Ohio congressional delegation pushes Air Force to home new planes at Rickenbacker Airport

Ohio's congressional delegation, led by Sen. Sherrod Brown, is urging the Air Force to make Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base the home for eight new refueling planes.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Gen. David W. Allvin, the lawmakers urged the military to make Rickenbacker the operating base for the Air Force's eight new KC-46A aircraft used for aerial refueling.

Brown was joined by Sen. J.D. Vance and Reps. Joyce Beatty, Mike Carey, Shontel Brown, Mike Turner, Greg Landsman, Dave Joyce, Emilia Sykes, Max Miller, Marcy Kaptur and Troy Balderson in the letter.

The lawmakers cited the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Refueling Wing and the base's infrastructure as reasons for bringing the planes to central Ohio.

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“We believe the 121st ARW’s proven performance and wealth of experience, Rickenbacker’s outstanding facilities, and the strong local and statewide support for the unit make it an ideal location for the KC-46A (Main Operating Base 7) site. We encourage you to give full consideration to Rickenbacker AGS as you make your decision in the months ahead, ” wrote the lawmakers.

The Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is located at Rickenbacker International Airport in southern Franklin County.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio congressional delegation pushes Air Force to home new planes at Rickenbacker Airport