Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/27/2025 11:15 AM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Joint Base Elmendorf-richardson Mission Brief and Command Priorities | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 27, 2025
11:19 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ted Eischeid, Chair
Representative Andrew Gray
Representative Carolyn Hall
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative David Nelson
Representative Jamie Allard
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Mission Brief
and Command Priorities
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
COLONEL LISA MABBUTT, Instillation Commander
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Mission Brief and Command Priorities presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
11:19:09 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 11:19 a.m.
Representatives Gray, Nelson, Fields, Hall, Saddler, and
Eischeid were present at the call to order. Representative
Allard arrived as the meeting was in progress.
^PRESENTATION(S): Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Mission Brief
and Command Priorities
PRESENTATION(S): Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Mission Brief
and Command Priorities
11:20:07 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the only order of business would
be the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Mission Brief and Command
Priorities presentation.
11:20:56 AM
COLONEL LISA MABBUTT, Instillation Commander, Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, offered the Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson Mission Brief and Command Priorities presentation via
PowerPoint [hard copy included in the committee packet]. She
began the presentation on slide 2, which displayed a map of
Alaska as it relates to the northern hemisphere of the earth and
its relative position to the allies and adversaries of the U.S.
She continued to slide 3, which highlighted the role that Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) plays both as a community and
military installation. She moved to slide 4, which displayed a
graphic that outlined the various military entities that exist
on JBER.
11:29:34 AM
COLONEL MABBUTT continued the presentation on slide 5, which
displayed a map of the Anchorage area and specific areas of
development and improvement on JBER. She explained a series of
measures being taken at JBER to improve Alaska's military
readiness should the event of war break out in the Pacific
region of the globe.
11:35:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked if the population of people
experiencing homelessness is causing comfort and security
concerns among leaders of JBER.
COLONEL MABBUTT answered that the Air Force has had a few people
who are experiencing homelessness on JBER land and said that the
Air Force is working with the Municipality of Anchorage to
address the issue of people experiencing homelessness on
military and federal lands.
11:40:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Colonel Mabbutt how JBER is working
to improve its energy resilience and asked about the progress of
the Highland Road Methane Project. He asked if there are any
prospects for the Alaska State Legislature to provide nuclear
energy for the Air Force and JBER.
COLONEL MABBUTT answered that she would follow up with data
regarding the Highland Road Methane Project and explained that
JBER has "phenomenal relationships" with Doyon, Limited and
Chugach Electric, and said that JBER is working on other energy
resilience studies that would allow for more opportunities to
store power on the base. She said that Eielson Air Force Base
(EAFB) would be where the pilot program for nuclear energy would
be conducted.
11:44:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked how the Trump Administration's
executive orders regarding energy and federal grant funds are
affecting JBER's ability to provide itself energy security. He
touched on Representative Allard's remarks regarding people
experiencing homelessness and said that the Municipality of
Anchorage is short-staffed by 75 police officers and park staff,
which is leading to dangerous encampments.
11:46:49 AM
COLONEL MABBUTT responded that she is deliberately taking on the
energy resilience exercise on JBER as a means to report any
deficiencies to her chain of command.
11:48:12 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID commented that the issue of people experiencing
homelessness in Davis Park was the "number 2" concern of his
constituency.
11:48:46 AM
COLONEL MABBUTT resumed the presentation on slide 6, which
listed a series of goals of the broader mission of JBER. She
continued through slides 7-8, both of which highlighted what the
term "Ready Community" means with regard to both military and
community readiness on JBER.
11:55:14 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID emphasized that the number one issue of his
constituents was education.
11:55:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD said she is alarmed by contingency,
emergency, readiness, and response being the top worry of the
JBER wing commander.
COLONEL MABBUTT assured Representative Allard that she was not
actively concerned with the readiness of the JBER community and
said that it was simply her mandate to ensure that the JBER
community is ready for anything.
11:57:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked Colonel Mabbutt if the concern of
JBER community members with regard to education was due to the
"devastating cuts to programs and rise in class sizes that would
result if the legislature was not successful in funding
schools." He assured Colonel Mabbutt that his caucus was
committed to passing an education funding bill.
COLONEL MABBUTT, in response to Representative Fields first
question, answered yes.
11:59:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER reminded members that this is the House
Special Committee on Military & Veteran's Affairs, not the House
Education Standing Committee. He then asked if there are any
environmental issues or rehabilitation projects that would be of
concern to the Alaska State Legislature.
COLONEL MABBUTT answered that JBER has an environmental team and
close relationships with both state and federal regulators that
ensure that preventative maintenance and construction are
properly overseen.
12:02:33 PM
CHAIR EISCHEID shared his appreciation for the dialogue
regarding education.
12:02:44 PM
COLONEL MABBUTT emphasized that schools are one of the top draws
for military members when they receive a base assignment and
said that quality schools are an "incredibly important retention
tool" for military members.
12:03:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD said, "I appreciate your comments, but I
would encourage you to tread lightly with the political aspect
of it, because that's what I'm hearing from you." She
encouraged Colonel Mabbutt to take up any concerns regarding
education with her chain of command.
12:04:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if the higher level of security
surrounding JBER is to be sustained for the foreseeable future.
COLONEL MABBUTT explained that access to JBER is still allowed;
however, visitors without a "trusted traveler" card must enter
through the visitor center to be processed before they are
allowed on base.
12:09:18 PM
CHAIR EISCHEID commented that he "seriously appreciates" the
service and work of Colonel Mabbutt and JBER as a whole.
12:10:38 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military & Veteran's Affair's meeting was
adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| CMSgt Michael H. Sylvester Bio.pdf |
HMLV 2/27/2025 11:15:00 AM |
|
| FY24 JBER Economic Impact.pdf |
HMLV 2/27/2025 11:15:00 AM |
|
| SGM Joshua K. McComas Bio.pdf |
HMLV 2/27/2025 11:15:00 AM |
|
| Col Lisa M. Mabbutt Bio.pdf |
HMLV 2/27/2025 11:15:00 AM |
|
| JBER Mission Brief Command Priorities _COA25Feb25.pptx |
HMLV 2/27/2025 11:15:00 AM |