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.