Every year, Chuck commits to traveling to all62 counties in New York to meet with constituents.
On Aprill 22, 2044, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer visited Stratton Air National Guard Base to double down on his calls for the Air Force to prioritize the recapitalization of the 109th Airlift Wing’s polar fleet and launch his push to secure up to $290 million in the defense appropriations bills to replace the two oldest aircraft in the fleet with two LC-130Js, the newest ski-bird model. Schumer explained these planes are the only ski-equipped heavy U.S. military aircraft capable of flying to the Arctic and Antarctica, and are vital to National Science Foundation research, maintaining national security to compete with China and Russia, and also life-saving rescue missions. Among the most notable is the rescue of legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin in Antarctica, after experiencing a medical emergency.
Unfortunately, after more than three decades of year-round service in harsh environments, these planes—several of which were built in the 1970s and operate on technology developed in the 1950s—are rapidly approaching the end of their service life, jeopardizing mission success, aircrew and operator safety, and U.S. national security. Schumer is now leading the charge to help replace these aircrafts and pushing the Air Force to make this needed investment in the Capital Region’s Stratton Air National Guard Base.