Jobs, lives at risk without the Chinook
The men and women who build this country are the backbone of our economy. Unfortunately, the manufacturing class is disappearing. If government leaders fail to see how important manufacturing is and take steps to save it, thousands of workers will be left behind.
Manufacturing has been the foundation of my community in Millville, New Jersey. Every day, hundreds of us commute to the Boeing Ridley Park facility and assemble the world’s best helicopter – the CH-47 Chinook. They drill bolts, install blades, and equip the technology that will carry our warfighters safely to and from warzones. It’s rewarding work that fills workers with purpose and pride. As a former Crew Chief in the Marines on the CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy lift helicopter, I understand how important the work at Ridley Park is.
What I don’t understand is why the Chinook production line is at risk of shutting down. The Chinook is unmatched in capability and quality. The newest model – the Block II – has a new digital cockpit to make flying and analyzing real-time data in the field easier. It has an upgraded airframe and lift capacity, which means it can fly higher, faster, and safer than any other Army helicopter. It’s also more agile, making complicated movements easier – an essential capability in warzones where terrain and climate are challenging.
The Chinook is the only aircraft that can transport the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or M777 Howitzer into combat. These are necessary heavy-duty military equipment. If military and congressional leaders are going to commit American troops to combat, they also must commit to funding programs that deliver the equipment troops need to win. If not, what is the point?
I worked for 12 years at the Ridley Park facility, helping build Chinooks that have delivered cargo, supplies,
and troops safely to and from war zones. It was a rewarding career that provided me with opportunities I never thought I’d have. Many of the workers at Ridley Park come from proud manufacturing communities in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. They will tell you the same. The work we do is the lifeblood of our neighborhoods and our regional economy.
The impact of our work spreads beyond the Ridley Park facility. It impacts dozens of companies surrounding the facility that supply parts and
technology to the Chinook. In New Jersey, the Chinook program employs about 1,000 people directly and indirectly. Those numbers are higher in neighboring Pennsylvania. Those jobs support families like mine and provide a lifestyle many of us never imagined possible.
A closure of the Chinook production line would shortchange our military and communities that have been built around manufacturing. Unfortunately, the people making decisions rarely think beyond a line item on a spreadsheet when they deliver
pink slips to thousands of people and end a critical defense tool our soldiers depend on. What will become of our manufacturing-based neighborhoods? What is the alternative for our military when it is no longer possible to transport necessary combat equipment? These are not hypothetical questions. This is the reality for tens of thousands of troops, thousands of workers, and hundreds of companies if the Chinook program is discontinued.
Right now, the fate of the Chinook program is in the hands politicians.
I urge them to see us as more than line items on a budget. Our leaders must stand up for us – the little guys they so often talk about in campaign speeches. They can start by saving the Chinook.
Sean Stratton is a retired U.S. Marine. He spent 40 years building and maintaining aircraft. He helped build the civilian model of the Chinook and later worked on all facets of the Chinook as an assembler, mechanic, and then lead mechanic.