Three New York congressional lawmakers are advocating once again for Stewart Air National Guard base in Orange County to become the site of a new squadron.
Stewart Air National Guard base remains one of seven finalists to house the Air Force’s newest Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES). New York U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, are renewing their call in a letter to the Air Force secretary and Air National Guard lieutenant. They cite Stewart Air National Guard’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to experience responding to the September 11 attacks as a few reasons why Stewart, the only finalist with a C-17 unit, should host the new squadron. The lawmakers say the new AES will bring state-of-the-art in-flight emergency medical care and new job opportunities to the Hudson Valley.