MANSFIELD, Ohio — Members of the Ohio Federal Military Jobs Commission sat in on the Mansfield Military Affairs Council meeting on Tuesday at the Gorman-Rupp facility, hearing from various leaders within the community and government officials. The commission’s goal was to gain helpful information and ideas to build a strategic plan to improve Ohio’s ability to attract and retain federal defense missions and to grow contracting job opportunities in both the public and private sectors.
The Ohio Federal Military Jobs Commission is made up of nine members, three of which were present at the meeting: Retired Lt. Col. Robert Decker, Retired Senior Executive with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center Gary O’Connell, and Richland Community Development Group Executive Director Bridget McDaniel. Though McDaniel is a member, she noted that her role at the meeting was that of a “Mansfielder.”
The commission was established in September of last year. With the commissioners, a strategic planning team has been formed under the leadership of Wright State, Ohio State, and Cleveland State universities to develop a five-year strategic plan for the Ohio Federal Military Jobs Commission.
Each of the nine commissioners will visit different locations throughout the state, including Columbus, Lima, Youngstown, Mansfield, Dayton, Appalachia, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland.
“The purpose of these tours are really listening tours,” commented McDaniel.
Based on the information that is gathered from each tour, a strategic plan will be developed, which is due to the Ohio General Assembly and Gov. John Kasich by March 31 of this year.
Much of the conversation at the meeting revolved around the 179th Airlift Wing and how Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) criteria is established.
Rich Green, chairman of the Mansfield Military Affairs Council, commented, “I think the basic construct of the BRAC process needs to be looked at very closely so that the criteria makes more sense for guard units.”
He said the Air Force evaluates a guard unit based on its ability to perform any of eight different missions; however, he said, “We were made to do specific missions and we lose points by not having a much bigger facility like an active duty base might have.”
He said the criteria seems to favor active duty units.
Col. Jeff Lewis at the 179th Airlift Wing, noted, “I just finished two years at the Pentagon at the end of December, so I worked in the Air Force for military policy, and the whole thing is that there’s a move afoot to make us all the same, to make all three components (the guard, reserves and active duty) the same and do away with our uniqueness.”
“So we want to make sure the components are evaluated separately and not as a whole together because we are unique.”
The commissioners agreed that it’s imperative to make sure that government officials, both state and national, are educated about this issue.
Col. Mike Howard at the 179th Airlift Wing later commented, “As long as the criteria is fair and equitable, we don’t really have to stack the deck in our favor.”
He said, “It can be a national criteria and we certainly would rise right to the top based on our performance, our experience, our retention, the people that we have and the value that we have for this community. I mean all of those kinds of things have to be considered.”
“I just finished two years at the Pentagon at the end of December… there’s a move afoot to make us all the same, to make all three components (the guard, reserves and active duty) the same and do away with our uniqueness.So we want to make sure the components are evaluated separately and not as a whole together because we are unique,” stated Col. Jeff Lewis at the 179th Airlift Wing.
