Hours before the State of the Union, Durbin stresses importance of Scott Air Force Base & installations in Springfield and Peoria to our nation’s defense
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with Gabe Camarillo, the newly-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. During the meeting, Camarillo and Durbin – who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees discretionary spending for our nation’s military, including bases – discussed the long-term future of Illinois’ Air Force installations.
“I am proud to represent some of our nation’s most critical Air Force defense installations – including Scott Air Force Base, Springfield’s 183rd Fighter Wing, and Peoria’s 182nd Airlift Wing – and the talented servicemen and women who work there,” Durbin said. “I expect President Obama will focus a large part of his State of the Union tonight on the strength of our nation’s defense – something in which Illinois has long played an important role. It was a pleasure meeting with Assistant Secretary Camarillo today, and I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that the Air Force has a long, bright future in Illinois.”
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Illinois is home to a number of important Air Force installations including: Scott Air Force Base, led by 375th Air Mobility Wing and comprised of a number of major tenants including Transportation Command, the 932nd Airlift Wing and the 126th Air Refueling Wing; the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield; and the 182ndAirlift Wing in Peoria. Today, Durbin and Camarillo discussed the strong contributions these installations make to the Air Force, as well as future opportunities to continue to contribute to the nation’s defense.
Durbin serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the military and intelligence community, the nation’s national security requirements and the daily needs of over two million active duty and reserve service members. The Subcommittee also oversees funding for Overseas Contingency Operations, including military operations worldwide. All told, the Subcommittee controls more than half of the nation’s annual discretionary budget.
