Pentagon Meets on Future of Niagara Falls 107th Air Guard

An internal Pentagon meeting on Friday may help spell out the future of the 107th Airlift Wing of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Reports said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz are to meet with Pentagon leadership to discuss the Council of Governors alternative plan to modify an original Air Force plan with respect to cutbacks air the Air Reserve Station.

Back in February, the Air Force called for the elimination of 5,100 Air National Guard positions and the removal of the C-130 flying mission from the 107th. The impact on the base could be the loss of more than 800 jobs.

The Council and National Guard State Adjutants General proposed a new plan earlier this month which would restore some units and add new units to some affected bases. That could include the transfer of the MC-12 intelligence gathering plane mission to the Niagara base and the 107th.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley told Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Tuesday that they were looking at the Council's plan and had reached no conclusion.

(From WGRZ)