Senator Lisa Murkowski Commends Fairbanks and North Pole for Supporting Eielson

SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI COMMENDS FAIRBANKS AND NORTH POLE FOR SUPPORTING EIELSON

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said today that the community support for Eielson Air Force base at Wednesday's BRAC commission hearing in Fairbanks was "outstanding" and that the testimony given illustrated why the base should not be realigned.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commissioners visited Fairbanks this past Wednesday to hear testimony on why Eielson Air Force Base should be removed from the Pentagon's list of recommended bases to be realigned. If Pentagon recommendations are followed, Eielson would be reduced to a "warm" status resulting in the relocation of 3,000 active duty military members and 4,000 or more dependents in the Fairbanks and North Pole areas. The Commissioners will continue to visit other affected communities throughout the summer and must make their final report on the Pentagon's recommendations to the President by September 8.

"When we pulled in, people were wrapped all the way around the building and the inside of the Carlson Center was already full - it was a huge sea of red," Sen. Murkowski said referring to the red colored "Save Eielson" shirts the Interior crowd was wearing.

"The people there were as proud to be representing Alaska as any crowd I have ever seen. The presentation by Generals Hamilton and Gamble was nothing short of phenomenal. I know that these Commissioners will be hearing compelling testimony as they go across the country but I think that this first stop on the tour will be remembered as the strongest, the best and the most powerful.

"We have facts that no one else can speak to and they were delivered in a manner that was very persuasive and powerful and backed up by the strength of a community that is very supportive of their military."

Speaking to the next steps in the BRAC process, Sen. Murkowski noted her concern with the brief time that the Commissioners are allotted to attend community hearings, analyze the Pentagon's recommendations, and come up with final recommendations on whether bases should remain on the BRAC list.

"This is a frustrating process for those who will be impacted by the decisions," Murkowski said. "The Department of Defense has had two years to do their analysis, with thousands of people working for them, and a budget that allows them to do the work. The commissioners now have three months to form their own in-depth analysis of what has been presented to them - three months to go through the two years of documents that have been provided.

"The easiest thing for the commissioners to do would be to simply approve of the Pentagon recommendations. Luckily for Alaska, and other affected communities, the Commission is not a rubber stamp for the DOD. They have a tough job ahead of them in doing their own analyses but they are very committed to doing the work that they have been tasked. Fortunately these are men and women with credibility and integrity and the desire to do the job right."

Sen. Murkowski also urged Alaskans to visit www.saveeielson.com to record their individual messages of support for keeping the base fully operational.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=239141