th Air Refueling Wing out of the Portland Air Base. After a series of field hearings and careful deliberations, the BRAC commission on Friday, August 26th, 2005, voted to keep the Air National Guard 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland, contrary to Rumsfeld’s recommendation.
The BRAC commission sent their final recommendations to the President on September 8th. The President approved the recommendations and sent them in their entirety to Congress on September 15. By law, Congress had 45 legislative days to reject the recommendations in their entirety or else they are ultimately approved. Today’s vote in the US House of Representatives finalizes the BRAC recommendations and paves the way for their implementation.
For more information about BRAC process, please visit the BRAC Commission’s website at https://www.defenselink.mil/brac/