WASHINGTON, N.C. (WITN) – An Eastern Carolina congressman says he’s managed to buy some time for a combat squadron the Air Force is trying to divest aircraft from.

In March 2024, the Air Force announced that they planned to divest 26 F-15E aircraft at Seymour Johnson Airforce Base which Davis said would eliminate 520 jobs in Wayne County.

Davis says that he authored a provision that was included in the U.S. House Armed Services Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

The provision would require the secretary of the Air Force and the secretary of defense to enter into contracts and report on the risks involved in divesting the aircraft. Davis says after submission, there will be a 180-day wait period before any divestment can happen.

Davis said that the provision will require the Air Force to be more transparent and accountable to Wayne County and Congress.