March 16, 1978
Page 7259
VALUE OF LORING AIR FORCE BASE CONFIRMED
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, two recent developments — a statement by President Carter and an award presentation by the Air Force, lend positive support to the efforts to maintain Loring Air Force Base at current operating levels.
Mr. President, since March of 1976 when the Ford administration announced that Loring Air Force Base was a candidate for major reduction, Senator HATHAWAY and I, together with our colleagues from Maine in the House, have challenged the Air Force to justify the proposal to reduce the Strategic Air Command base. We have been assisted in the effort by the Save Loring Committee, a group of business and community leaders from the Limestone area who prepared detailed strategic and economic analyses of the proposed action.
Our challenge to the Air Force was based on these central arguments: First, the clear understanding that Loring, as the Northeasternmost Strategic Air Command base in the continental United States, is one of our most strategically located bases; second, a direct awareness that the local economy would be devastated if Loring were reduced; and third, our understanding that such a reduction was not the most cost effective alternative available to the Air Force. Events since the reduction was proposed have supported our challenge in all three areas.
The Air Force admits, in the environmental impact statement on the proposed reduction, that greater dollar savings could be achieved with alternative base reduction actions. And the Senate Appropriations Committee found that Loring Air Force Base was within the mid-range for base operating support costs, while six other Strategic Air Command bases exceeded the median cost level by more than 20 percent. One of those Strategic Air Command bases exceeding median costs had been listed as an alternative to the reduction of Loring in the early stages of the decision process but was subsequently dropped as an alternative candidate. These findings were included in the report accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 1978 (H.R. 7133) on pages 30-35.
The environmental impact statement prepared by the Air Force, and studies submitted in conjunction with it, supported our argument that the impact on the local economy would be severe if the Air Force proceeded with an 85 percent reduction of Loring Air Force Base. The initial environmental analysis by the Air Force was faulty and months were consumed while a new draft and final environmental impact statement were prepared. However, the result of these studies supported our initial contentions. The final environmental impact statement found that local unemployment could reach—
Twenty-two percent, a disastrously high rate for a fragile economy which depends on agricultural related employment as its other major economic activity
And, further, that local units of government would be severely disrupted.
Despite these findings, and despite the explicit requirements of section 612 of the Military Construction Authorization Act, it was not clear whether the Air Force and the Department of Defense would give consideration to the local economic impact. Then President Carter addressed the issue. At his town meeting in Bangor, Maine, on February 17, the President said he had asked Secretary of Defense Brown to reassess the decision made by the previous administration about Loring. and to take into consideration, not just environmental questions and defense questions but also the economic impact on Maine of closing Loring Air Force Base.
The strategic importance of Loring Air Force Base, as the closest continental U.S. air base to the Soviet Union and closest on the great circle route to Europe, was recognized by President Carter and continues to be recognized by Air Force officials. A quick look at a map confirms that as simple truth, yet the Air Force analysis suggests that the strategic advantage of Loring's location is diminished by other factors, such as weather problems and limitations of Loring's capacity to support other domestic units. An Air Force announcement early this month undercut that argument, however, when the 42d Bombardment Wing at Loring Air Force Base was designated the winner of the Omaha Trophy as the best wing in the Strategic Air Command for 1977.
Gen. Richard H. Ellis, Strategic Air Command Commander-in-Chief, announced that selection of the 42d Bombardment Wing at Loring Air Force Base was based upon its mission effectiveness, outstanding Readiness Inspection, Buy None-exercises, and Combat Evaluation Group visits and Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation Team visits ... The 42d was consistently a top performer in all areas.
The proposed reduction of Loring Air Force Base would include as a central cost-savings feature the dismantling of the 42d Bombardment Wing, the best wing in the Strategic Air Command. Indeed during 1977, the year for which the award was presented, the 42d Bombardment Wing was under threat of termination and Loring Air Force Base under threat of 85 percent reduction. Were it not for the efforts of the Save Loring Committee, the Maine congressional delegation and our Governor to point out the glaring deficiencies in the proposal to reduce Loring, the Ford administration would have proceeded to reduce the base and dismantle the very unit which instead survived to be designated as the best in the Strategic Air Command.
I am extremely proud that a unit in Maine has earned this distinction and congratulate the members of the unit who earned the award and their families in the community who supported them during this time.
I ask unanimous consent that the announcement of the award, the regulations describing the award, and the Bangor Daily News story relating these events be printed in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD.
Mr. President, no institution in Government or in the private sector is anxious to reverse a proposal set in process toward a final decision and action. We in the Congress are perhaps more fickle than most, but even here proposals gather a momentum which becomes an important if unspoken factor in their final disposition. But with the proposal to reduce Loring, I am pleased to say, the Carter administration appears willing to challenge the momentum of the proposal and demand that a decision be made on the merits. I have always been confident that, on the merits, Loring would be retained at full strength. The evidence supporting that position continues to grow and I am increasingly hopeful that a classic military snafu will be avoided in the end.
LORING WINS OMAHA TROPHY
HQ Sac (Sac Ps) .—The 42d Bombardment Wing, Loring AFB, Maine, has won the Omaha Trophy as the best wing in Strategic Air Command for 1977.
Gen. Richard H. Ellis, SAC Commander in Chief, announced the award March 2.
The 42d BW selection was based upon its mission effectiveness, outstanding Operational Readiness Inspection, Buy None exercises, and Combat Evaluation Group visits and Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation Team visits, according to SAC Operations Officials.
The wing also had outstanding maintenance and support ratings, and flew an accident free year in 1977.
"The 42d was consistently a top performer in all areas," one official said.
THE OMAHA TROPHY
This regulation establishes the Omaha Trophy Award to annually recognize the outstanding wing in the Strategic Air Command, states eligibility criteria, and tells how the selection will be made.
BACKGROUND OF THE TROPHY
On the 25th Anniversary of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) the citizens of Omaha, through the SAC consultation committee, presented the Omaha Trophy to the CINCSAC with the request that it be awarded annually to the outstanding wing in SAC. The Chairman of the SAC Consultation Committee will provide the SAC Chief of Staff a miniature trophy for permanent retention by the winning unit.
ELIGIBILITY
All SAC wings or comparable organizationsare eligible for the award.
SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES
a. The trophy will be awarded to the outstanding wing in SAC based on overall performance for the previous calendar year.
b. The CINCSAC/DO, as OPR, will conduct the voting by forwarding a ballot with an attached letter of instruction to CINCSAC/ AC, DE, IN, LG, DO, DP, XP, IG and SG. These agencies may devise their own selection criteria to determine the unit vote. Consideration will include, but not be limited to, mission effectiveness, flight safety record, the results of Operational Readiness Inspections, Strategic Missile Evaluation Squadron or Combat Evaluation Group visits, Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation Team visits, Commanders Annual Facilities Inspections, and SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition or Missile Combat Competition. The unit’s overall contribution to the accomplishment of the SAC mission should be the determining factor. Do not generate additional reports to facilitate the selection procedure. The voting will be tabulated by DO and presented to the CINCSAC for approval. The results will not be announced until approved by the CINCSAC.
PRESENTATION
The winner will be notified by congratulatory message from the CINCSAC/CS. CINCSAC/CSP will make all appropriate arrangements for the presentation of the trophy and conduct the awards ceremony. Cost for the engraving of the Omaha Trophy will be defrayed by Headquarters SAC.
DISPOSITION OF THE TROPHY
The trophy will not be a permanent possession of the recipient, but will be rotated annually. If no award is presented for a given year the trophy will be retained by the last winner until it is again awarded. A miniature trophy will be presented and permanently retained by the winning unit.
PUBLICITY
Information officers at each level of command must insure that appropriate recognition of the winner is given through proper external and internal news media. The Directorate of Information, Headquarters SAC, will release the winning unit to service journals and other appropriate news media. Security must not be jeopardized in affording recognition.
[From the Bangor Daily News, Mar. 7, 1978]
SAC TO LORING: YOU'RE THE TOPS LIMESTONE, MAINE.— Loring Air Force Base, the sprawling nuclear armed bomber base being considered by the Air Force for a major cutback, has been rated the number one Strategic Air Command Base in the world.
Gen. Richard Ellis, SAC commander in chief, said that Loring received the honor for its "overall superior performance" in 1977.
Loring scored the highest in evaluations of everything from mission performance to barracks inspections, said Capt. David McClure, public information officer for the 42nd Air Wing.
The OMAHA Trophy is awarded annually to the best of the 35 SAC wings in the world. It is the first time a northeastern base has received the award, McClure said.
The Air Force has proposed a more than 80 percent cutback at Loring, which houses 14 B-52 bombers and 3O KC-135 tankers.
A decision on the cutback is expected later this year.
Col. Larry S. Devall, Loring commander, is scheduled to receive the award at the Offut Air Force Base in Nebraska in the near future.
Loring performed well last October during SAC operational readiness inspections — the longest test of a SAC Wing's ability to perform flying missions, McClure said.
"A team of nearly 60 members evaluated every operation — every scrap of paperwork. But it's not just how well we follow regulations," McClure said. "For instance during the severe winter of 1977, we remained fully operational the whole time," he added.
The base had a perfect refueling aircraft assignment record, meeting every receiver on time and on target in 1977, he said.