Topeka — Sen. Sam Brownback said Monday that bringing the 1st Infantry Division's headquarters back to Fort Riley from Germany would protect Forbes Field in the next round of military base closings.
Brownback met with legislators to discuss the base realignment and closure decisions, called BRAC, which the Department of Defense is to make by fall 2005.
A Pentagon official and a consultant said in December that Forbes, which is south of Topeka, could be expendable because McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita also is a major air-refueling site.
Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said he had seen no paperwork signaling an imminent decision on moving the 1st Infantry Division's headquarters back to its historic location. However, he sounded a hopeful note.
"I think we've got an excellent shot of getting the Big Red One headquarters back at Fort Riley," he said, using the division's familiar nickname.
But the Army could consider other posts for the division's headquarters, Brownback said, mentioning Fort Carson, Colo., and Fort Lewis, Wash. He encouraged Kansas officials to be active in expressing support for the military in the state.
"They want to go where they are wanted and there are people competing to get that flag and headquarters back," Brownback said.
Forbes Field is the major site for deploying troops from Fort Riley and would become increasingly important in that role if the 1st Infantry Division were fully restored at the post, he said.
Closed as an active-duty Air Force base in 1973, Forbes Field is home to the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard.
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., talks to reporters after appearing before the Senate Commerce Committee and Joint Committee on Economic Development. Brownback discussed the new Homestead Act and economic development initiatives for Midwestern states Monday at the Statehouse.
The Army transferred two brigades from Fort Riley to Germany in 1995, reducing the northeast Kansas post's military population from 14,800 to 9,900 in 1996. The 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division remains at Fort Riley and has been deployed to Iraq since September.
Legislators said the military's presence in Kansas was worth protecting.
House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said beyond the economic effect of more than $1 billion statewide, Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth had rich and colorful traditions that were part their neighboring communities.
Mays said the two Army posts and McConnell appeared safe in the next round of base closings. He also said more soldiers at Fort Riley would be good for Topeka.
"I think we have a good chance of saving Forbes," he said. "They can't be deployed from Fort Riley. They can from Forbes."
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said protecting Kansas bases would be a combined effort of communities and state officials. Tied to Forbes' future is the effect on the Kansas National Guard and the missions the units will have and their ability to fill needs across Kansas.
"If you close Forbes, where is the transportation point for Fort Riley?" he said. "And does that mean that Riley is a target for BRAC the next time around?"
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is proposing raising $250,000 in state funds, matched by local contributions, to hire a lobbyist to defend Kansas installations. A decision on the lobbyist is pending, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that the military had 25 percent more space than necessary. Installations have been asked to forward information to the Pentagon, and Congress is scheduled to approve final selection criteria for consideration by March 15.
| Topeka -- The military's Base Realignment and Closure Commission will make recommendations next year on closing installations. The major military installations in Kansas: Fort Leavenworth: Home to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth was established in 1827 and is the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi River. Fort Riley: Established as Camp Center in 1853, Fort Riley is home of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and two stand-alone brigades. Stationed at the post are the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division and the 937th Engineer Group. The 100,000-acre post in north-central Kansas also is a mobilization center for thousands of Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers. McConnell Air Force Base: Located next to the Boeing Co.'s Wichita facilities, McConnell is home to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, as well as the 931st Air Force Reserve Group and the 184th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard. Combined, the units comprise one of the largest refueling bases in the Air Force. Forbes Field: Closed in 1973 as an active Air Force base, Forbes is home to the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard and the 108th Aviation Squadron of the Kansas Army National Guard. Also at Forbes is the 73rd Civil Support Team of the Kansas National Guard. The field is the primary departure site for soldiers deploying from Fort Riley. The ramp for aircraft used by the Kansas Air National Guard is undergoing $9 million worth of improvements. Source: Department of Defense |
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