Youngstown’s Air Reserve Station now has funding for a new multi-million dollar indoor gun range. The money is part of the omnibus budget deal federal lawmakers reached this week. WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier reports.
Ohio's U.S. Sen. Rob Portman backed the $9.4 million gun range appropriation. He says the funding will have a wide-ranging benefit.
“This is really going to help in terms of not just the Air Force but also Marines and Navy who want to use it, but also local law enforcement. So this is a big win for ... the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.”
The new firing range will replace the 30-year-old partly covered facility that Portman says is obsolete. Supporters say the new facility will make the Youngstown base less likely to be closed as the U.S. military looks for ways to cut costs. More than 1,500 military and civilian personnel work at the base.
