Air Force Considering Grissom for Refueling Installation, Seeks Public Comment
Nov. 28—Grissom Air Reserve Base in Peru is one of three bases in the country under consideration to support a new U.S. Air Force installation for aerial refueling and airlift.
The USAF is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the potential environmental consequences associated with the Air Force Reserve Command KC-46A Main Operating Base 5 beddown. Grissom ARB and Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma have been identified as reasonable alternatives for the mission. March ARB in California has been identified as the preferred alternative for the mission.
The USAF will host an open-house public scoping meeting on from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the Milestone Event Center, 1458 North Liberator Road, Peru. The purpose of the meeting and the scoping periods is to solicit comments to help effectively define the full range of environmental issues to be analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement. Meetings will also be held at the other two sites.
The Department of the Air Force issued a notice of intent Nov. 10 to assess the potential social, economic and environmental impacts associated with the mission. The DAF is proposing to base the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft at an installation with an established Air Force Reserve Command unit. This base will be Main Operating Base 5 (MOB 5) for KC-46A tanker aircraft within the continental United States. A single squadron of 12 KC-46A aircraft will be based at the MOB 5 installation. This AFRC squadron will require infrastructure, facilities, airfield operations and personnel necessary to support the refueling mission.
The KC-46A Pegasus is the first phase in recapitalizing the USAF's aging tanker fleet. With greater refueling, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities compared to the KC-135, the KC-46A will provide next generation aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and partner-nation receivers.
The Environmental Impact Statement will also include a No Action Alternative, which means that the KC-46A MOB 5 beddown would not occur. Including a No Action Alternative provides the DAF decision makers a baseline to compare against the potential environmental impacts of the basing action. The No Action Alternative reflects the current status of the installation, where no KC-46A aircraft would arrive and all existing aircraft would remain in place. No construction, renovation or demolition of any structure or other infrastructure related to the KC-46A MOB 5 mission would occur, and existing flight operations at each of the three installations would not change.
In addition to public comments, the DAF will determine the scope of the analysis by soliciting comments from interested local, state and federal elected officials and agencies. Consultation with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Officers as well as Native American Tribes will occur as part of this process.
In addition to the public meeting, comments can be sent to program manager Austin Naranjo at:
U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center, AFCEC/CZN;
2261 Hughes Ave. Ste 155;
Lackland AFB, TX 78236-9853.
Comments can also be submitted via the project website at www.kc-46a-mob5.com/. The website provides posters and a project brochure.
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