Renee L. Ellmers: “I thank the gentleman for yielding time as well. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman McKeon for allowing me to come…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding time as well. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman McKeon for allowing me to come before you today to speak on the necessity of preserving Pope Airfield's 440th Airlift Wing. I introduced this amendment because of the incredible support the 440th Airlift Wing provides to our military and the necessity of its mission in maintaining readiness. The Department of Defense repeatedly says that they need flexibility, certainty, and time to complete their missions and maintain readiness. The 440th provides all of these, yet the Pentagon is attempting to deactivate the very unit that provides these three crucial elements. Fort Bragg is home to the airborne and special operation forces. The proposal to remove every C-130 from this base contradicts its important mission. And even our President, Mr. Chairman, noted that we will be shifting more of our focus to special operations. I thank the chairman for his continued support to address this ongoing issue and look forward to working with the committee to address this very important issue. Mr. McKEON. I thank the gentlelady for her passionate and well articulated arguments supporting the 440th Airlift Wing which provides airlift to our Nation's paratroopers, including the storied 82nd Airborne. The 1,200 men and women who comprise the 440th Airlift Wing do an incredible job each and every day providing the airlift necessary to do their complex and challenging missions.…”