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As states are filing lawsuits to protect their Air National Guard units from the Pentagon's latest base-closure round, Montana lawmakers this week sought to use language in the surface transportation bill to entice the Base Closure and Realignment Commission to keep the Air National Guard's F-16 fighter jets near Great Falls.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., inserted language in the conference report that would have reopened Malmstrom Air Force Base's airfield, shut down in 1996. House members said the highway bill should not be used to undo the BRAC process and forced Baucus to agree to delete the language.

On the Senate floor Friday, Baucus argued that the language had nothing to do with BRAC, but rather would have eased congestion in Great Falls by decreasing military cargo cross-town traffic between Malmstrom and a municipal airport used by Guard and active units.

"Despite the mischaracterization of the House, this provision would not have overturned a BRAC decision, or have influenced the current BRAC round," Baucus said. "Malmstrom is not on the BRAC list."

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., Friday said he supports reopening the runway but did not agree with Baucus' approach. Burns said he "questioned the timing of this, and it turned out to be very bad."

Letters between the Montana delegation and the base closing commission portray a sustained effort to persuade commissioners to move the F-16s from Great Falls International Airport Guard Station to Malmstrom, rather than moving them out of state. The Pentagon in May recommended relocating three of the 120th Fighter Wing's F-16s to Iowa and another three to Alabama. The nine remaining F-16s would be retired, leaving the state's Air Guard without a flying mission.

On June 1, Baucus and Burns sent the commission a detailed proposal outlining the costs and benefits of relocating the Fighter Wing to Malmstrom -- a move they said would provide "the nation, and the total force, the best strategic capability."

Four weeks later, representatives from the Montana Air Guard and Baucus' office met with BRAC staffers to propose reopening the Malmstrom airfield, located just miles from Great Falls. According to meeting minutes, the local community felt the move to Malmstrom was a "viable option because it offers great airspace and training areas and a chance to expand the mission of the Air Guard unit."

During the half-hour meeting, the Montana representatives also said the Malmstrom airfield could accommodate other Air National Guard F-16s -- appealing to the Pentagon's desire to increase squadron sizes to 18 aircraft ... as well as F-15 planes. Even without the Baucus language, the BRAC panel has the authority to reopen the airfield in its list of base-closure recommendations next month.

COMMENTS

• Here is the most important fact the government keeps leaving out of the equation. And don't forget, YOU, are doing it too. China is the word the government keeps using. I am old enough to remember when "Communist China" was the way we referred to them. COMMUNIST CHINA has not changed anything but their name. If you want to know who the government does business with now, it is the Communist Chinese. We out spent the Russians but we can't out spend the Communist Chinese. GovExec.com reader Posted August 2, 2005 8:59 AM
• If Congress is so interested in saving jobs by saving their ANG, why don't they stop sending jobs overseas and allowing the hiring of illegals in the USA? Toughen the immigration laws and get the illegals out of the USA! Fine those that hire illegals with significant fines! Stop treating China as a most favored nation and stop allowing China to export everything into the USA. Now we are sending or capital to China to build auto plants and power stations. It may be too late for Congress to stop the China flows. Free trade is good for everyone but it best for those that have slave labor and no environmental contstraints. That is a no brainer the Congress continually ignores! This means jobs flow overseas because the costs of product are far lower where slave labor and no environmental costs are involved. Representative Duncan should continue his buy American push for weapons systems and no allow Rummy and his bunch to buy critical weapons manufactured overseas! Duncan also should push airlines that buy the air bus so they cannot hand their pension plans over to the Pension Guarantee fund as United did. Make United stop buying air bus! The point is that the Congree doesn't care about jobs for US citizens but wants free trade as long as they can subsidise anyone they want - such as American farmers! taxpayer Posted August 1, 2005 6:48 AM