© 2024 WYSO
Our Community. Our Nation. Our World.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sen. Brown Pens Letter Asking DOD To Keep Assignments At Wright-Patt

Sherrod Brown
WCPN

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is pushing back against a decision by the Pentagon to close an office overseeing key defense manufacturing programs in the Dayton area. The programs have been headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for the last 30 years.

Department of Defense officials recently announced a plan to relocate more than a dozen jobs to the Pentagon.

Brown and other members of the House and Senate have sent a letter to DOD Secretary James Mattis urging him to keep oversight of the programs in Ohio.

In an interview, Brown told WYSO he’s concerned about the impact of moving the jobs to Washington.

“For the military it’s disruptive, it’s wasteful, and Wright-Patt is doing this right," he says. "And I was able to convince colleagues that this makes sense for our national interests, it makes sense for taxpayers interests, it makes sense for national security. Keep this responsibility right in Dayton at the Air Force Research Lab.”

The multimillion dollar defense-manufacturing programs in question are currently overseen by the Manufacturing Technology Division at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) .

Brown says pending an answer from the DOD, his office will follow up on the request later this week.

Jerry began volunteering at WYSO in 1991 and hosting Sunday night's Alpha Rhythms in 1992. He joined the YSO staff in 2007 as Morning Edition Host, then All Things Considered. He's hosted Sunday morning's WYSO Weekend since 2008 and produced several radio dramas and specials . In 2009 Jerry received the Best Feature award from Public Radio News Directors Inc., and was named the 2023 winner of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Best Anchor/News Host award. His current, heart-felt projects include the occasional series Bulletin Board Diaries, which focuses on local, old-school advertisers and small business owners. He has also returned as the co-host Alpha Rhythms.