Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) Thursday welcomed the Air Force's announcement that Mansfield Lahm Airport, home of the Ohio Air National Guard's 179th Airlift Wing, is one of two finalists in the competition to receive the C-27 formal training unit mission.

Jordan says the announcement affirms the important role the 179th has played in our national defense and homeland security efforts for more than 60 years,

He says locating all C-27 training activities in Mansfield would greatly benefit not only the men and women of the 179th but the National Guard as a whole.

In a statement, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz said either Mansfield Lahm Airport or Key Field Air Guard Station in Meridian, Mississippi, will conduct training operations for the C-27 mid-range cargo plane.

In the coming months, the Air Force will conduct surveys and environmental impact analyses at the two bases to gauge their suitability for the mission.

A final decision is expected in December. The 179th is aleady scheduled to be the first unit in the nation to receive a C-27 misison, with the first planes expected to arrive in August.