Legislature(1995 - 1996)
01/25/1995 12:50 PM House BRC
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
JOINT TASK FORCE ON MILITARY BASES
January 25, 1995
12:50 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Tim Kelly, Co-chair
Representative Eldon Mulder, Co-chair
Senator Bert Sharp
Senator Loren Leman
Representative Pete Kott
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Richard Foster
ALSO PRESENT
Senator Randy Phillips
Representative John Davies
Representative Ivan Ivan
Representative Ed Willis
Curt Parkin, representing the Office of the Governor
WITNESS REGISTER
John Scruggs
Gold & Liebengood
Washington, D.C.
Steve Hyjek
Hyjek-Fix
Washington, D.C.
Hayden Bryan
Washington, D.C.
George Vakalis
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, AK 99519-6650
Major General Jake Lestenkof, Adjutant General
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
P.O. Box 5800
Ft. Richardson, AK 99505-5800
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 95-1, SIDE A
Number 001
CO-CHAIR SENATOR TIM KELLY called the meeting to order in the
Governor's Conference Room at 12:50 p.m. The meeting was being
teleconferenced to Washington, D.C., Anchorage and Fairbanks.
SENATOR KELLY noted the members present and then thanked Senator
Randy Phillips and former Representative Joe Sitton for their work
in organizing the task force.
JOHN SCRUGGS, representing Gold & Liebengood in Washington, D.C.,
testified via the teleconference network. He explained that the
group, which has been working for the task force since November 1,
1994, is composed of three different lobbying firms in Washington,
D.C. The team, which was put together specifically to respond to
the Alaska RFP, began by researching past rounds; researching where
the Alaska bases came out last time in terms of the analysis; and
collating information from both Alaska and the BRAC Commission
(Base Realignment & Closure Commission).
Mr. Scruggs said the group's charge is to represent all of Alaska
and all of the Army and Air Force bases in Alaska. The group
recently visited all three Army bases in the state, as well as to
take a quick look at the Air Force bases close by. The focus, to
date, has been mainly on the Army bases because they continue to
receive assurances from Air Force civilian personnel at the
Department of Defense that the Air Force bases in Alaska are in
very good shape.
Mr. Scruggs also said the Alaska visit helped the group to better
coordinate their activities with the Alaska Governor's office, with
the State Legislature, and with the cities of Fairbanks and
Anchorage. In Washington they continue to meet with the State of
Alaska office, the Congressional delegation, the White House, as
well as their work at the Department of Defense and BRAC.
Mr. Scruggs related that the nominees for the BRAC Commission have
been put together by the White House and it is anticipated those
nominees will be sent to Congress very soon. A hearing is
tentatively scheduled for approximately February 8 before the
Senate Arm Services Committee. It is expected that the list will be
going to the BRAC Commission around the first of March. No Alaska
bases are currently on the list, but it is still early in a long
process and there are a number of different points in the process
where Alaska bases could be exposed.
Mr. Scruggs expressed appreciation for the joint effort being put
forth by the Governor's Office, the State Legislature, the state
delegation, the mayors, etc.
Number 123
SENATOR KELLY inquired as to the status of the 11 maneuver bases
and the concern of one of Alaska's maneuver bases being put on the
closure list. MR. SCRUGGS explained that when 11 maneuver bases
were ranked in 1993, Fort Wainwright was listed as number 7 and
Fort Richardson was listed as number 11 out of 11. Although it is
hopeful that the Army will not put any of the 11 maneuver bases on
their list, they can be added by the Department of Defense or the
BRAC Commission itself.
Number 180
STEVE HYJEK, a member of the Washington, D.C. advocacy group
testifying via the teleconference network, stressed that there is
going to be a coordinated message between them and the Army command
in Alaska as it pertains to testimony before the commission. They
are also working closely with the Air Force leadership to make sure
that they understand what their strategies are. He added that the
joint operations between the Army and Air Force bases in the state
could be a very powerful argument this time around.
Number 228
SENATOR KELLY asked if Mr. Hyjek was confident that this would be
the last round of BRAC, because there has been some talk of an
extension. MR. HYJEK answered that there are some folks in
Congress who would like to see this round delayed, but he does not
believe that is going to happen because it is too far down the road
to stop it.
Number 260
GEORGE VAKALIS, retired Army colonel and past garrison commander of
the three Army bases in Alaska and currently operations manager for
the Municipality of Anchorage, testified from Anchorage via the
teleconference network. He cautioned that even though the Army
does not appear to be putting any of the posts in the state on the
list, the two major hurdles left to go are the Department of
Defense and the BRAC Commission.
Mr. Vakalis spoke to a briefing paper he has prepared for the
Governor, and he suggested a key point the Governor should stress
when he is in Washington, D.C. later in the month is the
outstanding support that the military gets from the civilian
population, both in Fairbanks and Anchorage, as well as in Delta
Junction.
Number 300
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER said when the task force started out this
process it was groping with how to best influence what is supposed
to be non-political process, but which is inherently political.
One of the task forces' first objectives was actually influencing
the BRAC selection process, so it was felt the members that were
named were really important. The next objective was to present a
united approach, and he pointed out that this effort is a
bipartisan statewide approach. Another objective was to gather and
collect all of the pertinent information. He added that Mr.
Vakalis has been a tremendous help with this because of his
previous experience as garrison commander. The last objective was
to present the information to the Department of Defense and to the
Administration, which is being done now.
Number 385
SENATOR KELLY asked Hayden Bryan, a member of the Washinton, D.C.
advocay group, if other communities throughout the nation are doing
what Alaska is doing with the BRAC process. HAYDEN BRYAN answered
that it is a mixed bag in terms of what individual communities are
doing.
Senator Kelly observed that the November 8 election was extremely
fortuitous for the State of Alaska, if looking simply at the base
closure issue, because of the strong positions held by Alaska's
Republican delegation in a Republican Congress and electing a
democratic governor who gets along with President Clinton.
Number 417
MAJOR GENERAL LESTENKOF, Department of Military & Veterans Affairs,
informed the task force that Secretary of the Army West will be in
Alaska on February 10 and will be spending a day with General
Needham and himself. He said it is important that they be briefed
on the points and the positions that the Governor covers when he
meets with Secretary West in Washington. GEORGE VAKALIS agreed to
meet with Major General Lestenkof to brief him on the major points
to discuss with Secretary West.
Number 450
STEVE HYJEK related that their group will back-brief the command,
as well as the task force, following the Secretary's meeting with
the Governor.
Number 486
GEORGE VAKALIS suggested that the two communities that would be
affected, in the event that one of the state's maneuver Army bases
gets added to the list, need to start mobilizing and planning now
about what strategies can be used if and when the BRAC Commission
holds regional hearings.
There being no further business to come before the task force,
SENATOR KELLY adjourned the meeting at 1:26 p.m.
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