Posts Tagged ‘mission support/community partnerships’

The new plan the U.S. and Japanese governments announced Friday to reduce the U.S. footprint on Okinawa could take 16 years to complete. Closure of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and its realignment to another part of Okinawa, the trickiest part of the Okinawa Consolidation Plan, would occur by 2023 at the earliest. About 2,500 acres of land on the island currently under U.S. control, which includes six major installations, would be returned by 2029 …

Economic development officials in Grand Forks, N.D., say their goals revolving around Grand Forks Air Force Base shouldn’t be hindered by the unexpected departure last month of the wing commander. “As a community, we’re used to these transitions,” said Chamber of Commerce President Barry Wilfahrt. “We already anticipated working with a new commander in May or June anyway …

The U.S. and Japanese governments have reached a deal to realign dozens of U.S. bases across Okinawa and resolve a decade-long question as to how thousands of U.S. forces would be repositioned around the Pacific, reported Foreign Policy. The two governments are expected to announce the plan to consolidate facilities in Okinawa on Friday. It will call for the U.S. to turn over six major facilities and a total of 2,500 acres to Japan …

For the second time in a month, a House subcommittee is scheduled to hear testimony from the Pentagon’s top installation officials about the need for a new BRAC round. But unlike the hearing held last month by the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee, next week the House Appropriations’ Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee will have an opportunity to hear from DOD witnesses after the White House has unveiled its fiscal 2014 budget proposal …

Army officials will solicit comments from community leaders and other residents about the potential impacts of the service’s plan to trim its end strength by 80,000 soldiers during listening sessions scheduled at 30 locations throughout April. “The Army values community input to make the best decisions and to mitigate, as much as possible, the impact on local communities,” said Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Peggy Kageleiry …

To prove that sequestration is hurting people across the nation that work for the federal government or rely on it for contracts, funding or other services, the Huffington Post compiled a list of 100 local media stories offering examples of the hardships caused by $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that went into effect last month. About seven of the examples involved military facilities, where the primary impacts consisted of planned furloughs of civilian employees and military technicians in the National Guard, along with the termination of contract and term employees …

Economic development officials in north central Ohio last week celebrated the news that the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard will gain a new transport mission and about 200 new personnel. The 179th, based at Mansfield’s Lahm Airport, had been faced with closure after the Air Force last year proposed eliminating the nation’s fleet of C-27J cargo aircraft. The 179th will lose its four C-27J planes as planned, but they will be replaced with eight larger C-130H aircraft …

Commissioners from Havelock, N.C., home of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, criticized the new budget proposed by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory for failing to support military communities in the face of a looming BRAC round. “We’re the most military friendly state in the union, but we can’t get any help from the state to protect the bases …

Communities surrounding Forts Benning, Ga., and Riley, Kan., ranked among the fastest-growing places in the nation for the year ended July 1, 2012, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last month. Chattahoochee County, Ga., was the nation’s fastest-growing county of 10,000 or more residents as its population climbed 10.1 percent between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012 …

California Gov. Jerry Brown established a state military council Thursday to preserve the military’s role in the state’s economy and expand defense-related investment in California. The panel will be responsible for protecting California’s military installations and operations amid ongoing Pentagon budget cuts, and it will respond to changes in military strategy to position the state to continue innovation and leadership in its military mission …