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. Number 341 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." Number 440 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. Number 712 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. Number 900 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.