Steven Harrell

Jobs to Tinker

Nov 10, 2011 Updates

In 2000, after George W. Bush was elected President of the United States, he proposed a move for the Air National Guard B-1B Bomber Wing that was stationed at Robins AFB. This wing distinguished itself against ground targets and military targets in Kosovo in 1999. Our Senior U.S. Senator, Saxby Chambliss, voiced no objections with the Bush Administration over this move, and that flying mission left Robins AFB for good.  The wing was moved to a Texas air base as part of a political deal promised by the Bush Administration.

Fast forward to the year 2004.  The war in Iraq has been going on for over a year, and Saxby Chambliss is taking one of several trips over to Iraq.  On his way out there and back from Iraq, he is constantly uttering the infamous words “stay the course,” and “we can’t cut and run.”  All during the war, billions and billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars were being pumped out into Iraq, Afghanistan, and Qatar, never to return again.  Huge airbases were built in Iraq and Qatar with billions in U.S. taxpayer funds.  Huge budget deficits were created as a result of all of our adventures in the Middle East.  These budget deficits have come home to roost, and Congress must cut the budget in future years to deal with the problems created by our overspending in the Middle East.

Fast forward again to the year 2010.  Congressman Jim Marshall was swept out of office by the Tea Party vote, and Austin Scott took his seat in the Congress.  The Department of Defense, knowing that the defense budget would have to be cut, looked at the direction of Austin Scott’s 8^th Congressional District, and a plan was put into action.  Jim Marshall carried a lot of clout on Capitol Hill when it came to military affairs.  The people of this area voted him out of office, and voted in a Tea Party guy instead.  That gave the Department of the Air Force the green light to put together a downsizing plan that will affect Robins AFB.

Last week, The Air Force announced a major reorganization in the Air Force Material Command.  Tinker AFB in Oklahoma will get redesigned as the Air Force Sustainment Center.  600 jobs will leave Robins AFB, and will be absorbed by Tinker AFB.  Tinker AFB will have as its commander a three star general.  The Robins Air Logistics Center will be downgraded to the Robins Air Logistics Complex, and Robins will be commanded by a one star general.  At least 516 jobs are to be cut from Robins as soon as possible.  Some jobs will be cut via early retirement offers, which will include a $25,000.00 buyout per employee.  Other jobs will be eliminated via transfer to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma.  This plan appears to pave the way for even greater job cuts at Robins AFB in the future, particularly on account of the reorganization in the command structure.

If the budget has to be cut further, this reorganization will make it easier for more job cuts to happen.  If a budget cutting deal cannot be worked in the Congress, these job cuts will be followed by the elimination of other jobs here locally.

The reorganization will be completed by October 1, 2012. Where is Saxby Chambliss while these job cuts are affecting a base in his home state?  Why is he not voicing his objections to this plan?  A U.S. Senator is supposed to have a lot of clout in Washington D.C.  He can threaten the Administration with a filibuster on each and every measure it wants passed in the Congress.  He can hold up Administration appointments to the bench and to executive office positions if he chooses to do so.  In this situation, as in 2000, Saxby has once again rolled over and played dead, while jobs got moved out of his state and into another, once again.

There are those that vote to reelect Saxby Chambliss again and again, and continue to do so on the grounds that he has a lot of clout in Washington, D.C.  Maybe after this latest job cutting episode by the Air Force, those voters will figure out that his influence on Capital Hill has either waned, or he just does not care about job losses at a military base in his home state.