Push to keep Malmstrom gears up – Impending base closures prompt drive for new Air Force, MANG missions

A coalition of local officials says it is ready to launch a drive to raise $300,000 to $500,000 to aid efforts to lure new missions to Malmstrom and the Montana Air National Guard in Great Falls.

By JAMES E. LARCOMBE
Tribune Business Editor

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040328/localnews/163654.html

"We are going to try to identify potential investors and shake the tree and see what’s out there," Great Falls Mayor Randy Gray said. "It’s not going to be limited to Great Falls, or Montana, for that matter."

The fund drive comes as reports, reviews and rumors about the shape and future of the nation’s military and its nuclear stance swirl ahead of another round of military base closings.

Officials say Malmstrom contributes more than $250 million annually to the area economy. The base, with about 4,300 military and civilian employees, is the largest employer in northcentral Montana. The Montana Air National Guard adds about 1,000 full- and part-time employees. Malmstrom is the operations center for the largest nuclear missile field in the United States, while MANG is home to a detachment of F-16 warplanes.

While the impact of Malmstrom and MANG is felt in most every area of the Great Falls economy, among the first to be approached for money will be area contractors, car dealers, real estate agencies, financial institutions, hospitals, clinics and others that do business directly with local military installations and personnel. The appeal will be extended to surrounding counties that are home to missile sites.

"They are going to get contacted and asked to contribute," said Warren Wenz, a local attorney active in the Committee of 80, a military lobbying group associated with the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

Excess capacity

The fund-raising stakes are high. While Malmstrom’s missiles emerged unscathed from the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure process, the base lost a wing of KC-135 refueling tankers and 740 military personnel to a Florida base.

The base-closure rumor mill is in high gear. Malmstrom was named as a possible target for closure in the March 12 issue of the Kiplinger Letter, for instance.

"It’s just wild speculation, and that’s all that is," said J.P. Donovan, a spokesman for Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. Donovan said he spoke to the author of the short Kiplinger piece, who said he had heard many base names tossed around. "Apparently there are several rumor lists that are making the rounds at this point."

A report Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted to Congress last week found a clear need for military base closings, but it offered few specifics on how many or what type of bases might be most at risk.

Based on estimates of U.S. military needs in 2009, all branches of the military have excess capacity, according to the plan. The Air Force, at 24 percent, is in the middle of the excess-capacity pack.

While nonclassified parts of the Defense Department plan lack much detail, what isn’t said may be as important to Malmstrom and its 200 nuclear missiles. The plan makes no specific mention of excess capacity in the nation’s nuclear arsenal, which includes 500 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

"We are cautiously optimistic that the ICBM counts are safe," Donovan said. "That’s based on conversations with administration officials."

The Defense Department report does show possible unneeded capacity in a general category that includes both missiles and large aircraft. Both Wenz and Donovan believe the report may be referring to B-52 bombers, an aging aircraft that is considered part of the nuclear arsenal.

"It looks like if they make reductions, it will be in the bomber fleets," Donovan said.

The apparent good news in the Defense Department plan must be reconciled with a top-level, internal Pentagon study, called the Nuclear Posture Review, which has yet to released. But local military backers are optimistic. The timetable for the posture review is unclear, observers say.

"There is not any indication about anything changing with with the 500 launchers, which means our mission is secure," Wenz said.

If that proves to be the case, Malmstrom, with 200 missiles, along with Minot AFB in North Dakota and F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming, with 150 missiles each, may be exempt from the base closure process, Gray, Wenz and others believe.

"We don’t know yet if Malmstrom is going to be BRAC-proof,’ Gray said.

Task force

Such immunity would allow local leaders to focus their energy on seeking new missions for Malmstrom or MANG. That’s where the fund-raising comes in.

Gray and others said they intend to form a task force to explore what missions might be available as the base closure process unfolds in 2005.

The prospects range from a traditional flying mission that could use the existing runway and hangar facilities at Malmstrom, to other roles, such as the repair or rehabilitation of aircraft or even a mission related to homeland security initiatives.

"There is a lot of opportunity," Gray said.

Figuring out where the real opportunities rest will require specialized expertise. A first step could involve doing an in-depth assessment of the military assets in Great Falls and other cities in Montana and determining which offer the best opportunities for growth. Such a study could cost $50,000 to $100,000. A second phase could include hiring what Gray calls a defense guru who "really knows the alignment of military assets in the U.S."

Once potential missions are identified, it will take money to go after them, said Gray and John Kramer, president of the Great Falls Development Authority.

"Everything is on the table," Kramer said. "The process is going to be extremely competitive. It’s going to be well-financed and extremely professional. This is not a business for amateurs."

Kramer, Gray and others noted that other communities and even state governments are raising money for BRAC efforts. In Arizona, the governor is seeking $1 million for base preservation efforts, while the governor of Washington is seeking $500,000 for community efforts.

The defense expertise hired as part of the BRAC process will be in addition to the $80,000 already being paid to Capitol Decisions Inc., a Washington, D.C., lobbying group. The city, development authority and airport authority split that annual cost.

While the lobbying firm is helping with BRAC issues, its main expertise involves helping clients land federal money. The defense work "is beyond the technical capacity of the firm we are with," Gray said.

The mayor said he will "probably lead the charge" on the fund raising, but others might make sales calls to businesses and individuals.

‘Integral part’

Some are concerned that the fund drive will be seen as a duplication to the "Founding the Future" campaign that raised about $2.5 million for the Great Falls Development Authority.

"It’s kind of uncomfortable to have to go back to some of the same people again, but that’s what we’ve got to do," Wenz said.

Kramer said most people understand the development authority money is being used to seek private-sector jobs in Great Falls.

"We are talking about a state issue," with the military initiative, he said. "I think the majority of them are going to see this as a different deal."

One local automobile dealer said there is no disputing the role of Malmstrom in the local economy.

"The base is a big part of our business, as it is with everybody," said Steve Taylor of Taylor’s Automax, a large used-car dealership at 4100 10th Ave. S.

While the dealership gets plenty of requests for donations, money for preservation and growth of military missions would get careful consideration.

"Malmstrom is an integral part of our community," Taylor said. "All of us benefit from it, not just financially, but by having the personnel here. We will have to look seriously at backing anything it would take to keep Malmstrom viable."

Mike Flaherty of Great Falls Paper & Supply Co., a Committee of 80 board member, said most potential donors will see the importance of the BRAC fund raising.

"It should be received positively," Flaherty said. "People should step up to the plate. We’ve got a chance to grow our community, if we do it right."

Gray said he sees plenty of teamwork taking place in the local efforts to solidify the city’s military future. Local government officials are working closely with economic development leaders and base backers such as the Committee of 80 and the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee.

"I think there are a lot of people who have an understanding of the need to work together as a community on this," the mayor said. "There is definitely cross-over and collaboration on this for the community good."

Larcombe can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (406) 791-1463 or (800) 438-6600.