WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), met with U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson today to discuss Air Force execution of the National Defense Strategy and initiatives to strengthen training and development of new capabilities. As a combat Veteran who served as a logistics officer and Army helicopter pilot in the Reserve Forces, Duckworth emphasized the importance of focusing on enhancing investments in military logistics and transportation infrastructure, including fully resourcing the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), which is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base (AFB) in St. Clair County, Illinois.
“Our transportation and logistics infrastructure is vital to the strength of our Air Force and our entire nation. The ability to project power and prevail in a large-scale military conflict requires modernizing our support and sustainment capabilities,”Duckworth said. “As the home of U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base plays a critical role in our overall military readiness, and I look forward to working with Secretary Wilson to ensure we are making the investments necessary to effectively implement the national defense strategy.”
Scott Air Force Base is home to the headquarters of USTRANSCOM, which provides communications and logistics support to the military services, defense agencies, government organizations and other USTRANSCOM units. Duckworth visited Scott AFB in August of last year, where she met with and received a briefing from Col. Leslie A. Maher, Commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing and Col. Joseph R. Meyer, Vice Commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing. According to Scott AFB, nearly 5,000 Federal civilian employees are employed there and approximately 5,500 active duty military and 2,400 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Members are assigned to this critical Illinois military installation.
