Lawmaker Wants New Control Tower for Maxwell

Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) wants Fiscal 2015 military construction funding to cover a new air traffic control tower for Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. “I’ve personally climbed up the tower at Maxwell, and can attest to how badly it needs replacing,” said Roby, in whose congressional district Maxwell lies, in a release. Roby is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which approved its version of the Fiscal 2015 military construction and veteran affairs spending bill on April 9. Language in the bill calls on the Air Force and Army to prioritize funding for replacing towers—like Maxwell’s—that have obstructed views of runways or have structural, mechanical, or electrical deficiencies. Maxwell’s tower, built in 1955, is the second oldest in the Air Force and oversees the service’s second busiest distinguished visitor runway thanks to Air University, reported the Montgomery Advisor on April 14.