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Capital Region Lawmakers Put Spotlight On Area's Military Installations

Office of Senator James Tedisco

Capital Region lawmakers gathered with representatives of several local military bases at the state capitol in Albany Wednesday morning to spotlight the importance of the facilities to the regional economy.

The Unified Military Affairs Council is a program of several local chambers of commerce to ensure the long-term viability of the region’s military bases.

Wednesday is UMAC Day. To mark the occasion, the lead sponsors of UMAC Day, Republican state Senator Jim Tedisco of Glenville and Democratic state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara of Rotterdam invited their legislative colleagues and military members from across the Capital Region to the capitol.

They are bringing attention to the fact that Capital Region military installations contribute to more than $1 billion in local economic activity.

Senator Tedisco…

“That economic impact has a tremendous effect on our community. And we want to make sure that we’re ready when the time comes, if the federal government begins to think about some base closings, that we want to say there’s no entrance to New York state: that we want to keep our bases open and we want to keep the men and women here who do such wonderful work for us,” said Tedisco.

Tedisco is referring to federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, process. The last time a BRAC was approved was 2005.

The Capital Region is home to several installations including the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa, the Naval Support Activity in Saratoga Springs, the Watervliet Arsenal, and the Stratton Air National Guard Base, home to the 109th Airlift Wing, in Glenville.

Assemblyman Santabaraba, an Army Reserve veteran who was stationed in Niskayuna, said local jobs are supported by military members’ spending on transportation, food, clothing, and other everyday needs.

“The fact is, for every fulltime job that you see on site at one of these bases, there are other jobs created in the Capital Region because of their presence. That’s something that’s very significant, to know that those jobs are created just because those bases are here,” said Santabarbara.

The facilities employ hundreds and are unique, says Ray Gagnon, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and chair of UMAC.

“Each one of our bases here in the Capital Region, as was touched on, has a very special mission. After spending 25 years in the Marine Corps and being stationed on some very large bases where the missions are very similar and they’re always deploying and going overseas, our bases here have some very unique missions,” said Gagnon.

For example, the 109th Airlift Wing flies the world’s only ski-equipped LC130s, large planes that go on missions to Antarctica.

Also speaking at the capitol in support of the local military presence were Democratic Assemblyman John McDonald of Cohoes, Republican Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh of Ballston, Democratic Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner of Round Lake, and Republican Senator George Amedore of Rotterdam.

Lucas Willard is a reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011.
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