May 22, 2025
“We stand ready to assist in this effort in any way that we can and look forward to partnering on additional initiatives that will benefit our warfighters in Northeast Ohio and across the country.”
WASHINGTON – Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Reps. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) have written to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to request that he allocate $25 million of existing appropriations for Youngstown Air Reserve Station’s (YARS) fire station construction project.
The Pentagon and both chambers of Congress have previously supported the project, and the lawmakers highlighted its importance to America’s national defense. The project would use existing funding and require no new appropriations.
“Located in Trumbull County, YARS is home to the 910th Airlift Wing, which has a tactical airlift mission and is tasked with the Department of Defense’s sole aerial spray mission. As the base continues its transition to the new C-130J airframe, the facility has received widespread support for a new fire station to meet the mission requirements of this airframe investment,” wrote the lawmakers.
The $25 million fire station project was included in the FY25 Air Force Reserve budget request for military construction projects. The FY25 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed both chambers of Congress last year with strong bipartisan support, authorized this Youngstown project. Both the House and Senate FY25 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bills included $25 million in full funding for the fire station.
The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, which President Donald Trump signed into law in March 2025, included $74.7 million for Air Force Reserve construction projects—a portion of which could be used to fund the YARS project.
“We stand ready to assist in this effort in any way that we can and look forward to partnering on additional initiatives that will benefit our warfighters in Northeast Ohio and across the country,” the Ohio policymakers concluded.
The full letter is here.