Marietta, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff passed a bipartisan amendment to upgrade Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
Last month, thanks to Sen. Ossoff’s leadership, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed his amendment through the Defense Appropriations Bill with bipartisan support to encourage upgrades to the Air Force Reserves’ C-130H fleet at Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARB) to the new C-130J models – produced by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia.
“Since I took office, Senator Warnock and I have relentlessly advocated for recapitalization of the Hercules fleet nationally with the C-130J variant manufactured in Georgia,” said Sen. Ossoff. “That’s why I brought Republicans and Democrats together to work toward bringing them to Dobbins Air Reserve Base.”
If the bill becomes law, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan amendment would direct the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report to Congress within 100 days detailing a plan to upgrade the remaining Air Force Reserve Squadrons that operate C-130H aircraft.
The bipartisan Defense appropriations bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now ready to move to the full U.S. Senate for a vote. The bill must first pass the full U.S. Senate and U.S. House before it could become law.
Sen. Ossoff continues to deliver for Georgia military instillations.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff helped write and pass through the U.S. Senate a bipartisan military construction & VA funding bill that includes the most funding for Georgia military construction and quality-of-life constructionprojects since 2010. The bill must now pass the U.S. House to then become law.
This summer, Sen. Ossoff, who serves as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, held a hearing about funding priorities for military construction projects and highlighted the need to strengthen oversight over military housing contractors.
In December 2023, Sen. Ossoff delivered key national security and quality of life upgrades for Georgia’s servicemembers, veterans, and military families – including $22 million for Dobbins ARB.
In December 2021, Sen. Ossoff demanded action from the Department of Defense to clean up contamination threatening the health of Georgia military families at Dobbins ARB.
Please find below the text of Sen. Ossoff’s amendment as passed in the Senate Defense Funding Bill:
In the appropriate place in the report, insert the following:
“Air Force Reserve Tactical Airlift Capacity. – The Committee notes that the Air Force Reserve fleet continues to operate aging C-130H aircraft, and that recapitalization of these platforms with an updated C-130J capability is critical for Air Force Reserve units to rapidly respond to crises at home and abroad. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report to be delivered to congressional defense committees not later than 100 days after the enactment of this act detailing a plan to upgrade the remaining Air Force Reserve Squadrons operating C-130H aircraft.”
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