Bill's language reflects state's effort to woo base closing panel

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.