CONGRESSMEN FIGHT FOR RESCUE UNIT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Larry Craig and Representative Bill Sali lined up today to support retention of the 36th Rescue Flight unit at Fairchild Air Force Base. They have been working closely with Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to help preserve this vital rescue unit that saves lives in the Inland Empire. In today's letter to the leaders of the Armed Services Committees in the House and Senate, they urged them to include language in the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization bill to preserve this Unit at Fairchild.The letter emphasizes the importance of the Unit to the region, "The 36th Rescue Flight plays an integral role in assisting rural counties' emergency rescue units in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana in search and rescue missions, especially in very remote areas of these States. Local sheriff offices rely heavily on the 36th Rescue Flight for everything from finding missing children to lost hunters. Without the assistance of the 36th Rescue Flight unit, local search and rescue efforts will be greatly reduced."The letter also outlines the equipment and personnel the Unit is able to provide and states that no comparable local civilian or law enforcement resources can make up for the loss of the 36th Rescue Flight unit.