Representative Tran Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Deactivation of Joint Forces Training Base-Los Alamitos Medical Evacuation Unit

Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Derek Tran (D-CA-45) introduced bipartisan legislation alongside Representatives Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-08) and Jeff Crank (R-CO-05) to prevent the deactivation of certain U.S. Army Reserve aviation units. The Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act of 2026 would protect the Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (ECAB), including a medical evacuation unit stationed at Joint Forces Training Base-Los Alamitos (JFTB-LA). This unit is critical to California's military and disaster relief preparedness.

Representative Tran represents JFTB-LA in Congress and completed a portion of his training there as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.

The legislation would limit the use of certain funds for the deactivation of Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades (ECABs) that provide capabilities like air assault and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) to support our armed forces' readiness. The U.S. Army plans to deactivate the ECABs on September 15, 2026, despite replacement capability not being available until 2030. The proposed deactivation of a medical evacuation unit at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos would impact the livelihoods of 150 soldiers and 34 civilians while leaving a gap in the region's disaster relief capabilities.

Read the full text of the bill HERE.

"The medical evacuation unit at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos is a critical asset for emergency and disaster relief missions, serving communities across Southern California. Deactivating these flying units without a clear plan for how the service intends to fill the capability gap will hurt our communities at home and diminish our readiness to respond to global conflicts," said Representative Tran. "The soldiers and civilians impacted by this drawdown have not been given meaningful options to continue their service. Trained pilots and experienced personnel are leaving the force because they have not been given a clear plan for their futures. We have invested so much in training and equipping highly qualified service members, and now we are letting them walk away. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act to ensure that the Department of Defense presents a credible plan to recapitalize these capabilities, retain this expertise, and ensure that our military readiness remains at its peak."

"Our Army Reserve units are doing critical work and deserve certainty as they execute their missions," said Representative Luttrell. "Deactivating the ECABs before a replacement capability is set creates an unacceptable gap in our force structure and gambles with our nation's readiness. This legislation ensures our posture doesn't waver throughout this transition while mitigating operational risk."

"The 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade headquartered at Fort Carson is vital to the mission and support for local search and rescue operations in conjunction with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office," said Representative Crank. "Deactivating the Brigade would weaken the Army's ability to surge capabilities in conflict and leave Colorado's Fifth Congressional District's emergency responders shorthanded. By introducing the Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act, we are ensuring that the Department of War has a plan to recapitalize capabilities, resources, and personnel of the Brigades to support warfighters, preserve expertise, and protect Coloradans."

Representative Tran serves on the powerful House Armed Services Committee, overseeing the Department of Defense. In a May 15 House Armed Services Committee Hearing, Tran questioned Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Acting Army Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve about the department's decision to deactivate ECABs at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos.

An Army Veteran, Representative Tran is dedicated to expanding protections and benefits for Veterans and service members in Washington. The first bill Tran introduced in Congress was H.R. 1637, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, to restore the livelihoods of Veterans wrongfully fired from their civil service positions. He recently joined Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-01) in introducing the WARRIOR Act to protect women's ability to serve all roles across the military, including in combat. In September 2025, Tran's bipartisan Delivering Digitally for our Veterans Act, which aims to streamline the administration of Veterans' educational benefits through the G.I. Bill, unanimously passed the House. Following offensive U.S. military actions against Iran conducted without Congressional oversight in February 2026, Tran has voted in favor of three Congressional war powers resolutionsreaffirming that Congress, not the executive branch, reserves the right to declare war.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.