Stivers, Portman help to unveil new Ohio Air National Guard flight simulator

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) on Oct. 19 said they were honored to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the KC-135 air refueling tank flight simulator at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.

The lawmakers both helped secure the simulator in their home state by leading multiple letters of support to the U.S. Air Mobility Command.

“Ohio is home to some of the best military installations in the world, and one is right here in Columbus,” Sen. Portman said last week. “The work being done at the 121st Air Refueling Wing is critical to our efforts to protect the homeland. I’ll continue fighting to properly fund and support programs like this that benefit Ohio’s economy and help keep Americans safe.”

“Adding the KC-135 simulator to Rickenbacker’s existing resources will provide the most efficient way to train airmen both from Ohio and from out-of-state, and will make the base a center of excellence within Air Mobility Command and the Air National Guard,” Rep. Stivers said.

Specifically, Sen. Portman in March 2016 led the entire Ohio delegation in a bipartisan push to relocate a KC-135 air refueling tanker flight simulator at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. In April 2017, the senator announced that the U.S. Air Force had agreed to do so.

Bringing the simulator to Rickenbacker, said Sen. Portman at the time, would increase training opportunities at the base, cost-effectiveness and receipt of future missions and equipment. The simulator also is expected to bolster construction, add jobs and fuel more economic activity at local businesses as air crews come to Rickenbacker for simulator training, said the lawmaker.

Rep. Stivers, who last week called the relocation “a collaborative effort,” also wrote a letter in February 2016 advocating for a KC-135 simulator to be relocated at Rickenbacker, which is in his district.

In his letter, Stivers argued that the relocation would reduce the time and costs associated with training personnel at off-site locations.

“This is a win for the community,” Rep. Stivers said on Oct. 19. “With crews from all around the country coming to Rickenbacker for training, staying in hotels, and eating at local restaurants, this will provide a great economic boost for the community.”