WASHINGTON DC - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army Blackhawk pilot who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years—met with the commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC), General Mike Minihan, to discuss how we can best implement our air mobility strategy at home and abroad. In addition to reiterating her commitment to supporting AMC, which is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Duckworth also discussed how she can help improve partner training in aeromedical evacuation and AMC’s organic contingency response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region. Improving on these air mobility capabilities bolsters our U.S. joint force and supports our allies and partners worldwide. Photos from today’s meeting are available here.
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“When it comes to remaining competitive with our rivals and making sure the airpower in our military is ready for the next fight, there’s no such thing as overpreparing,” said Duckworth. “I’m glad I was able to have such a productive meeting with General Mike Minihan to discuss how we can improve military readiness, support our partners in the Indo-Pacific and best prepare American airpower for the needs of tomorrow.”
Duckworth has worked tirelessly to support the 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria, Illinois, and protect the future of C-130 aircraft. Duckworth secured a provision in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to establish a minimum inventory for the Air Force’s C-130 fleet, ensuring that the Air Force has sufficient C-130 capacity to carry out critical missions domestically as well as overseas. As a result of the hard work of Duckworth and the Illinois Air National Guard, the 182nd Airlift Wing was selected recently as a preferred location by the Air Force for eight new C-130J aircraft.
Duckworth is also a proven leader on strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and security in the region while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. Building on her successful trip to the region earlier this year, Duckworth led a Congressional Delegation to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines last month to meet with government and business leaders and discuss opportunities that would increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economic investments, regional stability and national security.
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