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Shreveport (LA) Times
April 3, 2009
Air Force Global Strike Command could result in 1,000 or more personnel
By John Andrew Prime
Barksdale Air Force Base and its supporters scored a coup Thursday with the Air Force announcing its selection as the preferred home of the new Air Force Global Strike Command.
The selection, with the caveat pending completion of a formal environmental impact process, could result in 1,000 or more personnel and their families arriving here by year's end, state political leaders said.
U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, and John Vitter, a Republican, campaigned energetically with freshman 4th District Rep. John Fleming and Gov. Bobby Jindal for the mission, as well as for the headquarters of the new 24th Air Force, successor to the provisional Air Force Cyber Command that is still forming at Barksdale.
"This is great news for northwest Louisiana," Jindal said, noting the new unit combining control of the Air Force's strategic bomber and missile missions "will provide a significant boost to the economy (and) generate increased business investment in the area" in addition to the jobs that will help justify the $107 million investment in Barksdale support in recent years by state and local governments.
"The decision by the Air Force to put this unit in northwest Louisiana highlights the importance of our state investment," Jindal said. "The strong state and local commitment to strengthening the base is not only helping to retain jobs in the area, but creating even more opportunities for our people and positioning Barksdale and Louisiana at the forefront of our nation's security efforts."
Vitter said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley called him early Thursday to inform him of the decision. The new Global Strike Command will be the Air Force's 10th major command.
"This is a huge win for Barksdale and the local community. With this decision, the Air Force has acknowledged something that we have known for some time — that Barksdale is an integral component of U.S. defense operations," Vitter said.
Landrieu said the Air Force decision "is welcome news not just for the Bossier-Shreveport community and Barksdale Air Force Base, but for all of Louisiana. Locating the Global Strike Command at Barksdale confirms the base's importance to future Air Force operations. Reinvigorating the stewardship of the nuclear enterprise is the Air Force's No. 1 priority, and we stand ready to support in this important national mission."
Fleming also was exultant.
"Today's announcement is welcome news for Barksdale and all of northwest Louisiana," said Fleming. "Global Strike Command reinforces the importance of Barksdale to the U.S. military. There will be some infrastructure needed to complete this mission. Senator Vitter and myself, as the only two members of the Louisiana delegation to sit on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, will begin working to secure the necessary funding to build out what remains per Air Force requirements."
Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker, a retired Air Force colonel and pilot, said Thursday that Barksdale selection as the preferred headquarters site "is really a big thing for our community."
He was flanked by Bossier Parish administrator Bill Altimus and Murray Viser, executive director of the advocacy group Barksdale Forward, who shared his enthusiasm.
"Barksdale has been in the nuclear business for decades and has done a superior job," Walker said. "How well they do the mission was the top thing and Barksdale has always been a leader in doing that exceptionally well."
Donley said Barksdale was selected primarily because of its connection to 8th Air Force, which now will become a two-star command and share the base with Global Strike Command.
Donley said the service had to decide if it wanted the home of Global Strike Command to have a "mission synergy" with U.S. Strategic Command, in which case Offutt Air Force, Neb., would have been the choice, or with a numbered Air Force, in which case F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., home of 20th Air Force, or Barksdale would have made sense.
"We chose the latter because in the organized, train and equip functions for which the Air Force is responsible those are the areas we needed the most emphasis," Donley said. "I think the locations that did not have a command control element above the wing level were a little bit more challenged and Minot (Air Force Base, N.D.,) was in that situation, as was Malmstrom (Air Force Base, Mont.)"
What also helped set Barksdale over the top was having a "slightly larger air operations center" as well as the 11th Bomb Squadron where B-52 aircrew training takes place and will add a special emphasis on nuclear training, Donley said.
The general who will lead the new Global Strike Command has not been officially announced.
Fleming said he remains hopeful Barksdale will keep or expand its cyber role, though the Air Force has a policy of not clustering commands at one location.
"We expect the decision on the 24th Air Force to come sometime in the next month. If we are not awarded this mission as well, we will also begin working with Barksdale Forward to find other government entities to move in to utilize the cyber infrastructure already in place in Bossier. I am confident we will be able to find tenants that will need the security and construction already in place at Cyber Command."
Global Strike Command was announced in November at the same time Air Force Cyber Command was downgraded to a numbered air force, in a bid to recharge the service's nuclear side after several embarrassing errors involving nuclear weapons.
Personnel at Barksdale discovered one error when a B-52 flew six nuclear warheads from Minot, another base that was considered as the new command headquarters.
"This new major command will inherit the heritage of Strategic Air Command and carry on its legacy of excellence in the nuclear deterrence and conventional global strike missions," 8th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr. said.
He repeated the caveat that while Barksdale is the top choice, some unforeseen eventuality could cause the Air Force to consider one of the five other bases vetted for the role.
"It is important to emphasize that the basing decision is not final until the environmental analyses and other required actions are completed."
Elder noted that powerful forces are already at play at the base, which could only help the new command.
"The new command will benefit from the mission synergy, which 8th Air Force, the Strategic Command Global Air Operations Center, the 2nd Bomb Wing and the 917th Wing will provide," he said.
Col. Steve Basham, new commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing, host unit at Barksdale, said that while the decisions will be made at levels far higher than the local base, it and its personnel are ready to tackle any mission that lands there.
"Here at Barksdale, we stand ready to support the goal of reinvigorating the nuclear enterprise with the organizations/resources available," Basham said. "There is no mission more important than safeguarding our vital strategic capabilities and maintaining our nuclear deterrence."
Fleming said during the phone call he got from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, he was reminded of a service policy of not co-locating more than one command at a single location. But 8th Air Force is at Barksdale and will remain here, he said, and now that 24th Air Force is no longer a full-fledged command, there remains some hope it will remain here. The site of 24th Air Force should be announced some time next month.
The basing decisions will affect more than military personnel, offering a boost to locals through construction, supplying the needs of new residents.
Former Shreveport physicians John and Katie Dempster moved to Portland, Ore., more than a year ago, and their house in Highland has been languishing in the sluggish housing market.
John Dempster hopes the influx of as many as 1,000 or more people and their families by the end of the year, all needing shelter, may help them sell their property.
"That is fantastic," he said. "This is a great thing for Shreveport and for me. We've been waiting to find out about this for a while, so I'm glad to hear it."
Michael Hoffman of Air Force Times contributed to this story.
April 3, 2009
Air Force Global Strike Command could result in 1,000 or more personnel
By John Andrew Prime
Barksdale Air Force Base and its supporters scored a coup Thursday with the Air Force announcing its selection as the preferred home of the new Air Force Global Strike Command.
The selection, with the caveat pending completion of a formal environmental impact process, could result in 1,000 or more personnel and their families arriving here by year's end, state political leaders said.
U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, and John Vitter, a Republican, campaigned energetically with freshman 4th District Rep. John Fleming and Gov. Bobby Jindal for the mission, as well as for the headquarters of the new 24th Air Force, successor to the provisional Air Force Cyber Command that is still forming at Barksdale.
"This is great news for northwest Louisiana," Jindal said, noting the new unit combining control of the Air Force's strategic bomber and missile missions "will provide a significant boost to the economy (and) generate increased business investment in the area" in addition to the jobs that will help justify the $107 million investment in Barksdale support in recent years by state and local governments.
"The decision by the Air Force to put this unit in northwest Louisiana highlights the importance of our state investment," Jindal said. "The strong state and local commitment to strengthening the base is not only helping to retain jobs in the area, but creating even more opportunities for our people and positioning Barksdale and Louisiana at the forefront of our nation's security efforts."
Vitter said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley called him early Thursday to inform him of the decision. The new Global Strike Command will be the Air Force's 10th major command.
"This is a huge win for Barksdale and the local community. With this decision, the Air Force has acknowledged something that we have known for some time — that Barksdale is an integral component of U.S. defense operations," Vitter said.
Landrieu said the Air Force decision "is welcome news not just for the Bossier-Shreveport community and Barksdale Air Force Base, but for all of Louisiana. Locating the Global Strike Command at Barksdale confirms the base's importance to future Air Force operations. Reinvigorating the stewardship of the nuclear enterprise is the Air Force's No. 1 priority, and we stand ready to support in this important national mission."
Fleming also was exultant.
"Today's announcement is welcome news for Barksdale and all of northwest Louisiana," said Fleming. "Global Strike Command reinforces the importance of Barksdale to the U.S. military. There will be some infrastructure needed to complete this mission. Senator Vitter and myself, as the only two members of the Louisiana delegation to sit on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, will begin working to secure the necessary funding to build out what remains per Air Force requirements."
Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker, a retired Air Force colonel and pilot, said Thursday that Barksdale selection as the preferred headquarters site "is really a big thing for our community."
He was flanked by Bossier Parish administrator Bill Altimus and Murray Viser, executive director of the advocacy group Barksdale Forward, who shared his enthusiasm.
"Barksdale has been in the nuclear business for decades and has done a superior job," Walker said. "How well they do the mission was the top thing and Barksdale has always been a leader in doing that exceptionally well."
Donley said Barksdale was selected primarily because of its connection to 8th Air Force, which now will become a two-star command and share the base with Global Strike Command.
Donley said the service had to decide if it wanted the home of Global Strike Command to have a "mission synergy" with U.S. Strategic Command, in which case Offutt Air Force, Neb., would have been the choice, or with a numbered Air Force, in which case F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., home of 20th Air Force, or Barksdale would have made sense.
"We chose the latter because in the organized, train and equip functions for which the Air Force is responsible those are the areas we needed the most emphasis," Donley said. "I think the locations that did not have a command control element above the wing level were a little bit more challenged and Minot (Air Force Base, N.D.,) was in that situation, as was Malmstrom (Air Force Base, Mont.)"
What also helped set Barksdale over the top was having a "slightly larger air operations center" as well as the 11th Bomb Squadron where B-52 aircrew training takes place and will add a special emphasis on nuclear training, Donley said.
The general who will lead the new Global Strike Command has not been officially announced.
Fleming said he remains hopeful Barksdale will keep or expand its cyber role, though the Air Force has a policy of not clustering commands at one location.
"We expect the decision on the 24th Air Force to come sometime in the next month. If we are not awarded this mission as well, we will also begin working with Barksdale Forward to find other government entities to move in to utilize the cyber infrastructure already in place in Bossier. I am confident we will be able to find tenants that will need the security and construction already in place at Cyber Command."
Global Strike Command was announced in November at the same time Air Force Cyber Command was downgraded to a numbered air force, in a bid to recharge the service's nuclear side after several embarrassing errors involving nuclear weapons.
Personnel at Barksdale discovered one error when a B-52 flew six nuclear warheads from Minot, another base that was considered as the new command headquarters.
"This new major command will inherit the heritage of Strategic Air Command and carry on its legacy of excellence in the nuclear deterrence and conventional global strike missions," 8th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr. said.
He repeated the caveat that while Barksdale is the top choice, some unforeseen eventuality could cause the Air Force to consider one of the five other bases vetted for the role.
"It is important to emphasize that the basing decision is not final until the environmental analyses and other required actions are completed."
Elder noted that powerful forces are already at play at the base, which could only help the new command.
"The new command will benefit from the mission synergy, which 8th Air Force, the Strategic Command Global Air Operations Center, the 2nd Bomb Wing and the 917th Wing will provide," he said.
Col. Steve Basham, new commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing, host unit at Barksdale, said that while the decisions will be made at levels far higher than the local base, it and its personnel are ready to tackle any mission that lands there.
"Here at Barksdale, we stand ready to support the goal of reinvigorating the nuclear enterprise with the organizations/resources available," Basham said. "There is no mission more important than safeguarding our vital strategic capabilities and maintaining our nuclear deterrence."
Fleming said during the phone call he got from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, he was reminded of a service policy of not co-locating more than one command at a single location. But 8th Air Force is at Barksdale and will remain here, he said, and now that 24th Air Force is no longer a full-fledged command, there remains some hope it will remain here. The site of 24th Air Force should be announced some time next month.
The basing decisions will affect more than military personnel, offering a boost to locals through construction, supplying the needs of new residents.
Former Shreveport physicians John and Katie Dempster moved to Portland, Ore., more than a year ago, and their house in Highland has been languishing in the sluggish housing market.
John Dempster hopes the influx of as many as 1,000 or more people and their families by the end of the year, all needing shelter, may help them sell their property.
"That is fantastic," he said. "This is a great thing for Shreveport and for me. We've been waiting to find out about this for a while, so I'm glad to hear it."
Michael Hoffman of Air Force Times contributed to this story.