Deluzio Leads Pennsylvania Delegation Members to Petition U.S. Air Force to Base New Squadron in Moon Township

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) led five of his colleagues in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation in a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Michael J. Borders, requesting that the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) base the new 33rd Combat Communications Squadron at the Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.

Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), and Congressmembers Mike Kelly (PA-16), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) signed the letter to Assistant Secretary Borders.

“Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station is the right operational fit for AFRC’s new squadron,” wrote the Members of Congress. “Co-location with AFRC’s 911th Airlift Wing and its C-17 airlift mission would allow communications forces and airlift crews to train, load, and deploy together as a unified capability.”

The lawmakers argued that AFRC would benefit from Western Pennsylvania’s abundance of educational institutions, technical talent, and cutting-edge companies: “Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and a dense ecosystem of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and robotics companies stand ready to partner directly with AFRC—reducing acquisition costs and timelines through co-development, and positioning the command at the leading edge as communications technology rapidly evolves.”

“Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station offers the operational foundation, talent pipeline, innovation partnerships and strategic positioning the 33rd Combat Communication Squadron needs,” they concluded.

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

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