JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — At the behest of Rep. John P. Murtha (D), chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, the Pentagon has spent about $30 million equipping a little-used airport named for the congressman so that it can handle behemoth military aircraft and store combat equipment for rapid deployment to foreign battlefields.

Most of the expensive improvements, funded through appropriations approved by Murtha’s committee, have not been used for their intended purpose. The projects delighted National Guard and reserve units based in Murtha’s Pennsylvania district who have suffered from budget cuts, but critics charge that the expenditures are a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Murtha and other supporters say the upgrades make the airport a critical backup if a military crisis or terrorist attack ever derails operations at the Pittsburgh International Airport two hours away.

washingtonpost.com

I wasn’t aware Pittsburgh “International” Airport was a first strike target?