Louise Slaughter: “I am proud today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1585, the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, that will…”

“I am proud today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1585, the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, that will make certain the Niagara Falls Air Reserve base continues to play an integral role in our homeland defense. The Niagara airbase is home to the 914th Air Reserve and the 107th Air Guard. Both units have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and are responsible for patrols over large metropolitan areas and key infrastructure throughout the Northeast and Midwest. The value of the men and women serving at Niagara was clearly demonstrated during the tragic events of September 11th. The 107th was the first Refueling Wing to fly Combat Air patrols over New York City. In addition, a specialized unit of the 914th, trained in identifying and preparing the remains of disaster victims, was instrumental in the 9/11 recovery mission. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission determined that the airbase would better serve our Nation if the 107th Guard unit became an Associate Air Wing of the 914th Reserve.”