911th celebrates construction start and its ensured survival

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The 911th Airlift Wing in Moon held a groundbreaking Tuesday to mark the start of construction to accommodate eight huge C-17 cargo aircraft. The ceremony also marked the longterm survival of the base and the end of the threat of a potential closure.

“We’re here today not to talk about potential of the closure of the 911th Airlift Wing but instead of how this wing is here to stay and is expanding and growing ...” said Col. Jeffrey Van Dootingh, commander of the airlift wing.

The $85 million in funding for the expansion at the Air Reserve station at Pittsburgh International Airport comes from a 2016 military appropriations bill that received bipartisan support in Congress.

“My understanding is that the 911th is known on Capitol Hill as the miracle in Pittsburgh,” Col. Van Dootingh said.

Local lawmakers and community members have been fighting for the base’s future for two decades. In 1995, the Military Affairs Council of Western Pennsylvania was formed to fight the threat of base closure. Since then, the Pentagon had threatened several times to shut down the 911th.

The C-17s come from bases in the state of Washington and South Carolina. They have a larger cargo capacity and flight range than the station’s existing

C-130s and can also be refueled in the air. And they require a larger crew.