Youngstown Air Reserve Station mentioned during Capitol Hill hearing

The aerial spray mission of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station was a topic on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

During a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing, Congressman Tim Ryan asked the chief of the Air Force Reserve about recapitalizing the older existing C-130H planes.

Lieutenant General Richard Scobee said that they are planning upgrades to those models. If the Air Force has money, they will additionally recap the aircraft and determine where the planes go.

"But our fundamental basis is going to be that we put those aircraft in our special missions which include the firefighters and the aerial spray at Youngstown and then we'll look to the corporate process to determine where those aircraft would best be needed. Aerial spray is one of our most interesting missions because it also has a combat related mission as well with spray and I think it's vitally important," said Lieutenant General Richard Scobee, Chief of the Air Force Reserve. 

The 910th Airlift Wing's aerial spray mission controls disease-carrying insects, pest insects, undesirable vegetation and disperses oil spills in large bodies of water.