Eielson Air Force Base

Senator Murkowski was pleased to see her amendment (Murkowski amendment #3135) included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed unanimously in the Senate. This key amendment would delay any U.S. Air Force structure movement – like the F-16 Aggressor Squadron transfer from Eielson to JBER – for an additional year, until 2014 at the earliest. The amendment essentially substituted the deadline for the newly-created “National Commission for the Structure of the Air Force” from March 31, 2013 for March 31, 2014.

Senator Murkowski believes that extra year is one of certainty for the Fairbanks community, but more importantly it represents more time for her and all Alaskans to make the case that the proposal is flawed. Click the photo below to watch Senator Murkowski speak about her amendment on the Senate floor.

The Senator’s amendment is a landmark development in restricting Air Force relocation efforts without Congressional involvement.  It comes after a long campaign by Senator Murkowski to refute the Air Force’s claims that transferring the F-16 Aggressor squadron at Eielson to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside of Anchorage would save millions of dollars.

How the F-16 Aggressor Relocation Discussion Evolved

On February 3rd 2012, the United States Air Force announced plans to transfer the F-16 Aggressor squadron  based at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage. The Air Force claimed that relocating the fighter jets will save $35 million over five years.

Senator Murkowski had serious concerns about the Department of Defense’s plans, the savings estimates, and how the move could impact the Air Force and Alaska -- concerns that were confirmed in the months following the proposal. Senator Murkowski’s efforts to protect Eielson Air Force base and the Fairbanks community this year include:

  • Introducing a bill, S. 2073, to prohibit the permanent relocation of F-16 aircraft assigned to Eielson Air Force Base.
  • Meeting with U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz to gain a better understanding of what the restructuring plans entail. General Schwartz said he believes America still needs Eielson Air Force Base and that it should play a significant role as America’s military shifts its focus to the Pacific.
  • Sharing her concerns with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, pointing out that nothing has changed since similar savings were proposed in 2005 as part of the independent Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC).
  • Conducting a community meeting in Fairbanks on the proposed Eielson changes with hundreds in attendance.
  • Leading the Alaska delegation in a letter to Secretary of the United States Air Force Michael Donley and General Schwartz, calling for a rigorous review of the Eielson savings and asking the Air Force to consider additional factors like impacts to the Fairbanks real estate market, the additional air congestion in Anchorage, and the lack of housing in the Anchorage area.
  • Questioning whether the Air Force is able to achieve the cost savings they propose with this move and asking Secretary Donley and General Schwartz about the reasoning behind their proposal. General Schwartz confirmed that the Air Force had not done a site survey before making the proposal.
  • Asking U.S. Air Force officials for greater detail on their savings estimates, leading the USAF Undersecretary for Installations and Environment to acknowledge the Air Force needs to “take a broader look” at the proposal.
  • Taking part in a live town hall broadcast statewide to share her undertakings on behalf of Alaska’s military community in Washington, D.C.
  • Meeting again with General Schwartz to stress remaining questions and noting the lack of information as well as continuously shifting numbers that raise concerns and make Alaskans question the legitimacy of facts and figures needed to consider a move of this significance.
  • Stressing additional questions in a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing with Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, including questions regarding the 168th Air Refueling Wing’s ability to fulfill its mission.
  • Further reinforcing the strategic importance not only of Eielson AFB but the entire State of Alaska, Senator Murkowski wrote the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, urging them to consider Alaska as a base for a KC-46 aerial refueler unit. She expanded on this view in an op-ed column.
  • Questioning the preliminary results of the Air Force site activation task force study, pointing out that the Air Force should take a thorough look at the potential move’s economic impact on both the communities involved. She wrote a letter to the Commander of the 673rd Air Base Wing at JBER to ask him if there was a plan for housing of the relocated airmen and their families.
  • Sending a letter to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, requesting answers to questions surrounding the availability of the Housing Assistance Program if this proposal moves forward, since the Program has historically been available to assist in scenarios similar to this proposed transfer.
  • Securing language in the continuing resolution that funds the government through March 27, 2013, to prohibit allocating appropriations or funds from being used to make structure changes or movements within the Air Force – including the F-16 Aggressor squadron at Eielson AFB.
  • Including a provision in the 2013 defense appropriations bill that mandates a “strategic pause” for all Air Force structure adjustments.

The Senator will continue to work to educate her colleagues and the Pentagon on the value of Eielson Air Force Base to the Fairbanks community, the state of Alaska, the nation, and the Air Force.