Capt. Osme Benedict of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Regional Airport gives a thumbs up signal from the cockpit of an F-15 fighter jet as he lands on the newly reconstructed 9,000-foot runway. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Representatives from the Commonwealth’s Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force met at North Middle School yesterday afternoon to tout the $177 million bond bill signed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick in March.
The bill seeks to improve, expand and further develop the state’s military installations, and what began yesterday in Westfield will continue until June 2, as the Task Force will visit each of the municipalities where the Commonwealth’s has military to host similar information sessions on the value of these facilities.
“The Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force is a federal, state and local partnership model that has partnered with members of congress and communities, including the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, along with other city and business officials,” said Adam Freudberg, the Task Force’s executive director and Patrick’s policy advisor. “Our mission is to work with military officials in the surrounding community at each base in Massachusetts. We’re here to talk about what we can do as partners to enhance the mission, and people, at these bases.”
Freudberg said that the Task Force was created following an executive order two years ago to create a mechanism ‘similar to what the Commonwealth had during the last Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process of 2004-2005.’
“Transpotation, utilities, electrical, wastewater, shared services, ideas to be more efficient in these partnerships. How can we help create collaborations to save money?” he said were areas that the task force will be working with the six communities. “(The task force is) a hub for people to talk about issues and do what we can to strengthen our bases in line with what the BRAC criteria is.”
The task force is set to pay visits to Fort Devens this afternoon, Lexington’s Hanscom Air Force Base Thursday, the Natick Soldier Systems Center on Friday, May 23, Chicopee’s Westover Air Reserve Base on Tuesday May 27, and on Joint Base Cape Cod Monday June 2 in Bourne.
“The purpose of the Mass. Task Force, and the Bond Bill, is to put fiscal resources against needs that are critical to make sure the six installations here in the state stay viable for the long term,” said Col. Ken Lambrich, the vice commander of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes ANG Base.
Lambrich said that Barnes was the first base in the state to receive funding from the bill, which provided $9.75 million of the total $23.5 million bill to resurface the airfield’s runway.
“It was a partnership between the State of Massachusetts, the City of Westfield, the National Guard Bureau and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) all combining resources to fund that project,” he said, adding that the runway was a ‘critical need.’ “It was overdue. We had to have it complete and there simply was not the money in any of the seperate budgets to foot that $23.5 million bill.”
Lambrich added that the next project at Barnes is the relocation of the base’s main gate onto it’s main thoroughway.
“It’ll have a security nexus for the base itself,” he said. “It makes us more secure from external threats and it has a safety aspect for the community. It puts the gate in a much more controlled environment so that we’re not stopping traffic out on a thoroughway.”
While only a few community members were present for the event, Lt. Col. Thatcher Kezer III, a military legislative liasion officer who will be visiting each base this month, stated that the turnout for these events will only grow as the tour goes on.
“These are not sexy issues that turn out large crowds, but it is very important to the community,” he said. “If an installation gets closed, then it’s too late for anybody to turn out. So we’re doing the groundwork here to put this infrastructure in place, to get the collaboration going that’ll pay off down the line.”
Freudberg added after the presentation, which included statements from state legislators such as State Senator Don Humason, Jr. (R-Westfield) and Representatives David Viera (R-Falmouth) and John Velis (D-Westfield), and state military leaders, that Barnes’ status as multi-use facility made it a commonsense location for the bill’s opening round of funding.
“All the factors combined. Primarily, it’s a joint use airfield. It’s not something that federal funding could have covered the entire portion,” he said. “It had to happen with the FAA coming together with the Federal National Guard Bureau, state government through DOT, the bond bill, and the city, as well.”
“Eighty-seven percent of the flights that land there are civilian,” he said. “Because of that, and because it was one of the first things that came to the forefront when we started this task force. We learned about the Barnes runway needs right away.”
“This is a very cost-effective base. The city owns the airport and the 104th Fighter Wing is one of our largest tenants on the airport,” said former City Airport Commissioner and current City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell. “This cooperation between the national guard and state and local governments does work, and they’re exactly right – this is a model that others can follow.”
