Tankers would bring $26.4M to SJAFB
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 11, 2017 5:50 AM
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base would receive $26.4 million under the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, helping to clear the way for a squadron of the Air Force's new KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft to be based there.
The funding includes $20 million for a tanker truck delivery system (Defense Logistics Agency) and $6.4 million for KC-46A addition and/for alterations to a building.
According to the final environmental impact study for the project, bringing the aircraft to the base would require the demolition of 77,706 square feet, renovation of another 142,052 square feet and new construction of 182,646 square feet.
The National Defense Authorization Act also would make improvements to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, provide a 2.1 percent across-the-board pay raise for service members and implement reforms that would make life easier for military families.
The Air Force has designated Seymour Johnson AFB as the preferred alternative for a reserve squadron of 12 new state-of-the-art KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. Several other bases also are being considered.
The final decision on where the planes will go is expected this summer.
Basing the aircraft at Seymour Johnson AFB also would require a net increase of 53 full-time, on-base personnel. Additional dependents would be anticipated to accompany full-time personnel associated with the proposed mission.
Also, the total annual tanker operations at the base would increase from 2,568 per year to 4,314, resulting in an approximate 68 percent increase in annual tanker operations.
The 4th Fighter Wing operations would continue unchanged, and existing KC-135 training and refueling operations would continue through the construction phase.
For more information, visit www.kc-46a-beddown.com/kc46a.aspx.
"The NDAA reaffirms our nation's commitment to supporting the brave men and women in uniform and reestablishes America's commitment to a strong national defense and protecting its interest abroad," Sen. Thom Tillis said in a press release. "I'm pleased that my provisions to upgrade Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, improve military family readiness, and direct the DoD and VA to collaborate closely on establishing interoperability with the new Electronic Health Record are included.
"I want to thank my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee for this bipartisan effort that will positively affect our North Carolina installations, servicemembers, and military families."
Tillis chairs the Personnel Subcommittee, which has oversight over half of the Pentagon's budget.
The subcommittee also championed major changes in TRICARE that would benefit North Carolina's guardsmen and reservists.
Earlier this month, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced that the VA will adopt the same Electronic Health Record system as the Department of Defense for veterans' medical records.
Tillis' provision allows military treatment facilities to provide health care to service members, dependents, veterans and civilians, so that the services can maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills while also providing state of the art specialty care to underserved medical communities.
Tillis' provisions also would require:
* the secretary of defense to conduct a pilot program to establish integrated health care delivery systems among the military health system, other federal health systems, and private sector integrated health systems.
* a comptroller general report of Department of Defense measures to maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers.
The act expands eligibility for TRICARE to allow guardsmen and reservists who are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefit to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve.
As for military family readiness, the provisions authorize:
* $25 million in supplemental impact aid to local educational agencies with military dependent children and $10 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities.
* $1 million for a pilot program to develop a public-private partnership on military spousal employment.
* $1 million for a pilot program on public-private partnerships for telework facilities on military installations outside the United States.