MOODY AIR FORCE BASE — A lawmaker met with local leaders Tuesday about preparing Moody Air Force Base for an upcoming infusion of new aircraft.
Sen. John Ossoff, D-Ga., discussed plans for the arrival of F-35 fighters at the base in coming years with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, State Sen. Russ Goodman (SD-08), Valdosta Councilmembers Vivian Miller-Cody and Sandra Tooley and Dr. Lucy Greene of the Moody Support Group, according to a statement from Ossoff’s office.
“I came to the installation today to meet with the command and discuss how we plan most effectively for that transition. This is going to mean that Moody Air Force Base will remain a critical asset to our national defense and means significant investment in jobs and economic growth for South Georgia.”
The F-35s will replace the A-10C low level ground attack planes. The Air Force now plans to retire 54 of the existing 281 “Warthogs,” as the A-10Cs are known, in Fiscal Year 2024, with six of those at Moody. Remaining Warthogs will be phased out by FY2028, according to an Air Force statement.