Boozman, Arkansas Senators Pledge to Fight Military's Proposal to Phase Out Jets in Fort Smith

Boozman, Arkansas Senators Pledge to Fight Military's Proposal to Phase Out Jets in Fort Smith

Washington, May 13 -

After learning of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recommendation to phase out 15 F-16 fighter jets from an Air National Guard Fighter Wing in Fort Smith, both of Arkansas' U.S. Senators and the U.S. Congressman representing the region vowed today to band together to fight such a measure.

U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, along with Third District U.S. Representative John Boozman reacted to Secretary Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, issued in a comprehensive report earlier today. The report which was last issued in 1995 includes the Defense Department's recommendations to close or realign U.S. military facilities. The report targeted F-16s at military installations across the country including those based at Fort Smith's 188th Air National Guard Fighter Wing.

All three lawmakers cautioned that today's BRAC report contains recommendations only, which are still subject to approval by the BRAC Commission, President Bush and Congress before becoming law.

Specifically, the report recommends that seven of the 188th's F-16 aircraft be relocated to the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, California, and that eight of the 188th's F-16s be retired. The 188th Air National Guard Fighter Wing currently houses 17 F-16s in Fort Smith. In addition to the reduction in aircraft in Fort Smith, BRAC proposes that the firefighting unit for the 188th be relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and that the 188th's home station training site be relocated to Savannah, Georgia. The 188th provides 280 jobs and could lose 78 under today's BRAC realignment recommendation.

"It is important to note that this is only the beginning of the process and that Senator Lincoln, Senator Pryor and I are committed to fighting for the 188th," Congressman John Boozman said. "The Senators and I, along with the community, will try to show the BRAC Commission why Fort Smith is an ideal place for the Guard. The 188th and Fort Smith are excellent community partners, and we will work hard to keep the F-16s with the 188th or position the unit to take on a new mission with a focus on the future."

"We're not going to accept these recommendations without a fight, because this fighter wing means too much to our nation's defense and to the community of Fort Smith," Senator Blanche Lincoln said. "We've secured millions of dollars over the years to improve and modernize the facilities for the 188th in Fort Smith, and through leadership at the base and strong community involvement it's become an ideal location to house F-16s and has great potential for future needs of the Air Force. I remain committed to protecting the long-term sustainability of the 188th as the BRAC process moves forward. The men and women of the 188th do an incredible job on behalf of our national defense and I look forward to working with Senator Pryor and Congressman Boozman to make sure that message is heard loud and clear."

"I am disappointed and frankly a bit puzzled that Secretary Rumsfeld would make a decision to retire and relocate our F-16's at the same time he is calling these same planes into combat," Senator Mark Pryor said. "These aircrafts and their pilots are proving their combat readiness by being deployed to Iraq as we speak. I have talked to BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi and he has agreed to meet with the delegation next week. This is the beginning of a process - the BRAC Commission has until October to revise this list and the President will not certify it until November. In the next few months, I will continue to work with my fellow delegation as we scrutinize the DOD's recommendation and work to make sure the BRAC Commission understands the value and potential of Fort Smith.

The three Arkansas lawmakers said that they would pursue all possible options to reverse BRAC's recommendation and would work with the independent BRAC Commission to demonstrate the value of the 188th to our national defense, submit testimony in support of the 188th throughout the BRAC process, and seek all available alternatives to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fighter wing.

Despite today's proposal to realign operations in Fort Smith, the state of Arkansas as a whole stands to have a net gain in jobs based on BRAC's recommendations. All of these jobs relate to a strengthened mission at the Little Rock Air Force Base, resulting in an addition of approximately 3,898 jobs. However, the report recommends closing an Army Reserve Center in El Dorado and opening a new facility, resulting in a net loss of 24 jobs. In addition, it calls for the closure of an Army Reserve facility in Pine Bluff, which would result in a net loss of 34 jobs. The BRAC report also includes a sustainment realignment of 177 personnel at an Army Reserve Unit at Camp Pike in North Little Rock.

One of the biggest economic blows in today's BRAC report is the recommendation to close Red River Army Depot and Lone Star Ammunition Plant in Texarkana, Texas, which employs almost 3,000, including more than 1,000 Arkansans.

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=27251