Seymour Johnson cancels air show

Friday, February 15, 2013

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local/state

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Seymour Johnson Air Force Base announced Friday it's cancelling the 2013 Wings Over Wayne Open House and Air Show, scheduled for May 18-19, because of potential budget cuts and uncertainty caused by the Democrats and Republicans inability to reach a budget compromise that would avoid the looming sequestration cuts.

"Our decision to cease planning for the 2013 air show comes after careful review and consideration of the fiscal challenges the Air Force, the Department of Defense and our nation face," said Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander in a statement to the media. "We're taking prudent measures and doing our best to mitigate our budget risks and align available resources with current and emerging operational requirements. Remaining as mission-ready as possible and preserving our combat capability is our imperative and we're prioritizing spending to ensure this priority is met."

Leavitt said while the overall cost of putting on the show is not high, cancelling it allows the base to reallocate resources to combat-readiness training.