Senator Kent Conrad | North Dakota

BRAC Commission Grand Forks Regional Hearing

Closing Statement (Fargo)
Senator Kent Conrad
June 23, 2005

Our message today on Fargo is very simple. Keep Fargo open. Let us bring our record of excellence to the new UAV mission. And dont foreclose future opportunities for a flying mission.

Fargo produces exceptionally high military value for the Air Force. It has much more modern facilities than most Guard installations. Fargo has access to the least crowded air space in the continental United States. And the community offers great recruiting and community support.

These assets have generated an outstanding performance record. The Happy Hooligans are the best fighter unit in the U.S. Air Force, and they have the best safety record in the Air Force. Despite the age of its aircraft, the unit has an unparalleled record of over 140,000 hours of accident-free flying. That is the best record of any fighter unit in the world.

You have heard loud and clear that the North Dakota Air National Guard is eager to bring its tradition of high performance to one of the fastest growing, most exciting missions in the Air Force.

The plan sent to this Commission by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force is to put a squadron of 12 Predators on the ground in Grand Forks, with a combined Guard-active duty launch team. Those aircraft will be flown from Fargo, and the intelligence from those aircraft will be analyzed in Fargo. They will excel by combining top notch Grand Forks infrastructure with incredible Fargo Guard personnel. Those Airmen come from one of the best recruiting bases in the entire National Guard.

We see the future, and we embrace it. We have no doubt that the Fargo Air Guard will set the standard for excellence in UAV operations.

You have also heard that the Fargo Air Guard and the Fargo community enthusiastically embrace the concept of jointness. Fargo stands ready to support other associate relationships with Grand Forks, in “emerging missions” or in tankers.

And Fargo UAVs offer excellent potential for operations with Homeland Security because of our proximity to the border.

But at heart the Hooligans are a Fargo unit. We think they also need to maintain a flying mission in Fargo. So you have also heard today that we totally disagree with the BRAC analysis that “Hector ranked low in military value.” We think this analysis just misses the mark. Let me highlight three examples:

First, the BRAC analysis did not capture the runway just built at Hector Field.

Second, Fargo rated low on military value because it did not have millions of square yards of ramp space. But you dont need millions of square yards of ramp space for a Guard unit. It is important that the Commission distinguish between true “military value” and the MCI index that the Air Force has developed to try to measure military value. The MCI is flawed when it comes to the Guard.

Third, Fargo scored low on access to ranges and training airspace. When I saw that, my reaction was shock. North Dakotas airspaces and ranges are large and have few restrictions. Our skies offer the largest over-land area for possible training in the lower 48 -- with almost limitless expansion possibilities. The Air Force analysis is focused on more ranges, not better ranges.

With all of Fargos advantages and the flaws in the military value analysis, we urge the Commission to remove the language in the BRAC justification singling out Fargo for “no flying mission backfill.” It is unnecessary, inappropriate, and counterproductive.

The lack of a flying mission in Fargo will hurt recruitment. It also further exacerbates the gap created along the Northern border by the departure of so many air bases. This chart shows the before and after - we will go from 8 Guard airbases on the northern tier to just three – with none between Wisconsin and Idaho.

We do not know what needs the Air Force and Air Guard may face over the next 20 years. So it would be a profound mistake to limit the ability of the Air Force and Army Guard to make future programmatic decisions to give Fargo a flying mission. We are not asking you to find us specific aircraft for the future B though wed take that! We just want you to remove that no flying mission language, allowing the Air Force and the Air Guard to make future decisions based on the facts at the time. Give them appropriate flexibility.

I want to close where I started. Keep Fargo open. Endorse the Air Force UAV proposal. And preserve the option of a flying mission out of Fargo.

On September 11, 2001, I was told our nations capital was under attack and ordered to leave my office. When I got outside, I heard the roar of jets overhead, and looked up to see F-16s patrolling the skies. On that fateful day, Fargos Happy Hooligans were the first to come to the defense of our nations capital. That was a very proud moment for me. As Vice President Cheney said, “We will never forget.” [Slide 11: Video]

Finally, thank you once again to the Commissioners - Mr. Skinner, Dr. Coyle, Congressman Bilbray - for holding this hearing. We are happy to take any questions that you might have. And thank you to our terrific audience for coming out today to show their strong support for North Dakotas military installations.


About Kent Conrad Bio Committee Assignments North Dakota Local Information Education Links ND State Government Tourism & Attractions ND Press Events in ND Lewis & Clark Issues Issue Updates Agriculture Budget Defense Education Energy Health Care Homeland Security Social Security Veterans Legislation Senate Home Page Senate Reference Desk Senate Floor Proceedings How Our Laws Are Made Recent Legislation Find Bills Sponsored by Senator Conrad Investing in North Dakota Constituent Services What is casework? Visiting Washington, D.C. Purchasing a US flag Internship Opportunities Service Academy Nominations Federal Grant Resources For Kids Press Room Interactive Press Press Releases Official Photo Contact E-mail Senator Conrad
Thank you for visiting my Senate Web site. One of the most important parts of my job as Senator is to help provide services and information to my constituents in North Dakota. I hope you find this Web site both useful and interesting. Kent Conrad Contacting Senator Conrad What is Casework? Flag Requests Visiting Washington, D.C. Internship Opportunities Passport Information Service Academy Nominations Senator Conrad's Budget Web Site North East North West South East South West Senator Conrad spends a great deal of time traveling across North Dakota meeting constituents. Click here to see what he's doing in your area.	Issues BRAC Commission Grand Forks Regional Hearing Closing Statement (Fargo) Senator Kent Conrad June 23, 2005 Our message today on Fargo is very simple. Keep Fargo open. Let us bring our record of excellence to the new UAV mission. And dont foreclose future opportunities for a flying mission. Fargo produces exceptionally high military value for the Air Force. It has much more modern facilities than most Guard installations. Fargo has access to the least crowded air space in the continental United States. And the community offers great recruiting and community support. These assets have generated an outstanding performance record. The Happy Hooligans are the best fighter unit in the U.S. Air Force, and they have the best safety record in the Air Force. Despite the age of its aircraft, the unit has an unparalleled record of over 140,000 hours of accident-free flying. That is the best record of any fighter unit in the world. You have heard loud and clear that the North Dakota Air National Guard is eager to bring its tradition of high performance to one of the fastest growing, most exciting missions in the Air Force. The plan sent to this Commission by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force is to put a squadron of 12 Predators on the ground in Grand Forks, with a combined Guard-active duty launch team. Those aircraft will be flown from Fargo, and the intelligence from those aircraft will be analyzed in Fargo. They will excel by combining top notch Grand Forks infrastructure with incredible Fargo Guard personnel. Those Airmen come from one of the best recruiting bases in the entire National Guard. We see the future, and we embrace it. We have no doubt that the Fargo Air Guard will set the standard for excellence in UAV operations. You have also heard that the Fargo Air Guard and the Fargo community enthusiastically embrace the concept of jointness. Fargo stands ready to support other associate relationships with Grand Forks, in “emerging missions” or in tankers. And Fargo UAVs offer excellent potential for operations with Homeland Security because of our proximity to the border. But at heart the Hooligans are a Fargo unit. We think they also need to maintain a flying mission in Fargo. So you have also heard today that we totally disagree with the BRAC analysis that “Hector ranked low in military value.” We think this analysis just misses the mark. Let me highlight three examples: First, the BRAC analysis did not capture the runway just built at Hector Field. Second, Fargo rated low on military value because it did not have millions of square yards of ramp space. But you dont need millions of square yards of ramp space for a Guard unit. It is important that the Commission distinguish between true “military value” and the MCI index that the Air Force has developed to try to measure military value. The MCI is flawed when it comes to the Guard. Third, Fargo scored low on access to ranges and training airspace. When I saw that, my reaction was shock. North Dakotas airspaces and ranges are large and have few restrictions. Our skies offer the largest over-land area for possible training in the lower 48 -- with almost limitless expansion possibilities. The Air Force analysis is focused on more ranges, not better ranges. With all of Fargos advantages and the flaws in the military value analysis, we urge the Commission to remove the language in the BRAC justification singling out Fargo for “no flying mission backfill.” It is unnecessary, inappropriate, and counterproductive. The lack of a flying mission in Fargo will hurt recruitment. It also further exacerbates the gap created along the Northern border by the departure of so many air bases. This chart shows the before and after - we will go from 8 Guard airbases on the northern tier to just three – with none between Wisconsin and Idaho. We do not know what needs the Air Force and Air Guard may face over the next 20 years. So it would be a profound mistake to limit the ability of the Air Force and Army Guard to make future programmatic decisions to give Fargo a flying mission. We are not asking you to find us specific aircraft for the future B though wed take that! We just want you to remove that no flying mission language, allowing the Air Force and the Air Guard to make future decisions based on the facts at the time. Give them appropriate flexibility. I want to close where I started. Keep Fargo open. Endorse the Air Force UAV proposal. And preserve the option of a flying mission out of Fargo. On September 11, 2001, I was told our nations capital was under attack and ordered to leave my office. When I got outside, I heard the roar of jets overhead, and looked up to see F-16s patrolling the skies. On that fateful day, Fargos Happy Hooligans were the first to come to the defense of our nations capital. That was a very proud moment for me. As Vice President Cheney said, “We will never forget.” [Slide 11: Video] Finally, thank you once again to the Commissioners - Mr. Skinner, Dr. Coyle, Congressman Bilbray - for holding this hearing. We are happy to take any questions that you might have. And thank you to our terrific audience for coming out today to show their strong support for North Dakotas military installations.

Issues

BRAC Commission Grand Forks Regional Hearing