Policy issues take spotlight at forum: Bell encourages attendance of SJAFB scoping meeting
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 10, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/ALAN CAMPBELL
State Rep. John Bell, R-District 10, speaks Friday during the "Eggs & Issues" legislative forum.
State Rep. John Bell, a member of the Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Friday morning said Wayne County residents need to fill Herman Park Center next Thursday for an Air Force open house information session about plans to locate a reserve squadron of 12 new state-of-the-art KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The public can stop by Herman Park Center, 901 East Ash St., any time between 5 and 8 p.m. since there is no formal Air Force presentation. The open house session is an opportunity for residents to learn more about the reserve squadron's mission and to speak with Air Force personnel.
Bell urged the public show of support for the base during the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's Eggs and Issues breakfast at Lane Tree Conference Center. The News-Argus was the presenting sponsor.
Attending were Bell, a Republican from Goldsboro, Republican Rep. Jimmy Dixon of Mount Olive, Democratic Rep. Larry Bell of Clinton, Democratic Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill and Republican Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive.
The legislators addressed issues ranging from the budget to taxes.
Moderator Hal Tanner III, the News-Argus publisher, said that the secretary of the Air Force had announced on Oct. 29, 2015, that the base is the preferred alternative for the squadron.
"How can our community best work with the state Legislature and the individual legislators to demonstrate to the Air Force our strong and bipartisan support for basing of the KC-46 squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base?" Tanner asked.
It is awesome to be the preferred alternative, Bell said.
"I don't want to be the preferred alternative. I want to be the reality, and that is where the next part of this comes into play," Bell said. "When you look at what we have done in the county, and I say we because I believe everybody in here, and a lot who aren't here, have been involved in this -- from our City Council to our county commissioners, to our municipalities to our school system, from the DGDC and what was done downtown to Seymour Johnson itself and our local businesses.
"We have been completely engaged in this process for the first time for a very long time that I can remember. We are actually running an offense now and not defense. Now is the time for our community to shine. First and foremost is working with our state legislators. We need to continue to put strong individuals in our Seymour Johnson slots on the state Military Affairs Committee."
That is the first key, he said.
"What we need to do moving forward is we need to attend these public hearings," Bell said. "We need to work in cooperation, this is not just the state delegation, this is our county, our local municipalities our cities, our business leaders, our school system.
"We all have to be on the same page moving forward. So when you mentioned the public input session coming up on April 14. We need to be there. There needs to be this many people plus three or four times this to show that we are engaged; that we are the most-military friendly community in this state. We are the most military-friendly community in this world, and we are going to move forward with it."
The community must act and take advantage of such opportunities, he said.
"We can't let this sit there and not take advantage of it," Bell said. "It is a total community effort, and we need to play offense on this because this is an opportunity for our community to grow.
"Everything we are doing, now is the time to put our best foot forward, and I honestly believe our community will do that, and it will be a great day in Goldsboro when that base continues to grow, and we are playing offense instead of defense."
Davis said it is also important to continue to look at evolving mission of the base in providing added national security.
"We really need to take this seriously and get everyone involved and engaged in the public hearings," he said. "But even one thing beyond that I would add is making sure, too, that we continue to relay and share our support with our federal delegation."
Davis said he thinks the base is a "tremendously big deal" in terms of not just today, but the future of the community.
"Any time we talk about the Seymour Johnson situation, ladies and gentlemen, we must never forget the contributions of Col. Jeannie Leavitt (former commander of the base's 4th Fighter Wing) and the way that she stepped in a direction that was out of the ordinary for a military officer," Dixon said. "The way she stepped up front was a great assistance to all of the others who were locally involved."
Dixon said he liked the idea of playing offense.
"Next year Hal, and we have this thing, and if this is a topic on there, then let's put it that we are promoting Seymour Johnson rather than protecting," he said. "I like the word promote."
Pate said he thinks everyone knows how important Seymour Johnson is and the role it plays in the community.
"One thing that has not been mentioned yet as to what we can do to continue to protecting the investment out there and that is let's continue to be very positive about keeping (away) any encouragement on the confines of that base," Pate said. "Commercial encouragement on the base would not serve the base good or serve their being here very well."
There is a naval air station near Virginia Beach, Va. that has been surrounded by heavy development to the point that planes can't fly at night and that otherwise limit the base's scope of operations.
"When you put too many limits on a military scope of operation they are going to look somewhere else to be," Pate said. "We have a great thing going here and we need to keep it there without encroaching on them."
Pate also commended former Wayne County commissioner Andy Anderson for his efforts to secure the new state veterans cemetery located in the base's flight path.