Barksdale to be home for GSC

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 05 Apr 2009, 20:07

From AF Daily Report 3 APR 09

Barksdale Chosen for Global Strike Command: The Air Force announced yesterday that Barksdale AFB, La., is the preferred site for the permanent headquarters of Air Force Global Strike Command, the service's new nuclear-centric major command that will oversee its nuclear-capable bomber and ICBM forces. Barksdale was selected over the other finalist locations that were announced in January: F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., Malmstrom AFB, Mont., Minot AFB, N.D., Offutt AFB, Neb., and Whiteman AFB, Mo. "All six candidate locations received a thorough evaluation in accordance with our basing process," said Kathleen Ferguson, USAF's installations czar. The Air Force said the choice was primarily based on an installation's ability to provide significant nuclear mission synergy. Barksdale is home to 8th Air Force, which oversees USAF's nuclear-capable B-2A and B-52H bombers, and the 2nd Bomb Wing, a B-52 unit. "Today's announcement is welcome news for Barksdale and all of Northwest Louisiana," Rep. John Fleming (R), the Louisiana Congressman in whose district Barksdale lies, said Thursday in a joint release with fellow Republican Sen. David Vitter. "This is a huge win for Barksdale and the local community," added Vitter. In a separate release yesterday, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said: "Today's decision was made possible in large part thanks to the tremendous local leaders in Bossier and Shreveport. This community is the standard-bearer of supportive military communities." Per US law, the Air Force must still complete an assessment of the environmental impact of placing the new HQ at Barksdale before making a final decision. That decision is expected this summer. Bolling AFB, D.C, has been hosting the provisional HQ for Global Strike Command since January. (For more, on AFGSC and the Air Force's nuclear revitalization, read Air Force Magazine's Nuclear Force Revival)

**Curt Lemay put SAC at Offutt for a number of good reasons. Omaha already was a major communications hub. Offutt was in the middle of the country and gave longer lead time for arriving missiles or bomber strikes.
Needless to say, The competion was intense and the Nebraska Congressmen and ex-SAC guys are unhappy with the choice.

maddog65 · Post by **maddog65** » 06 Apr 2009, 00:06

Very sad indeed. With all of the infastructure at Offutt you would think they would keep it all at that base. With that mission going to Barksdale that will be fodder for the bean counters to close the base if we have another BRAC.

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 07 Apr 2009, 22:20

From AF Daily Report 7 APR 09

"Offutt Scored Highest": So states Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) in an April 3 statement, expressing his concern with USAF's announcement that Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and not Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska is the service's preferred location to host the new Air Force Global Strike Command. According to an Omaha World-Herald report, Offutt received 89 out of a possible 100 points in the Air Force evaluation, while Barksdale received 81. Nelson and fellow lawmakers Sen. Mike Johanns (R) and Rep. Lee Terry (R) are pressing DOD and Air Force officials for a turnaround. Nelson and Johanns have sent letters to both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, asking for explanations. Johanns expressed dismay that when Donley called him with the news he failed to tell him that Offutt had scored higher, telling the newspaper, "I just don't feel he was candid with me." In an April 3 statement, Johanns called the Barksdale decision "outrageous" and wants it overturned. In his letter to Gates, Nelson asked him to investigate whether "political considerations" had a role, referring to comments attributed to Terry in an earlier World-Herald report. Nelson said in his statement, "There is a clear contradiction between the scores levied upon Offutt, Barksdale, and the other finalist bases—in which Offutt scored highest—and the decision to locate Global Strike Command at Barksdale."

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 07 Apr 2009, 23:34

And here comes the appeal....

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/ ... rs_040709/

Neb. lawmakers ask Obama to overturn GSC pick

By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 19:11:01 EDT

Nebraska lawmakers have asked President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to overturn the Air Force’s choice for the headquarters of Global Strike Command in favor of Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

Both Nebraska senators and the governor want to know why the service selected Barksdale Air Force Base after the Air Force’s own selection formula ranked Offutt over the Louisiana base.

Offutt scored higher than Barksdale in five of the six basing criteria, for an overall score of 89 points. Barksdale scored 81 points, according to the service’s Global Strike Command headquarters assessment summary.

“It is difficult to see why Offutt AFB was not selected for the Global Strike Command headquarters after leading all other bases under consideration in criteria developed directly by the Air Force,” Sen. E. Benjamin Nelson, D-Neb., wrote in a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman wrote to Obama saying the selection of Barksdale “raises serious questions about whether it meets the highest ethical standards that you said would be the hallmark of your Administration.”

“This decision doesn’t pass the smell test,” Heineman wrote.

One category in which Offutt led the field was “mission synergy,” which was listed as the “key discriminator” by the Air Force’s Senior Basing – Executive Steering Group in a briefing delivered to Congress by the Air Force that was obtained by Air Force Times.

“Mission synergy” was defined as the base’s ability to leverage its facilities, proximity and personnel to best perform the nuclear deterrent mission. Offutt scored 32 out of 35 points, while Barksdale scored 31.

Donley said April 2 that the Air Force chose Barksdale because of its close connection to 8th Air Force, which has the nuclear bomber mission. Offutt got a boost as the site of U.S. Strategic Command’s headquarters, but Air Force leaders preferred the connection to a numbered Air Force, he said.

“We chose [Barksdale] because in the organized, train and equip functions for which the Air Force is responsible, those are the areas we needed the most emphasis,” he said April 2. “I think the locations that did not have a command control element above the wing level were a little bit more challenged, and Minot was in that situation, as was Malmstrom.”

A call to Donley for a follow-up comment April 7 regarding the Nebraska lawmakers’ complaints was not returned by press time.

Global Strike Command is scheduled to stand up in September. Its creation is part of the Air Force’s roadmap to “Reinvigorate the Nuclear Enterprise” After the service was embarrassed by two errors involving nuclear weapons in 2007 and 2008.

The six bases the service considered for the new command’s headquarters were Offutt; Barksdale; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.