From Deseret News archives:
BRAC changes may hurt HAFB
If fight for N.M. base succeeds, it could adversely affect Utah
Although the initial BRAC list left Hill supporters with little to complain about, changes could be afoot.
In May, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommended the BRAC commission close Cannon Air Force Base and ship at least six of its F-16s to Hill. On Friday, thousands of Cannon supporters crowded a regional hearing before the BRAC commission in an effort to save their base.
Although Hill was not mentioned during the hearing, Hill supporters are still worried about what could happen if Cannon manages to get off the BRAC list.
"If by some chance the commission decides to take Cannon off the list, I'm concerned that we don't get the replacement aircraft," said Rick Mayfield, executive director of the Utah Defense Alliance, in a phone interview Friday from New Mexico.
Mayfield said the New Mexico delegation did an "excellent job in presenting the military value" of Cannon. Cannon and Hill are similar bases: Both house elite F-16 wings, both enjoy relatively little encroachment problem, and both have a massive training range nearby.
The Pentagon ranked Cannon relatively low among fighter wings. The New Mexico base ranked 50th out of 154 Air Force facilities in the ability to host fighter missions.
Other bases ranked considerably higher, including Hill at 14th, and another New Mexico installation, Holloman Air Force Base, at 10th. Another base slated for closure, South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base, ranked 39th.
The New Mexico delegation, however, is disputing the rankings.
"We are not alleging our Defense Department is anything but the best . . . but they, too, can make mistakes," Sen. Pete Domenici, R-New Mexico, told the BRAC commission Friday.
Under the Pentagon's realignment plan, Hill will lose missions related to 13 current military positions and 447 civilian positions. But it will pick up 291 military positions and 24 civilian positions from other bases being closed.
That leaves a net loss of 145 jobs at Hill, which has nearly 24,000 civilian and military employees.
Keeping Cannon open and changing the BRAC list could create a sticky situation for the BRAC commission and Hill.
"(The BRAC list) was cleverly put together in that if you touch one base here, you touch three others at the same time," BRAC commissioner and former Utah Rep. Jim Hansen said after a June visit to Hill. "It will be a real challenge for us to work things out."
Mayfield said he is worried about a "ripple effect" that could impact future workloads.
The Utah Defense Alliance is currently working on finding other ways Hill could receive aircraft if Hill remains open. Mayfield said Utah Defense Alliance officials are in the process of drafting a position paper that details those recommendations.
Contributing: Associated Press
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com
