ICYMI: Hudson assures the Fort Bragg community he's fighting for them

Members of Congress assure the Fort Bragg community they’re fighting for them on Capitol Hill. Congressmen joined in on a Military Affairs Roundtable at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce…

North Carolina’s Eight District Congressman Richard Hudson says despite the funding, wait times are longer than ever. “I believe the only solution is to allow veterans to go outside the VA for care if they want to, and by doing that, you break the back of that bureaucracy.”

Another hot topic in the Fayetteville, Fort Bragg Community, the deactivation of the 440^th Airlift Wing, the unit that the 82^nd airborne has historically trained with. Hudson fought to keep the wing alive, but with no success, “And so whether it’s the 440^th or some other component, my concern is making sure they get the jumps they need.” Hudson says his top priority is making sure our service men and women are well trained and well equipped.

Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson says he’s comforted to know that leaders in the nation’s capital have his city’s back, “It’s good to have these people from Washington, D.C. understand the importance of the military in this community.” (Kathryn DiGisi, “Members of Congress assure the Fort Bragg community they’re fighting for them on Capitol Hill,” TWC News, 5/27/16)

Questions from local leaders focused on readiness, in particular the impact of the loss of the 440th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit slated to be inactivated later this year. Tillis and Hudson opposed the inactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing, which operated the only aircraft permanently stationed at Fort Bragg, and have more recently pressed for the Air Force to explain why it is failing to meet training requirements for local soldiers…

Provisions in the House and Senate versions of a pending defense bill would require the Air Force to submit regular reports on their support to Fort Bragg. Tillis and Hudson already receive some of that information, and they said the numbers are not improving.

"How are we going to keep our paratroopers trained?" Hudson said. "We're going to stay on this doggedly and determinedly." (Drew Brooks, “Fort Bragg training, readiness topic of chamber roundtable,” Fayetteville Observer, 5/27/16)