Friday, April 03, 2009

Air Force announces preferred alternative for new Global Strike Command headquarters

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials here announced April 2 that Barksdale Air Force Base, La., is the preferred alternative for the permanent location of the Air Force Global Strike Command headquarters.

AFGSC is a new major command focused on the nuclear and global strike mission.

The identification of a preferred alternative is part of the environmental impact analysis process required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Although Barksdale AFB has been identified as the preferred alternative, a final basing decision will not be made until the environmental process is completed.

In October 2008, Air Force officials announced that a major command would be created to be the single authority over all strategic operational forces assigned to the nuclear deterrence mission. The service established a provisional AFGSC headquarters at Bolling AFB, D.C, as an interim location for the command on Jan. 12, 2009.

On Jan. 21, Air Force officials announced the six potential candidate bases for the major command and began site surveys that concluded on March 6. The candidate bases were Barksdale AFB; F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.; Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; Minot AFB, N.D.; Offutt AFB, Neb.; and Whiteman AFB, Mo.

"All six candidate locations received a thorough evaluation in accordance with our basing process," said Kathleen I. Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. "Site survey teams used previously established criteria to gather information, assess capabilities and refine initial data. This information was then evaluated during a Headquarters Air Force-level review to select a preferred alternative."

She added that this basing selection was made using a measured and deliberate process to ensure that the final decision is the best possible outcome for national defense and is in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

The selection of a preferred alternative was primarily based on an installation's ability to provide significant nuclear mission synergy. Other criteria evaluated included facilities and infrastructure, support capacity, transportation and access, communications and bandwidth, and security to support the AFGSC headquarters.

Following the completion of the environmental impact analysis, Air Force officials intend to make a final base selection this summer.

Barksdale Air Force Base Picked as New Home of Global Strike Command
By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - Barksdale Air Force Base, La., has been picked as the new home of the Air Force's Global Strike Command, which will oversee most of the military's nuclear bomber fleet and strategic ballistic missile operations, the Air Force announced today.

Global Strike Command will include both the 8th and 20th Air Force, according to an Air Force news release. Eighth Air Force's headquarters is at Barksdale, and 20th Air Force's headquarters is at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.

The new command will manage B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bomber operations. That capability was formerly managed by Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

The command also will maintain and operate the Air Force's intercontinental missile operations that previously were under the purview of Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Management of B-1 Lancer bomber operations will still be conducted by Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base. The cyber and intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions will be removed from 8th Air Force's portfolio.

Other bases that were under consideration to be the command's headquarters included Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; F.E. Warren Air Force Base; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Site surveys of all bases under consideration were completed March 6.

"All six candidate locations received a thorough evaluation in accordance with our basing process," said Kathleen Ferguson, the Air Force's deputy assistant secretary for installations.

An environmental impact evaluation at Barksdale is pending, according to the release.

An as-yet unnamed three-star general will command Global Strike Command.

The stand up of GSC came about from a reorganization of the Air Force's nuclear-mission organization ordered by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, following some highly publicized operational miscues committed by Air Force nuclear force managers.

The Air Force announced in October 2008 that a new major command would be formed to oversee the service's nuclear-deterrence mission. Bolling Air Force Base here has served as Global Strike Command's provisional headquarters since Jan. 12.

Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said last fall that the reorganization would address some long-standing, systematic problems in the Air Force's handling of nuclear assets. Donley said inspection of Air Force nuclear assets would now be conducted by the service's Inspector General Office.

The establishment of Global Strike Command, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norman A. Schwartz noted last fall, would put his service onto a "back-to-basics" path for nuclear-weapons-realm accountability, compliance, precision and reliability.