With regard Santorum and the 911th Air Wing Up, but many people have missed what Santorum did to the 913th Airlift Wing. I wanted to let you know about what is going on at Willow Grove Pennsylvania. We are closing with no BRAC rights and not on any BRAC list as a result of Senator Santorum undermining the base.

Senator Santorum has been unresponsive to a meeting with members of the unit, many of whom have served in Iraq. Indeed , Senator Santorum has undermined the Willow Grove station several times.

Some background on the base , the base is composed of Army Reserve Units, Navy Reserve and Active Duty Navy Units, Marine Corps units, 1400 members of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and 1300 members of the 913th Airlift Wing, there are a number of federal civilian employees here at the base as well. 7500 full and part time people, most with families in this area.

In the lead up to the BRAC commission hearings, Senator Santorum made numerous negative comments of this base publicly, so the commission could hear it. We when through the BRAC 2005 process. The BRAC commission moved the Navy and Marine units to McGuire Air Force base, leaving the PA Air Guard, the 913th Airlift Wing , and the Army Reserves here at Willow Grove, all sufficient to support operations of these units , including an active airfield.. This was signed into law, though after 2011 we are not yet sure what happens with the runway.

The Governor has a lawsuit against DOD which covers the 111th Air Guard. He is fighting like a pit bull to save his PA guard unit. OK

However even though the BRAC 2005 was signed into law, it appears the 1300 members of the 913th Airlift Wing are going to be unemployed in 2007. While Governor Rendell has successfully fought to keep the 111th Pennsylvania Air Guard from being dissolved and sent out of existence, it appears that fate is now going to befall the 1300 Pennsylvanians of the 913th Airlift Wing even though we were not BRAC'ed.

The Governor really can't help us since we are not under his command like his 111th Air Guard. What we need is help from Federal Congressional and Senatorial people. Right now only Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz has paid a visit to the base since this happened, also candidate Captain Patrick Murphy has shown great interest in the base.

The Willow Grove Air Reserve Station faces the real possibility of being closed, and where is our Senator in this? He is unresponsive. Most of the people on this base blame Senator Santorum for the mess we find ourselves in.

The 913th Airlift Wing has its personnel in Iraq right now, some its their 4th deployment to Iraq in four years. They do not deserve to be thrown away when they return next month. When I say the unit may be dissolved and its 1300 people lose their jobs, the story gets worse. Since we were not BRAC'ed , that is closed by the BRAC commission, we have none of the BRAC rights the units closed or moved have. This includes job retaining, college tuition assistance, grant moneys, paid leave, and its gets worse. They are basically throwing the 1300 Pennsylvanians away after the using the units these last four years in Iraq. We need a Senator to help us, and that's not Santorum.

You know in 1994, when Santorum ran for Senate, he promised to keep Pennsylvania's military bases open. 6 months after he got in he voted to close bases, and he has done that ever since. Most of the employees here blame him for our situation, my unit the 913th has the worst of it. Santorum voted against us at every opportunity. The effects of his actions are now starting to be felt. Morale is non existent. He did that to us. The Pentagon /Donald Rumsfeld is appealling Governor Rendell's win to keep the 111th Air National Guard at Willow Grove, if they win the 1400 people of their Guard will lose their jobs too. Sentor Santorum won't meet with any of the base personnel.

Most military people here have families and vote and remember Santorum's lack of support for us. I have reminded the 7500 people who work at the base what Santorum has done to us for the last year. He stabbed us in the back.