Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal said he has arranged a meeting in Washington next month with the secretary of the Air Force to discuss the future of the Westover Air Force Reserve base in Chicopee.
Neal said he invited the U.S. Air Force Sec. Deborah Lee James to meet with the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation, state and local officials to share her vision of Westover’s future and so she can hear about Westover’s importance to the region. Neal’s office in a statement said the Congressman met with James just a day after the commander at Westover, Brig Gen. James Vautrain announced downsizing that will cut the base’s fleet of cargo jets in half and eliminate more than 300 jobs. But he said the base still has a future.
" We are here for the long haul," said Vautrain on Monday.
Military bases nationwide are undergoing changes because Congress has cut defense spending by $ 487 billion.
