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Federal Bill to include funds for Pensacola NAS repairs
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By Kris Thoma
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Pensacola News Journal, September 26th, 2004
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Hundreds of millions of dollars for repairs and reconstruction at Pensacola Naval Air Station will be included in a federal emergency supplemental bill to help Northwest Florida rebound from Hurricane Ivan, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller said Saturday.
Miller, R-Chumuckla, said the promise of financial aid made Friday by U.S. Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young after he witnessed the devastation at the air station was particularly significant going into a Base Realignment and Closure Commission year.
Young, R-Largo, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, will write the supplemental aid bill.
Pensacola NAS will not share the fate of Homestead Air Force Base after Hurricane Andrew mauled it 1992, said Miller. Homestead, which was one of Miami-Dade County's economic jewels, was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in the aftermath of Andrew.
The commission, commonly referred to as BRAC, is authorized on an as-needed basis by Congress to reorganize the military infrastructure for more efficient operations.
"This supplemental bill will cover all the military bases and the FEMA relief costs," Miller said. "We asked (Young) to come down prior to the bill being drafted so he would have a firsthand look at not only the military infrastructure but also the destruction in the community."
In the aftermath of hurricanes Charley and Frances, Young secured $2 billion in emergency aid to help residents of Florida's peninsula.
Two days before Hurricane Ivan hit, he called for an additional $3 billion for the state.
The total dollar amount of the emergency supplement bill in the aftermath of Ivan has not been determined, Miller said.
If used effectively, money in the bill could help guarantee the air station's future for years to come.
"This could be an opportunity to preserve (Pensacola) NAS for the next several decades of training," Miller said. "They could take advantage of the opportunity in the reconstruction phase to design those buildings to serve the base for many years to come."
Retired Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman was pleased when he heard the news that the air station would be taken care of with emergency funding.
The operational readiness of the Navy depends on Pensacola NAS, and providing supplemental funds was the only thing to do, he said Saturday.
"Pensacola NAS cannot be replicated anywhere in the country," Fetterman said. "It's such a key factor to the operational readiness of the Navy.
"To me, it's a nonissue. You have to go with supplemental funding."
Pensacola Mayor John Fogg agreed, indicating that he's optimistic that the federal government will see the importance of keeping the air station in Pensacola.
"From my perspective, it's absolutely imperative that the federal government recognize the unique qualities and attributes of NAS Pensacola and the two counties," he said. "It's imperative that we begin the rebuilding immediately."
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