Deadline for BRAC has Utahns scrambling

There are just too many variables, too many reports and too little time.

As an expected June 6 public hearing with BRAC commissioners looms, the Utah Defense Alliance and members of the state's congressional delegation are busy preparing closing arguments in the case of Hill Air Force Base vs. base closure and realignment.

At the hearing, Hill backers will most likely tout the base's strengths, as well as pinpoint other possible missions that can be accommodated at Hill.

"A lot of it is not that we can't tell you, we just haven't zeroed in on it," said Rick Mayfield, executive director of the Utah Defense Alliance. "There are opportunities that we're still working on, a strategy on what to do and what to go after."

The delegation is trying to buy more time by possibly moving the June meeting to July.

Moving the date would accommodate the delegation's congressional voting duties and give Utah's installations a chance to see what other bases are pitching to BRAC.

Changing the date is unlikely, since the commission already changed the expected public hearing to June 6 from June 7. The hearing's time and place haven't been announced yet. Commissioners are expected to visit Hill before the public hearing.

Utah leaders are specifically interested in the plans of an Air Force base in New Mexico. Cannon Air Force Base is slated for closure, but base supporters there will not stand down without a fight, said Vickie McCall, president of the Utah Defense Alliance.

Hill stands to gain from Cannon's loss: The Pentagon recommended at least six of Cannon's F-16s be shipped to Hill. But if Cannon supporters can convince BRAC commissioners to remove the base from the closure list, Hill could be in trouble. Commissioners are expected to visit Cannon nearly three weeks after touring Hill.

"In fact, if Cannon stays open and they can make a case, they will probably come after our F-16s because they are going to claim they are the F-16 fighter base, and if they stay open, they have to justify their presence by expanding their mission and the number of aircraft they have, so we could be very vulnerable to Cannon," McCall said.

But that will only happen if BRAC changes the Pentagon's proposal. In four previous BRAC rounds starting in 1988, commissioners have accepted 85 percent of the Pentagon's recommendations for closure or consolidation.

If Cannon does close and the commission doesn't drastically change the Pentagon's recommendations, Hill's two fighter wings will unite.

The merger is a test case for the Pentagon's Future Total Force plan. Reserves from the 419th Fighter Wing would merge with the active-duty 388th Fighter Wing. This type of union is new for fighter units, said Col. Gary Batinich, commander of the 419th Fighter Wing, a reserve unit. Five other fighter units are also trying out similar unions.

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