HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS March 8, 1993 3:30 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Rep. Eldon Mulder, Co-Chairman Rep. Richard Foster, Co-Chairman Rep. Pete Kott Rep. Mike Navarre Rep. Ed Willis MEMBERS ABSENT None OTHER LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS PRESENT Rep. Brian Porter Rep. Terry Martin Sen. Loren Leman COMMITTEE CALENDAR Presentation by Lt. General Joseph Ralston WITNESS REGISTER LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOSEPH RALSTON Commander of the Alaskan Command 580 G Street, Suite 101 Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK 99506 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 93-4, SIDE A Number 000 CHAIRMAN ELDON MULDER called the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee to order at 3:50 p.m. on March 8, 1993. Members present were Rep. Foster, Rep. Kott, Rep. Navarre and Rep. Willis. Other legislative members present were Rep. Porter, Rep. Martin and Sen. Leman. CHAIRMAN MULDER made the following opening statement: "Lieutenant General Ralston is commander of the Alaskan Command based at Elmendorf Air Force Base. The Alaskan Command is subordinate unified command of the U.S. Pacific Command responsible for the defense of Alaska. General Ralston also commands the 11th Air Force, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Joint Task Force Alaska when activated to coordinate military support during natural disasters. He assumed this command in July of last year. "The General is a command pilot with more than 2,400 hours, including 147 combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying cross with three oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 19 oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters." Number 010 LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOSEPH RALSTON gave a brief history of the role of the military in Alaska. He stated that Americans are living in a very uncertain world and change has been rampant for the past three and one-half years. He stated some of the reductions the military has faced or will be facing. Lt. General Ralston remarked that the United States needs to organize their forces in a way that places a premium on flexibility. Lt. General Ralston noted that Alaska is the best place to live in the world to give us flexibility. He stated that recently the improvement in our combat capability in Alaska came from the way we integrated our Alaskan Air National Guard Forces with our active duty forces. LT. GENERAL RALSTON noted three subjects that were of importance to the military's role in Alaska: the environment, housing for military personnel, and schools for children of military personnel. (NOTE: A copy of Lt. General Joseph Ralston's speech is on file in House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs committee room until the final adjournment of the second session of the 18th Alaska State Legislature; thereafter it may be found in the Legislative Reference Library.) Number 189 REP. MARTIN asked if Lt. General Ralston was aware of the Alaskan Housing Authority awarding $58 million for the Fairbanks contract to build housing. LT. GENERAL RALSTON responded that he was aware of the contract to build housing. He said he was appreciative of the legislature's influence in the matter and the governors' encouragement. He stated that they did get the guarantee of the loan to start the project. Lt. General Ralston said that without that first step, that project would have been in jeopardy. Number 194 REP. MARTIN asked if there could be some flexibility in the standards for military homes compared to civilian homes in Alaska. LT. GENERAL RALSTON stated that they had an unfortunate set of terminology. Lt. General Ralston said that housing in Alaska is not sub-standard due to poor construction for military personnel, but military personnel are paying too high of rent and there is not enough square footage for living space. CHAIRMAN MULDER asked Lt. General Ralston how the housing resolution was received. LT. GENERAL RALSTON responded that the 801 Housing Project at Eielson Air Force Base was crucial. He stated that Anchorage and Fairbanks have set up a task force to help U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that we needed to work cooperatively in relation to the problem with the schools. Chairman Mulder asked what specific recommendations Lt. General Ralston had for the legislature. LT. GENERAL RALSTON commented that he would like the legislature to be aware that there is a problem, and they would like to work with the commissioner of Education and put together a plan of what can be done. CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that his district was Ft. Richardson, and one of the schools that the federal government had committed to funding for improvements has been with held until next Fridays' decision on base closures. Number 250 REP. FOSTER asked how the future looked for people in Russia along the Bering Strait towards Alaska and the United States. LT. GENERAL RALSTON stated that he did not know what the future looked like for that region. REP. MARTIN asked if the military, in its allocation for impact to local communities, gives the percentage pertaining to maintenance of buildings or is it just allocated for instruction? LT. GENERAL RALSTON replied that the state is getting a fair allocation, but as to the percentage for maintenance on buildings or the amount given to the school district, he was not sure. REP. MARTIN stated that a certain amount of that money was intended to be used for maintenance. Rep. Martin further stated that maybe we have been negligent in not allowing that money to be used for maintenance. LT. GENERAL RALSTON replied that this was something they could look into. SEN. LEMAN noted that if the legislature was going to get into this thing, then it is going to have to leap-frog the Anchorage school district priority list because it does not have the Elmendorf schools high on the list. He noted the reason for that being because the Anchorage school district assumed that it would be taking care of by somebody else. Sen. Leman noted that there were also other schools that needed maintenance and that the Senate Hess Committee was looking at solutions to these problems. Sen. Leman stated that time is running out in the session and they should continue to meet with Commissioner Covey and with legislators so that they don't lose this thing at the end of the year. LT. GENERAL RALSTON commented that they were willing to work with state officials and local officials to solve this problem. Number 270 SEN. LEMAN asked about the number of schools that have received appropriations to be fixed, or will receive appropriations to be fixed. LT. GENERAL RALSTON replied that out of 15 schools there are 10 remaining. REP. PORTER ask about the reconsolidation of the military. Lt. GENERAL RALSTON stated that the joint chiefs have worked very hard on that issue and there is some room for reconsolidation within the military. ADJOURNMENT CHAIRMAN MULDER adjourned the meeting at 4:34 p.m.