Legislature(2001 - 2002)
02/08/2001 03:30 PM Senate STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 39-ASST. ADJUTANT GENERAL FOR MISSILE DEFENSE
MAJOR GENERAL PHILLIP OATES, Adjutant General for Alaska, Commander
of the National Guard, and Commissioner of the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs thanked the committee for the
opportunity to testify. He said that if this request passes, Alaska
will be the first state in the nation to establish an assistant
adjutant general for national missile defense.
He said that the number of general officers for the Department of
Defense is controlled by law, but that the assistant adjutant
generals in the National Guard are not. Those positions are
established through state statute and are authorized by the
Department of Defense through the National Guard Bureau. In Alaska,
there is an Assistant Adjutant General for Army and an Assistant
Adjutant General for Air. The requirement to have the authorization
as state statute is due to the fact that the National Guard is
first a state organization and then a federal organization.
Therefore, in order to have the position, it must be placed in
state statute first.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES went on to say that this position is necessary
because "We want to be prepared here in Alaska and send a very
clear signal to President Bush's Administration and to the national
decision makers that Alaska is ready and committed for this
mission." The position is fully funded federally in both the
traditional National Guard role and its potential larger federal
capacity.
The position was originally established as a traditional guard
position with requirements for duty of one weekend per month, two
weeks per year and a mobilization day for members with employment
elsewhere. In addition, this position will lead into a role in the
full fielding of the national missile defense activities and
ultimately as the commander or director of the site activation
command for national missile defense in Alaska. This position would
also be fully federally funded and would operate under a memorandum
of understanding between National Missile Defense Joint Program
Office (NMDJPO) and the State of Alaska.
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This position would provide an Alaska National Guardsman who
understands Alaskan issues and who would work for both the Adjutant
General of the State of Alaska in a traditional National Guard role
and for the National Missile Defense Joint Program Office in the
role of Commander of the Site Activation Command in Alaska.
Therefore, the state would be directly involved with military
decisions by the Department of Defense in the development and
deployment of a national missile defense system in Alaska.
As stated before, this position is the first of its type in the
nation so its importance can't be understated. The site activation
command will be an organization that is made up of 30 to 50 senior
civilians and full colonel level military officers.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES said, "We envision into the future that
national missile defense is just one piece of this, because to
actually have a viable national missile defense system you have to
partner with other mission sets that we're assuming in the National
Guard. Those being the manning of Clear Air Force Station (AFS) for
space surveillance and the security gun installation, the manning
of the regional air operations center at Alaska North American
Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) region headquarters at
Elmendorf."
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This position also provides opportunities to partner with other
states. There will be partnering done with the U.S. Space Command,
U.S. Army Space Command, National Missile Defense Brigade Level
Headquarters and the National Guard of Colorado. There will also be
partnering in New Mexico where training is done for air defense
artillery, in Alabama where the national missile defense effort is
led by Boeing, and in Florida where there is advanced work in range
safety and air defense artillery training.
The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs believes that
establishing this joint position will lead the Alaska National
Guard into the future and will fully meet Alaskan interests in the
fielding and operation of the national missile defense system.
There will be a very strong presence in the interior of Alaska with
the national missile defense activities fielded at Fort Greeley,
Clear AFS, and possibly in Fairbanks.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES thanked the committee and said he would be
happy to answer any questions.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked if this had to be done in statute or was
the option available to address the issue through administrative
powers. Another concern is about federal funds. Are they available
for three years for sure?
MAJOR GENERAL OATES said that it was mandatory that this be
addressed through state statute or the position will not exist.
State statute now allows for an adjutant general for army and air
but not the guard. He wanted to make it clear that this position
would require the same approval process as any general officer in
the Alaska National Guard. The Governor makes the selection and the
Legislature provides confirmation.
Funding for the position in its traditional role would be the same
as for any National Guard positions and isn't subject to any time
limit. Funding for the expanded position should be available for
the five to seven years projected for the site activation command.
When the funding expires, the position could revert to its
traditional role.
The fiscal note accompanying the bill lists federal receipts for
the salary of a brigadier general, allowances and any Alaskan
benefits paid for an Alaskan employee. There is precedence for
salaries paid this way.
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CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked if it is because the position is
specifically for an adjutant general that it needs to be in
statutes.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES said that is correct, any general officer
position manned by the Alaska National Guard bureau must be
established in state statute. At present, there is authority for
just two positions. They are the assistant adjutants general for
army and for air.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked if existing statute allowed for
subordinate officers.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES said there is no requirement in state statute
for any position below that of a general officer. At the national
level, law limits the number of general officers. Correspondingly,
the Governor and Legislature establish the number of general
officers the state will have.
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CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT said his main concern was whether it needed to
be established in state statute and whether the funding was
assured. He doesn't want the state to have to pay for the position
if federal funding disappears.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES said that if the federal funding disappears
then the position would also disappear since it can't be funded by
the state.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for questions and if there was anyone in
Juneau or on teleconference wanting to testify. There was no
response. He said there was no CS and asked for the will of the
committee.
SENATOR PHILLIPS made a motion to move SB 39 and the fiscal note
from committee with individual recommendations.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for objections. There were none.
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