Community Engagement Process in F-35 Beddown Moves Forward
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2nd, 2019
Contact:
Chris “Desi” Arenz
Executive Director
(608) 287-6208
Community Engagement Process in F-35 Beddown Moves Forward
Air National Guard Bureau Posts Draft EIS
MADISON – The United States Air Force has posted the Draft of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Air National Guard F-35A Operational Beddown on its website http://www.angf35eis.com. This is the next step in a lengthy community engagement process for selecting the 115thFighter Wing as the location for an F-35 mission.
In response to the release, Chairman of the Badger Air Community Council (BACC) Board of Directors Marvin Siegert released the following statement:
“For the last 71 years there has been an uninterrupted Air Force mission at Truax Field. From the F-51 Mustangs first assigned to the squadron at its formation in 1948, to becoming the first Air National Guard unit to fly a modern jet fighter with the F-89A Scorpion mission in the 1950s. Following the F-89 was the F-102s in the 1960s-70s, the A-10 Thunderbolt in the 1980s and the assignment of the F-16s in the early 1990s. The F-35 mission will be the tenth to be based at Truax. The 115thFighter Wing has established a legacy of excellence and has been a fantastic community member. We appreciate the overwhelming community support for our friends and neighbors who serve as Airmen at the 115thFighter Wing in receiving this mission and look forward to further community engagement and support in this process.”
Executive Director of the BACC, and former pilot at the 115thFighter Wing, Chris “Desi” Arenz released the following statement:
“As a former F-16 pilot with the 115thFighter Wing and now as a civilian member of the community supporting the men and women of the Wing, I could not be prouder of the support the Madison community has provided to the Wing. The release of the Draft EIS is the next step in a very deliberative review process that identified the 115thFighter Wing as the preferred alternative over 17 other Air National Guard bases in the country.
The purpose of the EIS is to identify the maximum potential for changes in impact because of the new mission. As these potential impacts are identified, work can begin between the Fighter Wing, our federal, state and local government partners and the community in addressing and mitigating those impacts, particularly as it relates to low-income residents near the airport who were identified in the Draft EIS as continuing to be the most affected.
The 115thFighter Wing has a 71-year history of being an active outstanding community partner, and we look forward to continuing this partnership into the future with the new mission.”
We encourage all members of the public to stay engaged in the EIS process by visiting www.angf35eis.comand attending the Open House and public meeting on September 12that the Alliant Energy Center.
September 12, 2019
Open House – 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Formal Presentation – 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI 53713
For additional information please visit the Together Truax website www.togethertruax.com to learn more about the community support for the mission. To learn more about the Badger Air Community Council please visit www.badgerair.org.
About the BACC:
The Badger Air Community Council (BACC) was formed in 2012 by former members of the 115thFighter Wing and business and civic leaders, to act as a liaison organization between the community and the Fighter Wing. The BACC supports the mission ofthe 115th Fighter Wing by educating the public on the economic and social benefits of having the unit based in Madison while highlighting the contributions made by the more than 1,200 Airmen who serve there.
About Together Truax:
Launched in June 2016 by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Badger Air Community Council, Together Truax is a program dedicated to assisting the effort to base the F-35A aircraft at Madison’s Truax Field. The initiative has included education, advocacy, marketing and lobbying and enlisting more than 3,500 supporters. More information can be found at togethertruax.com.
(Revised: an earlier version of the release noted the F-35 would be the 6th aircraft based at Truax, the F-35 would be the 9th;F-51,F-89, F-86 Sabre*, F-102, O-2 Skymaster*, OA-37 Dragonfly*, A-10, F-16’s)