Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/25/2004 09:08 AM House ASC
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
February 25, 2004
9:08 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative John Harris, Co-Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom, Vice Chair
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Carl Morgan
Representative Reggie Joule
Representative Cheryll Heinze (alternate)
Senator Gary Wilken, Co-Chair
Senator Fred Dyson
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Gretchen Guess
Senator Ben Stevens (alternate)
PUBLIC MEMBERS PRESENT
Lieutenant General Tom Case
Master Chief Frank Love
Colonel Dean Owen
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Gene Therriault
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative John Coghill
Representative Nick Stepovich
Senator Lyman Hoffman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
ALASKAN COMMAND'S ANNUAL ADDRESS BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL CARROL H.
"HOWIE" CHANDLER
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
LIEUTENANT GENERAL "HOWIE" CHANDLER, Commander
Alaskan Command
BRIGADIER GENERAL CRAIG E. CAMPBELL, Adjutant
General/Commissioner
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
JANICE NEILSON, Director
Governmental and Legislative Affairs
U.S. Army Pacific
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 04-1, SIDE A
Number 0001
CO-CHAIR GARY WILKEN called the Joint Armed Services Committee
meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. Representatives Harris,
Dahlstrom, Lynn, Morgan, Joule, and Heinze and Senators Wilken,
Dyson, Gary Stevens, Guess, and Ben Stevens were present at the
call to order. Public members in attendance were Lieutenant
General Tom Case, Master Chief Frank Love, and Colonel Dean
Owen. Representatives Stepovich and Coghill and Senator Hoffman
were also in attendance.
ALASKAN COMMAND'S ANNUAL ADDRESS
CO-CHAIR WILKEN welcomed everyone to the meeting, the purpose of
which is to receive an update on the military in Alaska. Co-
Chair Wilken introduced Janice Nielson, Director, Governmental
and Legislative Affairs, U.S. Army; Captain David Ryan, Chief of
Staff for the Coast Guard District 17; Major Brenda Campbell,
Public Affairs Office, Alaska Command (ALCOM); Captain Ted
Geasely (ph), Aide to Lieutenant General Chandler; Command Chief
Master Sergeant Chris Dobbins, the 11th Air Force; Master
Sergeant Robert Carte, 210th Rescue Squadron, Alaska
International Guard; Boatswains Mate First Class Michael Love,
Cutter Liberty; and Sergeant Matthew Neville, U.S. Army Alaska
Soldier of the Year.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN then introduced Lieutenant General "Howie"
Chandler, who is the senior military officer in Alaska and who
is responsible for the integration of all military activities in
the Alaska theater of operations. Lieutenant General Chandler
is the commander of the Alaskan Command, which is the sub-
unified command under the Pacific Command. Lieutenant General
Chandler integrates the activities of more than 21,000 active-
duty Guard and Reserve members from all services of Alaska. Co-
Chair Wilken highlighted that Lieutenant General Chandler
commands the 11th Air Force and oversees the training and
readiness of two tactical fighter wings and Air Force
installations located throughout the state. Furthermore, as the
commander of the Northern American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) Lieutenant General Chandler directs all air operations
in Alaska to ensure defense against all hostile airborne
threats. Moreover, Lieutenant General Chandler is the Commander
of the Joint Task Force of Alaska, and is responsible for all
the planning and execution of all homeland defense operations
within the theater, including security and civil support
actions. Lieutenant General Chandler is in his second year and
has many honors and a lengthy resume.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL "HOWIE" CHANDLER, Commander, Alaskan Command,
thanked the committee its support over the past year and for
asking him to come before the committee again. Lieutenant
General Chandler emphasized that the committee can be very proud
of the men and women who are serving in the State of Alaska
today. For example, Sergeant Carte is a rescue specialist who
has flown 30 combat missions and saved the lives of six people
this last year in support of Operation Northern Watch, Southern
Watch, and Enduring Freedom. Lieutenant General Chandler
informed the committee that Sergeant Neville has been a member
of the U.S. Army since 1999 and plays the saxophone in the 9th
Army Band. Furthermore, Sergeant Neville is the U.S. Army
Alaska (USARAK) and U.S. Army Pacific 9 Commission Officer of
the Year for 2003. He then turned attention to Boatswains Mate
First Class Michael Love who has executed 56 search and rescue
missions while serving aboard the icebreaker Polar Star, and is
now serving aboard the Cutter Liberty.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER turned to his presentation for which
the slides are included in the committee packet. He began by
reviewing the military structure. He highlighted that the
newest addition to the military structure is US NORTHCOM [U.S.
Northern Command], which has extended into Alaska through the
Joint Task Force - Alaska (JTF-Alaska) of which the ALCOM
commander is the commander. The geographic boundaries of the
theater of operations correspond to the State of Alaska, and
furthermore there are different authorities vested in his
position, based on the four different headquarters. He
explained that the responsibilities change depending upon the
mission and who is tasking the forces in the state. Missions
are conducted with ground, aerospace, and naval components.
Number 10.50
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER related that most of the ALCOM
missions are directed by the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM),
headquartered in Hawaii. The slide entitled "PACOM Roles"
highlights ALCOM's overarching responsibilities in the theater.
He pointed out that other missions are performed in order to
enhance security and stability throughout the Pacific reason.
As this meeting is occurring, members of the Third Wing are
participating in exercises in both Thailand and India. The
aforementioned will be beneficial in the upcoming cooperative
Cope Thunder, which will be flown on the ranges in Alaska this
summer. The cooperative Cope Thunder is the premier air-combat
exercise in the Pacific and continues to grow and support the
Pacific Rim military relationship.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER turned to U.S. Pacific Air Forces
(PACAF), which is also headquartered in Hawaii and delineates
the authority of the 11th Air Force, which is responsible for
all Air Force forces in Alaska. Its overarching
responsibilities are to organize, train, and equip forces for
combat operations worldwide while emphasizing the Pacific-Asian
theater. Under the 11th Air Force command, Alaska's Air Force
facilities and resources in Alaska are managed as well as taking
care of the families [of the Air Force]. He highlighted that
PACAF is shifting gears such that it will return to the
Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF) schedule following
operations in Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. As part of
the normal AEF schedule, approximately 450 airmen from Eielson
Air Force Base, 290 from Elmendorf Air Force Base will deploy
next month in support of operations around the world. An
additional 1,000 airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base will be
postured to prepare to deploy should there be the need.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER, in response to Senator Dyson's
earlier question, moved on to the slide entitled "NORAD Roles".
The NORAD headquarters are in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He
highlighted that NORAD has been in existence for almost 50
years, and has successfully maintained the air sovereignty of
the U.S. and Canada from external threats. Since [the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001] NORAD became responsible for
monitoring internal air threats that could potentially be in the
state. He informed the committee that [NORAD] has an E-3
surveillance aircraft as well as F-15 fighters on alert 24 hours
seven days a week. Furthermore, remote radar sites continue to
provide external and internal coverage around the state.
Forward-operating locations at Galena and King Salmon are still
maintained to respond to Russian military aircraft. Lieutenant
General Chandler related that F-15 aircraft intercepted a flight
of two Russian bombers that approached Alaskan air space last
August. The aforementioned is the first Russian intercept in
over 10 years and it highlights the training of those performing
the mission as well as the vigilance that NORAD continues to
maintain.
SENATOR DYSON asked if the Canadian Air Force has a sector of
responsibility for North American air security.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied yes, adding that Canada will
deploy to some of the forwarding operations in Canada as well.
Furthermore, there are arrangements for cross-border operations
in the bilateral agreement in which Alaska and Canada operate.
In further response to Senator Dyson, Lieutenant General
Chandler specified that NORAD doesn't include surface ships,
those are under NORTHCOM. However, he informed the committee
that there is a group of people reviewing the Canadian
participation in NORTHCOM and how such would be melded together.
He suggested that a more efficient command structure would
probably make sense. This study is part of a study being
conducted by NORAD in the bilateral arrangement with the
Canadians. He noted that there may be a time when it's no
longer the North American Air Defense Command, but simply the
North American Defense Command. Lieutenant General Chandler
told the committee that there are ongoing discussions regarding
how to best organize to defend the North American continent.
SENATOR DYSON added that the Canadian government is actively
discussing reevaluating the role of its coast guard and giving
it a law enforcement and national defense role similar to that
of the U.S. Coast Guard.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH related his understanding that [Alaska]
is way ahead of the Canadians with regard to what [Alaska] puts
into NORAD.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER informed the committee that when he
worked in the Pentagon he was part of the Permanent Joint Board
of Defense, which was established after World War II in this
bilateral arrangement between the U.S. and Canada. The
Canadians have been extremely good partners. Although the
Canadian military is smaller than that of the U.S., the
Canadians more than contribute their fair share with regard to
providing forward operating locations across the northern tier
and the continuation of the long-range radar sites across the
northern tier of Canada.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH said that he was under the impression
that the Canadians depended upon [Alaska] for a lot their
overall defense.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER stated that he wouldn't say that.
In fact in the NORAD headquarters there are 30 Canadian officers
that participate. Therefore, he didn't believe that it would be
exactly correct to say that [Alaska] is directly responsible for
the defense of Canada. Furthermore, the extensive capabilities
of the Canadians make them an equal partner as far as NORAD is
concerned.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER, in response to Representative
Stepovich, explained that during different times of the year
Russian aircraft train over the northern Arctic areas.
Sometimes those aircraft venture near Alaskan airspace, and
North American Air Defense Command ensures that those aircraft
don't enter Alaska's airspace unescorted. Lieutenant General
Chandler specified that there isn't a fear that Russians would
invade Alaska, but there is an air sovereignty responsibility in
Alaska that is taken seriously.
Number 17.43
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE asked if the Russian bombers [venture into
Alaska's airspace] every year when they get their fuel supply.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied no, and reiterated that this
incident of the Russian bombers entering Alaska's airspace was
the first time in over 10 years. He mentioned that it's
something that will continue to be watched. He emphasized that
he was pleased with the system that continues to do the job
expected of it for over 50 years.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER returned to his slide presentation
with a slide entitled, "USNORTHCOM Roles" and pointed out that
U.S. Northern Command is headquartered in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. He explained that USNORTHCOM is [Alaska's] parent
organization for homeland defense and military assistance to
civil authorities. The Department of Defense (DoD) has been
providing homeland defense and military support to civilian
authorities for many years. In the past the aforementioned
efforts were accomplished somewhat independently by several
different commands. However, since [the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001] the DoD has changed in order to place all
homeland defense efforts under a single, unified command. That
unified command, Northern Command, has reached full operational
capability as of October 2003, and therefore there is a one-stop
shop for all of the DoD and homeland security contributions to
the nation. The impact on the creation of the Northern Command
on military forces in Alaska has been transparent as there has
been no change in the number of forces or the infrastructure.
However, if Alaskan forces are needed, Northern Command can task
Alaskan forces directly under JTF-Alaska rather than through
many separate parent commands. Therefore, [JTF-Alaska] is the
one-stop shop in Alaska for military support to civil
authorities and homeland defense type operations. Just this
past year, General Ralph E. Eberhardt, Commander, Northern
Command, visited Juneau and Anchorage and is returning next
month in order to solidify NORTHCOM roles and interagency
relationships. Lieutenant General Chandler opined that
interagency relationships are key in the success or failure in
homeland defense efforts. "We will succeed or fail based on our
solid relationships between the various federal, state, and
local agencies," he stated. He emphasized the need to continue
to work together to develop plans and exercise actions together.
A great example of the aforementioned is the relationship
building that has occurred in Juneau with Unified Defense 2004,
which is wrapping up this week. Lieutenant General Chandler
emphasized that the development of Northern Command doesn't
provide the military with any new authority nor is any necessary
to conduct unilateral operations. Northern Command remains in
the framework of the Posse Comitatus Act.
Number 20.46
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER turned to Unified Defense 2004.
Unified Defense 2004 involved a series of simulated terrorist
attacks, including maritime and port security events as well as
aerospace defense activities in Alaska. Therefore, the Northern
Command mission and NORAD mission were brought together to
exercise. Unified Defense is part of a larger exercise scenario
with participants in Texas, Colorado, Virginia, and Washington,
D.C. This exercise scenario is designed to allow local, state,
and federal agencies to work together to improve the ability to
support homeland defense as well as local disasters.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER moved on to maritime operations.
While the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has become more visible since
[the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001], the homeland
security mission of the USCG isn't new. He highlighted that
USCG District 17 monitors over 33,000 miles of coastline
throughout the state. In the past 18 months, District 17 has
undertaken additional homeland security action, including what
is listed on the slide entitled "Maritime Operations." The
USCG's expertise in maritime operations and its position as a
member of the new Department of Homeland Security makes it an
integral part of the anti-terrorism task force and homeland
defense team. Furthermore, USCG is crucial to the protection of
Valdez and responded as the lead federal agency on behalf of the
Department of Homeland Security during the increased security
level in Valdez this past holiday season. Lieutenant General
Chandler pointed out that Admiral Jim Underwood was the primary
federal official (PFO) in charge of the increased security in
Valdez as well as during the Unified Defense exercise.
SENATOR DYSON informed the committee that Admiral Underwood now
has a maritime rapid response team for District 17.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER indicated that the MSST [Maritime
Safety and Security Teams] is the 13th and will be the one that
will standup in Anchorage. He explained that it would bring
about 100 personnel, of which 70 would be active duty personnel
and about 30 reservists. Furthermore, there are small boat and
dog team capabilities that have not been readily accessible in
Alaska.
Number 23.39
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER returned to his presentation and
drew attention to the slide entitled "USARAK Transformation."
He informed the committee that the third of six U.S. Army
Stryker Brigades is standing up in Alaska as the 172nd Stryker
Brigade Combat Team. The Stryker Brigade helps transform the
U.S. Army into a lighter, leaner, and more rapidly deployable
force. The 172nd Stryker Brigade will be ready for combat
deployments by May 2005. In the meantime, the U.S. Army in
Alaska will be in transition and brigade teams will train on
their new equipment and vehicles. He said he anticipated
approximately 300 Stryker vehicles to arrive in Alaska early in
the spring of 2004. Furthermore, the redesignated task force to
the 501st Airborne assigned to Fort Richardson is another unit
that will be in transformation. The redesignated task force
will have initial combat capability as that of the Stryker and
the task force is currently deployed and supporting operation
Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
CO-CHAIR HARRIS recalled last year when there were issues in
Anchorage and Fort Greely with regard to the Stryker brigade and
the areas that may or may not have been available for use. He
asked if the aforementioned has been resolved.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER answered, "I don't think we're
completely out of the woods on either one of those issues." He
pointed out that John Brown (ph) has worked very hard with his
installation commanders at both locations. The drop zone issue
is being reviewed. He noted that [another] complete
environmental assessment is going to be performed. Lieutenant
General Chandler informed the committee that at some point,
there would be a drop zone some place in the north because it's
imperative to the U.S. Army's training. With regard to fence
issues at Fort Richardson, a great amount of public comment was
taken by the installation commander. He emphasized the need for
folks to keep in mind that the U.S. Army had always wanted to
segregate that land. However, that isn't to say that it
wouldn't be available for special use events because there is
access capability, as long as the safety of the public can be
ensured. There are many other issues with regard to the fence,
such as the control of the land. At some point, barriers will
need to be placed around the property at Fort Richardson for the
safety of the general public and the ability of the soldiers to
properly train. Lieutenant General Chandler specified that the
U.S. Army will work openly with the public to continue to
resolve the issues.
CO-CHAIR HARRIS offered to do whatever the [legislature] can do
to minimize any difficulties with the public.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER noted his appreciation, adding that
the military wants to be good neighbors both inside and outside
of all installations in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN commented that it's essential to preserve
the integrity of the mission of Fort Richardson.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN highlighted that one of the problems with the
[Fairbanks] school district has been that many military folks
moved in the summer and the Stryker folks didn't fill those
seats in the school.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER explained that the soldiers should
be arriving to "marry up with the equipment" whether the soldier
obtains his or her training locally or elsewhere. He pointed
out that typically the services attempt to rotate in order to
place families and have children start school in the summer.
Number 28.06
SENATOR DYSON related his understanding that with the Stryker
Brigade there would also be some seaborne rapid transit
platforms to be able to move the Strykers. He inquired as to
the status of the aforementioned.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER answered that the U.S. Army
continues to review ways in which to rapidly transport people
via sealift. He highlighted that the Stryker has the capability
of being deployed in a number of ways. The U.S. Army will
continue to work on the issue. In further response to Senator
Dyson, Lieutenant General Chandler acknowledged that there was
supposed to be a visit from a seaborne rapid transit platform,
and he anticipated that such a visit would occur at some point.
He said that at some point, the soldiers will have to practice
moving the Stryker vehicles to the port and loading them onto
the ships, and other things that would be required during
deployment in a real world situation. Lieutenant General
Chandler said that typically the vessels he has seen have been
30-40 knot [rapid response] vessels, although he expressed the
need to confirm that.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER informed the committee that this
USARAK transformation will increase the number of Army personnel
in Alaska by approximately 2,400. To make this transformation
possible, the range construction issues and the range facility
issues will continue to be addressed.
Number 29.53
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER continued with the slide entitled
"Missile Defense." Obviously, ballistic missiles are of great
concern to national security and Alaska is on the leading edge
of defending the nation against this threat. Missile activities
are in high gear at Fort Greely where interceptor silos
supporting buildings have been completed and missile defense
systems are being installed. He noted that Governor Murkowski
attended the ribbon cutting standup of the Alaska Missile
Defense Battalion, Alaska National Guard, at Fort Greely in
January. Lieutenant General Chandler related that the COBRA
DANE Radar is complete in terms of modifications. Furthermore,
the command and control systems are being installed in new
facilities at Eareckson Air Station. He informed the committee
that several missile defense-related test launches are scheduled
for Kodiak. Although one was scheduled for March, it's been
pushed back to an unknown date. However, there should be a
launch out of Kodiak by this summer. Lieutenant General
Chandler said that missile defense will provide the nation with
an initial defensive capability before the end of the year. By
the end of 2005 this capability will be enhanced with 10
additional interceptors at Fort Greely and the Sea-Based X-Band
Radar from its homeport at Adak.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER turned to the C-17 in Alaska. He
pointed out that some of the benefits to bringing the C-17 to
Alaska include a greater payload and newer and more reliable
equipment that can more easily support locations in the Aleutian
Chain and throughout the Pacific theater. Furthermore, the C-17
provides a great ability to deploy forces from Alaska. Both
active duty and reserve personnel will fly the C-17s. He noted
that the U.S. Air Force has had great success with a mix of
active duty and reserve personnel. Currently, training
opportunities are being studied in Alaska and are working with
the U.S. Army with regard to a potential assault landing strip
at Allen Army Airfield as that airfield is improved for missile
defense.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER moved on to the management of
airspace training and ranges. Retaining the ability to use
ranges on the ground and in the air in Alaska is critical to the
future utility of the forces and the bases in the state. The
wide-open spaces in Alaska allow crucial large-scale training to
be conducted, and nowhere in the Lower 48 can comparable
training opportunities be found. Lieutenant General Chandler
opined that Alaska's ranges constitute a national treasure.
Furthermore, he believes that the importance of the Pacific
Alaska Range Complex or Park will only continue to grow, and
therefore [the military] continues to invest in range
improvements. In fact, there is a plan that would commit $178
million in range improvements through 2010 to the Pacific Range
Complex. He pointed out that work with the Alaska Railroad is
also occurring to extend the line near the range which would
allow joint exercises with U.S. Army personnel on the ground as
well as aircraft overhead. He noted the potential for forces
from the Lower 48 being transported via rail from the port to
the ranges to the North, and therefore allow joint exercises.
Lieutenant General Chandler stated that this is an example of
how the Alaska Command commander could help coordinate training
opportunities in the state. He thanked the legislature and the
citizens of Alaska for constant support for training
requirements. Furthermore, the cooperation between Alaska
civilians and the military has been a great success. He pointed
out that with the legislature's and Alaskan civilians' support,
there are plans to place radar on hill 3265, which would provide
greater radar coverage for the Federal Aviation Association
(FAA) and civilian traffic, improved aircraft deconfliction, as
well as coverage over the missile field at Fort Greeley. The
aforementioned is another example of how the Alaska Command
commander can coordinate military activities in the state to
maximize those capabilities.
Number 34.22
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH inquired as to how the military is
handling hunters' cabins.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER explained that the land is withdrawn
for use by the military from the Bureau of Land Management. The
military then becomes responsible for the use, care, and
environmental stewardship of that land. The concern is one of
safety. For example, if someone is on the range at an
inappropriate time, there is the chance of hurting someone. The
U.S. Army has been successful with removing some of the
[hunters' cabins] from the range in order to ensure the safety
of the civilian populous. In further response to Representative
Stepovich, Lieutenant General Chandler indicated that folks
[with hunters' cabins] should've been notified, but specified
that the U.S. Army and the range management folks at ALCOM would
be the best place to start.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN recalled the figure of $170 million in the range
complex through 2010. He asked if the aforementioned figure
referred to electronics as well as hard assets.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER explained that the focus is to lay a
backbone of fiber, a backbone of power in order to be able to
take advantage of some of the newer emerging technologies. In
fact, there is review of skipping a generation of technology on
the range in order to take advantage of new technology. This
new technology, in some cases, provides more realism and is more
environmentally friendly. He mentioned that there has been very
good help from the congressional delegation with regard to the
ranges. Lieutenant General Chandler informed the committee that
the next level [of technology and training] will combine live
flying and simulation. Therefore, there are huge opportunities
with regard to training on the Pacific Range. As new weapon
systems are brought on, it's sometimes difficult to explain that
the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army has gotten smaller while
the training range requirements continue to grow. The
aforementioned is related to the capabilities of the weapon
systems.
Number 38.10
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE asked if there is any plan for fiber optic
communication between Greely and Kodiak.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied no, but offered to double-
check that.
CO-CHAIR HARRIS related his understanding that the best defense
against the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process is the
amount of land and air space available for training in Alaska.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER opined that in training, no matter
which branch of the military, there are three things that
matter. First, the base needs to have all of the necessary
capabilities from which to operate. Therefore, the base would
be free of encroachment and allow flying day or night. Second,
there needs to be the ability to transition between a range
complex. Third, the range complex should allow realistic
training. The above three things provide the ability to develop
combat capability, which would be important to a military
facility.
CO-CHAIR HARRIS surmised that if Alaska has to defend the
continuance of bases in Alaska, Alaska should emphasize [the
amount of land and air space available for training].
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER agreed. He informed the committee
that the BRAC process is at a point in which military commanders
can provide information with regard to the mission needs. He
reiterated that the military would continue to be open and work
with the community as has been the case in the past.
CO-CHAIR HARRIS commented that the legislature will have to
continue to BRAC proof Alaska's bases if possible.
Number 41.21
SENATOR DYSON recalled that during World War II and the Cold War
many military stationed in Alaska probably didn't have the type
of stewardship that Alaskans do. He informed the committee that
he has picked up thousands of pieces of unexploded munitions and
drums of dangerous chemicals at Fort Wainwright. However, he
acknowledged the huge efforts to cleanup over the last 45 years.
Therefore, he sensed that the military is now doing a far better
job of tracking materials and ensuring that things are cleaned
up. He asked if that perception would be correct.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied yes, adding his belief that
folks are a lot smarter. He remarked that he knows of no other
organization that works any harder with regard to environmental
stewardship or cleaning up.
Number 44.03
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER continued with his presentation by
turning to the slide entitled "Alaska Land Mobile Radio" (ALMR).
He explained that the goal of the ALMR is to secure inoperable
communications that can be shared by all federal, state, and
local agencies during daily operations and emergencies. The
plan will grow to cover 90 percent of the state's populations
and will entail deployed systems that will increase coverage to
remote areas not in the main system. Last year, 14 sites were
built up and two master controllers around Fairbanks, Anchorage,
Juneau, and Valdez. This year the project is expanding to
include 37 sites at key locations across the state. There has
been a unprecedented partnership and cooperation between the
military and the state in this area. The inoperability has been
successfully demonstrated in exercises under real world
scenarios. The land mobile radio was first used during Northern
Edge 2003 for a homeland security exercise in Valdez and then in
a real situation in Valdez during the holiday season threat to
the Port of Valdez. The land mobile radio was also used in
Juneau during Unified Defense. He reiterated that the system
will continue to grow and emphasized that it's not an
inexpensive system. In fact, the DoD rough order of magnitude
cost for infrastructure is approximately $51 million. The
overall system will cost in the vicinity of $90 million. The
DoD has obligated about half of the $51 million to the build out
of the system. If the pace is kept, in fiscal year 2006-2007,
assuming state and federal funding continues, the system should
be completed.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE inquired as to whether Lieutenant General
Chandler was referring to Alaska DoD, Homeland Security, or a
mixture.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER explained that the ALMR melds
together a number of systems that have never been able to talk
to each other. It allows some of the agencies to move into
newer equipment. Furthermore, it allows [the military] to move
out of the frequency spectrum that needs to be vacated.
Moreover, it allows secure ... [tape changes side]
TAPE 04-1, SIDE B
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER continued, "... communications
between any agency that wants to buy the subscriber equipment to
get onto this backbone that's being built by the federal and
state governments." Therefore, everyone can take advantage of
the [land mobile radio].
CO-CHAIR WILKEN pointed out that Brigadier General Craig
Campbell has worked hard on the ALMR.
Number 46.10
BRIGADIER GENERAL CRAIG E. CAMPBELL, Adjutant
General/Commissioner, Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
(DMVA), agreed that the ALMR is a large and expensive system
that will provide total interoperability across the state. He
pointed out that ALMR is being managed by the state through the
Department of Administration, and there is a full-time project
manager who works with all the agencies to ensure successful
implementation of ALMR. He highlighted that the
interoperability at the local level is being reviewed, and such
would require [the local level] to provide some complimentary
resources with ALMR. Therefore, he predicted that between the
federal and state resources, one will be pleased with emergency
communications in the short and long term.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER continued with his presentation and
turned attention to the slide entitled, "NORTHERN EDGE." He
reminded the committee that in the past the Northern Edge
exercise has exercised the major theater war plan annually.
However, with the standup of the Northern Command and the
necessity for that command to exercise, PACOM and NORCOM
leaderships agreed to the concept of exercising a major theater
war plan in even years and provide a venue in odd years to
exercise homeland security. Lieutenant General Chandler
explained that in even years ALCOM's role in PACOM's mission
will be maintained and will formally tie Northern Edge to
existing war plans. This year Northern Edge will be held June
7-16th and a Navy carrier strike group with approximately nine
ships and organic air wing will deploy to Alaska. Over 9,000
personnel and approximately 170 aircraft from the Navy, Marines,
Air Force, and Army are scheduled to participate. He noted that
air operations will be conducted over the Gulf of Alaska and the
Interior ranges. Through the Alaska Civil Military Aviation
Council, there will be advance coordination with the civilian
aviation communication and state and local leadership.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER explained that in odd years Northern
Edge would align with the Northern Command and provide a
training environment to validate real world training concepts
and practices. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to
coordinate numerous homeland security, homeland defense, and
military assistance to civil authority type activities currently
being planned in many different agencies throughout the state.
In response to Co-Chair Wilken, Lieutenant General Chandler
specified that the carrier Stenos (ph) will come. Lieutenant
General Chandler said that he was pleased with the participation
in Northern Edge this year, which he partly attributed to the
alternating year concept.
Number 42.28
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER continued with the slide entitled
"Arctic SAREX" in which he participated this past fall in
Russia. This exercise provided an invaluable opportunity to
build relationships, exchange search and rescue information over
the past 11 years between Canada, Russia, and the United States.
This year the U.S. will host the exercise at Eielson Air Force
Base. Lieutenant General Chandler characterized this as a great
opportunity to coordinate and conduct an international exercise.
The total force of the 210th Rescue Squadron will be utilized.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH inquired as to the number of people
coming in from Russia and Canada for this exercise.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER estimated that 200 people, maximum,
although he noted his reluctance to specify a number because the
intermediate and final planning conferences haven't been done.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH asked if those military personnel would
go into town in Fairbanks.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER said that he anticipated some social
events that would allow such. He then returned to his
presentation and the slide entitled "Community Coordination."
He informed the committee that ALCOM is working closely with
local communities on several issues, such as the Knik Arm
Bridge. Furthermore, over a year's worth of work has been put
into executing a lease to allow the Port of Anchorage access to
a strip of military land that would allow the port's planned
expansion. Both military and port officials are striving to
ensure that future development around Elmendorf Air Force Base
doesn't comprise flight safety operations, quality of life, or
threaten future viability of the land around the port. At this
point, Lieutenant General Chandler said he is pleased with both
projects, although the initial plans are awaited. He then
informed the committee that transferring on-base schools from
the Department of Education and Early Development to local
school districts has been ongoing since 1985. The military has
tracked the progress of demolishing, replacing, or turning over
23 schools on 7 installations to local municipalities. This
past year has been extremely successful and only three schools
remain to be transferred. Those three schools are expected to
be transferred before the end of the year. Lieutenant General
Chandler pointed out that the railroad re-alignment near the
northern ranges will allow enhanced joint training on the
ranges. A proposed rail extension and bridge across the Tanana
River will improve range access and enhance the ability to use
the Pacific Alaska Range Complex, both on the ground and in the
air.
Number 39.11
CO-CHAIR HARRIS asked whether the proposed gas line out the
Alaska Highway and the proposed railroad parallel to that would
benefit the military in Alaska.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied that the Army is excited
about it because it allows access to training ranges that have
been difficult to get to in the past. Furthermore, it opens the
way to bring in units from the Lower 48 up to the Alaska ranges
to train. Once forces are on the ground, it allows the overlay
of the air battle and thus superb joint training can occur.
Additionally, there may be the opportunity to take threat
simulators and move them around the range via rail cars.
Therefore, Lieutenant General Chandler said that [the military]
is only limited by its imagination.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH commented that it really clogs the
highway when military training occurs.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER agreed. He then turned to the slide
entitled "Civil Air Patrol," which is a summary of Civil Air
Patrol (CAP) activity in Alaska over this past year. As the
slide specifies, the CAP participated in 203 search missions
around the state, saved 32 lives, and provided 29 assists.
Lieutenant General Chandler moved on to the "Base Realignment
and Closure" slide. Although the final decisions won't be made
until the fall of 2005, the DoD is already gathering data and
information from across the services. At a minimum, BRAC 2005
must eliminate excess physical capacity, which diverts scarce
resources from defense capability. One of the underlying
responsibilities of the military is to be good stewards of
precious tax dollars, he said. He specified that the BRAC 2005
process will transform the military by rationalizing
infrastructure with the defense strategy. "The bottom line
being: optimizing our military readiness," he said.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER moved on to the slide entitled
"Alaska National Guard." He emphasized that the military relies
heavily on the Guard and the Reserve. The Alaska National Guard
has completed its transition to the Air National Guard, and have
hired the new Air National Guard commander. Air National Guard
personnel are being transitioned to operate the radar at Clear
Station. Once completed, operational and security aspects of
the missile defense system in Alaska will be transferred to the
Alaska Army National Guard. Lieutenant General Chandler
highlighted the fact that he and Brigadier General Campbell work
together every day.
Number 35.50
SENATOR DYSON turned to the changing role of the Air Force, and
opined that the capacity for mid-air refueling must be a large
component of the Air Force.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER agreed, adding that the air-
refueling wing at Eielson Air Force Base amounts to one-third of
the refueling assets in the Pacific theater. He agreed with
Senator Dyson that it's a worldwide asset that has been deployed
around the world.
SENATOR DYSON related his assumption that all the fuel used [by
the refueling wing] is produced in Alaska.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER indicated that the fuel comes from
the Northstar Petroleum unit. He agreed with Senator Dyson that
[the refueling wing] is a major resource, but he added that it
emphasizes that the ALCOM commands nothing and is rather a
coordinator. It's very important to coordinate military
activities in the state with things such as petroleum production
and how it's protected.
SENATOR DYSON inquired as to how much aviation fuel is used in a
year.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL replied that he didn't know, but
confirmed that the heavy load [fuel] does come from the North
Pole refinery. The aviation fuel is stored at Eielson Air Force
Base and is part of [the base's] total fuel load. He offered to
get back to Senator Dyson with regard to the specific amount.
Number 33.20
SENATOR DYSON related his belief that there is virtually no
place in the U.S. where military personnel feel as welcome as
they do in Alaska. He asked if the aforementioned is true.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER replied yes, adding that it's borne
out in the retention and extension figures and the number of
military personnel who retire in this state. In fact, one out
of five Alaskans has some direct connection to the military.
Lieutenant General Chandler said that he and Adjutant General
Campbell are fortunate to be in an environment such as Alaska.
SENATOR GARY STEVENS characterized the cooperation between the
military services as an enormously important issue. He recalled
that some historians say that unnecessary deaths occurred in
Alaska during World War II because of inter-service rivalry. He
asked if that will happen again in wartime.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER commented that there were some good
lessons learned from World War II and ALCOM stood up to try to
solve some of the problems. Lieutenant General Chandler
informed the committee that the U.S. Secretary of Defense places
a high value in joint [efforts] and although benefits were
reaped in the first Desert Storm, they weren't reaped to the
extent experienced in Iraqi Freedom. He suggested that Iraqi
Freedom was the first true joint operation in which joint fires
were brought to bear without some of the issues that have arisen
in the past. On a personal note, Lieutenant General Chandler
related that he and John Brown were national war college
classmates and there probably isn't any problem between the Army
and the Air Force in Alaska that can't be solved. However, he
acknowledged that there will always be friction because there
are always resource allocation problems between the services.
How the aforementioned is handled at the general officer level
permeates throughout the organization, he said.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN, returning to the question of fuel, informed the
committee that there is an 8-inch pipeline that runs from the
North Pole refinery 10 miles to Eielson Air Force Base.
Number 28.59
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHANDLER turned to the last slide, entitled
"Summary." He explained that all of these transformational
items are important, but it doesn't accomplish anything without
the young men and women who operate them. Lieutenant General
Chandler said that he hoped the committee understands how
important Alaska will be as the military continues to transform.
REPRESENTATIVE STEPOVICH turned attention to Clear Air Force
Station and inquired as to what [more military] will mean in
regard to civilian jobs.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL confirmed that there will be more
jobs. The contractor will continue to work at [Clear Air Force
Station] after the activation and much of the maintenance and
support work for Fort Greely will be civilian contractors. He
specified that the military presence should be very small and
the roles the military will play are security for the field and
launch operators.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL provided the committee with a booklet
entitled, "Joint Armed Services Committee Annual Update
Presentation." He began by reminding the committee that he has
met with everyone individually. Adjutant General Campbell
echoed Lieutenant General Chandler's comments that the joint
force is working extremely well. He assured the committee that
friction between the various branches of military doesn't exist
in Alaska.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL informed the committee that this past
year the director of the National Guard Bureau mandated that
states go to a joint operation, a National Guard. To accomplish
a joint operation, there will be a standup of full headquarters
for the joint forces, which will include the commander being the
Air Guard, the chief of staff coming from the Army Guard, and
all components would be blue and green without relevancy to the
color of the uniform. The aforementioned is being expanded to
the active duty forces, and therefore it becomes irrelevant
whether an Air or Army Guard is [provided] because the skill
necessary is provided. For example, just two weeks ago the
active-duty Army requested support from the National Guard for
convoy work in Iraqi. The result was that the Air National
Guard provided the drivers and the support people for the Army
convoys in Iraqi. Adjutant General Campbell reviewed the
bullets on the "Alaska National Guard" page, and emphasized that
everything is on the web site.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL turned to the Army National Guard. He
highlighted that 33 soldiers from the Army National Guard have
been serving at Kulis Air National Guard Base as force
protection for the Air National Guard. The aforementioned has
been extended for another year and is another example of
jointness. Additionally, 67 soldiers from the Army National
Guard Aviation in Alaska are now in Kosovo and will be providing
the helicopter, airless support for the peacekeeping operation
in Kosovo. He highlighted that the Kosovo, Bosnia, and Sinai
Peninsula operations performed by the U.S. are all being done by
the National Guard. The aforementioned illustrates that the
National Guard is prepared to do what the active duty component
requires. He mentioned that the [Alaska National Guard] has
assumed the mission at Fort Greely, which includes 47 military
police and 15 launch operators. The aforementioned will expand
to about 100 at the end of this year. Fort Greely is the only
location in America that will provide the mid-course
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL recalled that one of the problems he
saw when he arrived in Alaska was that in many cases the Army
National Guard may not be relevant to the active duty forces.
He emphasized that in terms of funding and integration, a
[National Guard] component must be relevant to an active duty
component in order to receive support. Therefore, aligning with
the Korea war plan would provide some of that relevancy to the
Army. In Juneau, construction of the Juneau Armory has begun.
Furthermore, plans have been developed and land has been secured
for the new Bethel Armory. There is money in the capital budget
request that would allow federal matching funds to build the
Bethel Armory starting in 2006.
Number 20.46
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL highlighted that a Junior ROTC program
was started in Nome and such a program is actively being sought
to begin in Kotzebue this year. If the Kotzebue program works,
then Barrow will be the next site. He related that he would
like to have the four major regional areas in western and
northern Alaska represented with Junior ROTC. He informed the
committee that 291 soldiers were enlisted last year and soldiers
were activated for force protection in Juneau and Valdez.
Adjutant General Campbell reminded the committee that at the end
of 2003 there was credible information regarding potential
threats to Alaska, specifically in the Valdez area. He
characterized what he saw during the end of last year as
outstanding cooperation between federal, state, and local
agencies in meeting the needs of the Port of Valdez and the
capital city should anything occur.
Number 19.24
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL moved on to the Air National Guard and
highlighted that it always stands ready to serve Alaska and the
nation. With regard to the tankers at Eielson Air Force Base,
he emphasized that virtually everything they do supports the
federal mission of the U.S. There isn't much refueling for
state resources, which is unique because in most states tanker
resources provide refueling for other National Guard that fly
fighters. Alaska doesn't have any National Guard units that fly
fighters and there isn't a strategic airlift Reserve component.
Therefore, when the tankers perform fueling it's done for the
active duty. Alaska's refueling unit provides the highest level
of support to active duty of any refueling unit in the country.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL turned to the 210th Rescue Squadron
out of Kulis Air National Guard Base. He characterized the
210th Rescue Squadron as the premier combat search and rescue
unit in the world. In fact, over 200 airmen of the 210th Rescue
Squadron were deployed to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. These
airmen experienced hostile fire, but this very dangerous mission
was done without any casualties. Alaska benefits from the 210th
Rescue Squadron in its capacity as the premier rescue unit in
this state.
Number 16.56
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL moved on to the Alaska State Defense
Force, which is part of the Alaska National Guard. He explained
that the soldiers in the Alaska State Defense Force are used
when the Alaska National Guard is engaged in other missions.
The Alaska State Defense Force is a volunteer force that isn't
paid unless activated. At the end of last year, approximately
80 Alaska State Defense Force volunteers were activated to serve
in Valdez and Juneau.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL continued with the 2005 objectives for
the Alaska National Guard. He highlighted the bullet that
specifies that in 2005 the Air National Guard Transformation
Plan will be initiated, and recalled U.S. Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld's message that the active duty and reserve
components are to do better, do more, and not grow the force.
Therefore, having a fixed number of people with greater
responsibilities is a tremendous challenge and relates that the
military can't do things the way it has in the past. The
aforementioned has resulted in everyone in the active duty and
the reserve component reviewing, restructuring, and
transforming. He pointed out that the Air National Guard will
lose aircraft nationally, although the hope is not to lose any
in Alaska. However, the people will be kept. If the aircraft
has to be lost to meet the goal, the question becomes how to
apply the people in a valuable mission to the active duty that
also provides value to the state. Therefore, the Regional Air
Operations Center and Clear Air Force Station coming to the
Alaska National Guard is very valuable because these aren't
deployable resources. Since these aren't deployable resources,
the Alaska National Guard coming in frees active duty personnel
to be deployed and placed in other career fields of the Air
Force to fight the war overseas. He mentioned that he is
looking at transforming the Air National Guard to meet the U.S.
Secretary of Defense's requirements while preserving what's
valuable to Alaska. In fact, recruitment and retention will be
increased as will the integration at the national level.
Furthermore, more service will be provided in the state
partnership program with Mongolia. He explained that Mongolia
is a developing nation that desperately wants to align with the
U.S. The State Department and the DoD have a program that allow
National Guard units to align with countries to provide the
introduction into a country "below the radar screen."
Therefore, a relationship valuable to the U.S. will be
established. In fact, Mongolians are coming to visit and see
what is done in search and rescue. Adjutant General Campbell
requested the [legislature's] support of the aforementioned
because it's good for Alaska and the nation.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL moved on to the 2005 Objectives of the
Army National Guard and pointed out that it's in the process of
activating and stepping up the (indisc.) mission of Fort Greely,
which he predicted will be very successful. With the joint
forces, a new Aerospace Defense Organization has been
established. The aforementioned organization is unique to the
National Guard in America. Fort Greely and Clear Air Force
Station have been placed under the new Aerospace Defense
Organization. He mentioned that family support is very
important to the Army National Guard and work is being done to
ensure that the families don't feel isolated when family members
are sent overseas. In fact, Adjutant General Campbell pointed
out that he met with each of the families of the airmen that
left to go overseas as the drivers in Iraqi. He stressed that
it's [the Alaska National Guard's] responsibility to serve the
families of service people overseas.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL continued with the 2005 Objectives of
the Army National Guard and mentioned the potential of
outsourcing rural armory facility maintenance. He then turned
attention to the integration of the New England Scouts with the
Alaska Scouts. The Scout mission in Alaska is very valuable to
Alaska and is relevant to the Army. However, as the Army is
transforming, it can no longer afford to have people who only
serve as Scouts. In fact, Adjutant General Campbell has been
told that those soldiers that are only Scouts will probably lack
relevancy to the U.S. Therefore, building in a few other skill
sets necessary for infantry soldiers creates a valuable asset to
America. The aforementioned has lead to looking to transforming
Alaska Scouts by marrying them with New England Scouts to form
one Scout battalion with additional infantry requirements. He
stressed that making the Scouts relevant is important to ensure
that the funding remains. There are 74 armories around the
state and if [the Alaska Scouts] become irrelevant with the Army
National Guard, the funding will go elsewhere and soldiers and
armories will be lost.
Number 10.24
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL informed the committee that there will
be some inspections at Kulis Air National Guard Base and Eielson
Air Force Base. The aforementioned is important because it
demonstrates the capability to perform, and therefore allows the
continued ability to petition for money. He then returned to
the joint aspect and pointed out that a Joint Security Police
facility is being built at Eielson Air Force Base. The
aforementioned is a focus of Lieutenant General Chandler, who
has made it clear that any construction at military bases must
be done together. The building at Eielson Air Force Base is an
outstanding facility with the most modern and state of the art
technology available in one location. Such a facility is
efficient and saves taxpayer money, and helps the airmen from
the Guard and the active duty work together, learn about each
other, and build camaraderie.
ADJUTANT GENERAL CAMPBELL turned to the Alaska State Defense
Force, which he said he plans to integrate more into operational
plans so that they will be trained, ready, and available when
needed. Last summer, an operations plan with the Alaska
Railroad (ARR) was completed and the ARR trainer trained the
Alaska State Defense Force in regard to what it expected for
force protection of the railroad. With that, Adjutant General
Campbell reiterated that the Alaska National Guard and the
active duty component in Alaska is one team in Alaska. Adjutant
General Campbell concluded as follows:
We are your militia, started in 1649, back there in
New England to provide the needs for the state, the
villages, and the towns, and we remain that today. I
work for the governor, the National Guard as a
governor's resource. We're here to serve you, but we
are fully trained, fully ready to serve our federal
side if every activated, without that your National
Guard would not have relevancy to America and we need
to be relevant to America.
Number 8.04
JANICE NEILSON, Director, Governmental and Legislative Affairs,
U.S. Army Pacific, thanked the committee for its invitation to
be present today. On behalf of Lieutenant General James
Campbell, she related his best and thanks to the committee and
Alaska for its support of the Army and all other forces. She
noted that Alaska's congressional delegation has worked very
hard to ensure that [the U.S. Army Pacific] is adequately
funded, which is the case. However, there are many unknown
factors that impact funding. With regard to the anticipated
visit of the high-speed vessels, Ms. Neilson pointed out that
those were sent to support the global war on terrorism, which
represents an example of an unknown factor. Ms. Neilson
informed the committee that it will probably hear more in the
future with regard to the Army's Force Stabilization Initiative.
This initiative works toward rotating units collectively
together. In other words, units would come to the state
together, train together, and be deployed together and then
rotate out of the state together. The aforementioned will
impact the troops in Alaska in 2006 when about 3,000 soldiers
will depart from the Fairbanks area while about the same amount
will come into the area.
Number 4.06
CO-CHAIR WILKEN reminded the committee that in 2004 the seats of
Jake Lestenkoff and Master Chief Frank Love will be available
for [reinstatement or a new member]. Jake Lestenkof's seat is
nominated by the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and Master
Chief Frank Love's seat is nominated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
In 2005, General George Cannelos' seat, nominated by the Mayor
of Anchorage, and Charles Wallace's seat, nominated by Military
Associates of the Army, Air Force, and Navy, will be available
for reinstatement or a nomination.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN informed the committee that it's staff, Barbara
Mee, is retiring. He noted his thanks for her and announced
that he, the committee, and the state will miss her. Co-Chair
Wilken announced that Lieutenant General Chandler will be
rotating out mid-summer and thanked him for his work for Alaska,
the nation, and the world. Co-Chair Wilken mentioned that
Admiral Jim Underwood couldn't be present today, but Captain
Ryan was present for him. He requested that Captain Ryan relay
his thanks to Admiral Underwood as he moves to the Pentagon.
CO-CHAIR WILKEN provided the committee with a letter discussing
the BRAC closures and the new process.
TAPE 04-2, SIDE A
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the Joint
Armed Services Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:44 a.m.
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