Air Force cuts spending to deal with disaster repairs

The Air Force announced Wednesday that it would delay over five dozen projects at military bases in 18 states in order to funnel money into disaster relief work at a base in Florida which was leveled by a hurricane last October, as the Air Force Secretary warned that without a special disaster relief package from Congress, other bases would likely see spending cuts in coming months as well.

"Yesterday, I had to make some decisions," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told a gathering at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Wednesday, detailing how 61 different improvement projects were being put on hold, in order to pay for initial recovery work at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Panhandle of Florida.

"There are 61 projects in 18 states that we have held commitment of funds for," Wilson said, issuing a list delaying work on everything from water system repairs at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio to HVAC repairs at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma to air system renovations at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, and much more.

Not only is the Air Force facing a money squeeze because of the extreme damage done to Tyndall AFB by Hurricane Michael - but another disaster is playing out right now in Nebraska, where flood waters have caused serious damage at Offutt AFB near Omaha, as Wilson acknowledged that could force even further financial juggling inside the service.

"We haven't even began to estimate fully what the impact at Offutt is going to be," the Secretary said Wednesday.

"This storm - if we don't get a supplemental - is going to affect the rest of the Air Force and our ability to operate," Wilson added. "We desperately need the supplemental to recover from the natural disaster that hammered Tyndall and Offutt."

The Marine Corps is already facing a similar funding squeeze related to hurricane damage at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, as the military had already estimated the repairs needed for Tyndall and Lejeune would be close to $9 billion in all - with damage at Offutt most certainly boosting that over $10 billion.

The move by the Air Force came as the U.S. Senate was considering a $13.5 billion disaster relief bill to help communities in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas hit by hurricanes in 2017, as well as send more aid to those touched by wildfires in California.

But this package does not include any money for the military.

"Congress must pass a disaster supplemental bill immediately," said Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), whose district is home to Tyndall AFB. "It’s jaw-dropping that our national security is now at risk."

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