Governor Doyle will not only urge base closing commissioners to keep the 440th Airlift Wing open, he'll ask themto expand it.
The governor and Wisconsin's two U-S senators will get a half an
hour later today to address the commissioners in St. Louis.
Wisconsin is one of seven states that will be represented.
Three of the nine Base Realignment and Closure commissioners
will be in St. Louis.
The independent commission has less than 12 weeks to modify the
list of closures provided by the Pentagon.
Doyle will tell commissioners the 440th has room for as many as
16 transport planes, double the number the base currently has. The
governor will argue that the unit's personnel are experienced and
would likely lose pilots and maintenance employees if it's moved.
The wing is the state's only Air Force Reserve unit. It's made
its headquarters in Milwaukee since 1957.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
