"Good Morning. I want to thank the Commission for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the Little Rock Air Force Base and the Central Arkansas community. It is good to see you again Chairman Principi and General Newtown. General Newton, we in Central Arkansas remember you fondly for your long service as head of AETC, and we're glad the Commission has someone with so much familiarity with C-130s and Little Rock Air Force Base. Chairman Principi, your great work for veterans is remembered and much appreciated. Commissioners Hill and Turner, thank you for your years of service.

"We all appreciate what a hard job this Commission has. There are no bad bases. The tens of thousands of civilian and military personnel who will be impacted by your decisions are all outstanding. There are no easy decisions here. You have two chores. First, to make the right decisions, and second to have a decision-making process, the conclusions of which some will disagree with, but all will have no doubt regarding its fairness, transparency, and integrity. As one who has supported this BRAC round, I thank you all, Commissioners and staff, for your service.

"My nine years of interaction with Little Rock Air Force Base made evident to me the ability of this fine base to play an even greater role in our national defense. For years at Little Rock, the Active side and the Air Guard, specifically the 189th C-130 Wing, have had an intensely close working relationship in training instructor pilots. An Air Force Reserve Aerial Port Squadron is based and trains at LRAFB. Little Rock Air Force Base for years has been a model for how the Air Guard and Active Component as a team can thrive together.

"There are several important considerations in the C-130 community. Overall, the fleet is declining in number due to Wing Box problems, the slow rate of C-130J acquisition, and the currently stalled C-130Aviation Modernization Program. The high rate of use of C-130s means it is desirable to increase the operational availability and flexibility of the fleet. We have to maximize the assets we have, and we believe that the Air Force's plan for the Active Duty C-130s does this. It is also my hope that centralizing more airplanes will allow the air crews and their families to have more stability in assignments and lives.

"Little Rock Air Force Base, the C-130 Schoolhouse, is the right choice for the Air Force's plans. Mayor Swaim will talk specifically about the local community and some important base assets, but I wanted to mention a few points. Little Rock is the center of C-130 training now, and no one has suggested that this mission could be more easily or cheaply conducted anywhere else. There is increased efficiency in centralizing operational assets where training is conducted. This should make continuation training easier and allow the more efficient use of training facilities and training areas, such as simulators, drop zones, and assault landing strips. The capacity and ramp space of the Little Rock Air Force Base to easily handle more planes is well known, as evidenced once again this past weekend when numerous planes and helicopters were moved to Little Rock from other bases out of the path of Hurricane Dennis.

"An attribute of LRAFB not adequately recognized is the variety of surrounding terrain. Terrain has long been a determining factor in military operations, and is vitally important for the low level air drops and assault landings that are part of the C-130 mission. Central Arkansas has varied terrain types, from mountains to plains to forests to rivers, within minutes of flight time. It is important that both training units and operational units have access to such terrain for practice, and the presence of such an unmatched variety of terrain is a further advantage for Little Rock Air Force Base.

"Thank you for this opportunity to share my views on the great military value of Little Rock Air Force Base. I want to note the presence of Congressman Marion Berry who represents about a third of those who work at the base. Mayor Tommy Swaim of the absolutely, incredibly supportive city of Jacksonville, Arkansas, will now share his views about the community and the base."

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