A large article in yesterday’s “Arizona Republic” talked about as many as 100 military installations to be decommissioned in the next few years and one of them might be Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, home of the famous “Desert Boneyard.”[:(] Not only is Davis-Monthan famous for all those airplanes in storage, but they also conduct training missions, especially A-10 “Warthogs.” Luke AFB, just outside the greater Phoenix area, is another one that might end up on the chopping block. If that happens, I’ll definitely miss the sight and sound of those F-16’s flying over my mother’s house each time I see her.[:(] Needless to say, state and local governments near these installations are concerned about the damage to their economies if Davis Monthan and/or Luke end up being axed. Heck, the “Boneyard” is one of Tucson’s biggest tourist attractions, especially because it’s right next to the Pima County Air Museum; indeed, you buy your tickets for the Boneyard tours at the air museum. Sure would hate to see that go away![V]
Somehow I don’t see McCain letting that happen, but I will also keep my fingers crossed that these bases will not close.
The article only says that Arizona is getting ready “in case” of base closings in the state. The article really only states “that as many as 100 bases will end up on the chopping block” and that Arizona has some large bases in it, including Davis-Monthan and Luke, it doesn’t say they are on the list. Sometimes it’s knee-jerk reactions that get people running scared. I would put money on D-M staying open.
Here’s the article for whoever would like to read it.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0327brac27on-CR.html
Every military base is going to be scutinized…no one is truly safe this time around. But its best to prepare for the worst. I am an employee at Hill AFB in Utah and its pretty serious business here right now.
Davis-Monthan holds a special place in my heart!!!
When I was a kid we visited Tucson and one afternoon my father and my uncle took me out to the boneyard. I don’t remember if my uncle had a special way to get on the base, but if memory serves me correctly we simply walked from the road into the boneyard. It was a different age - in those days lawsuits and terrorist acts practically didn’t exist. Anyway, we spend hours and hours wandering among the abandoned equipment, some of it dating from WW II - my father recalled several aircraft from his time in the South Pacific.
My father set me in the cockpits of many abandoned fighters, and we crawled into transports and bombers as well. I’m pretty sure one of them was a P-47, though that was a long time ago. I’ll never forget they had a long row of radial engines still in their fairings, no doubt stacked for scrap. Funny what sticks in the mind of a kid.
I suspect my interest in aircraft and models dates from that single day. It’s funny how often memories of that day hover in the back of my mind as I’m sitting at the bench. I can’t look at a B-29 with those huge radials without thinking of that row of engines at Davis Monthan. I don’t know if they were B-29 engines, but they look the same through the mist of time…
Sorry for the digression.
The only serious base cloure in Arizona I have heard on is the Army Proving Ground in Yuma. Don’t think they would close the Boneyard even if the did clos D-M AFB, they have to have someplace to store all the old a/c and that is the only one the military has.
Each time a base closure comes up, rumors start flying. Each time the BRAC (Base Realignment And Closure) commission meets a new rumor starts flying. The same thing is going on here at Tyndall AFB.
The fact is, no one knows what bases are on the list. It is still under consideration and so far no decision has been made on any base. The list has to go through so many people before it is released to the military. Each person has the ability to say yes or no. Once the list is finalized then to reject just one base would cause the whole list to be rejected.
Ahhh, to shed some light on this subject:
Indeed, it is mere speculation about closing DM; one of the reasons given is how Tucson has grown around the base; it has also been pointed out that closing and moving AMARC would be very cost prohibitive. It has also been pointed out that there are very few other suitable sites in the CONUS for long term storage of aircraft.
DM has gained several squadrons in the past few years; two AFSOC units, and there is some construction on base in support for those squadrons. Sooooo…
Only thing official is that there may be a BRAC this year. Everything else is just speculation at this point… but I’ll keep my ears open and give y’all updates as I get em.
Although I’ve never been there,I have read articals. It would be a shame to lose it.
BRAC is guaranteed in the next two years or so. It is a Congressional and Executive mandate. The committee meetings, backroom deal making and so forth will take about that long. Every single base in the US and overseas is on the chopping block. Which ones get off and which ones get chopped is all dependent on which politician has the most clout and is willing to make the most “deals” for something else. Common sense, logic, financial gain/loss and military necessity are all secondary to political deals. Every base in the US has formed some kind of “save the local base” committee and is trying to convince the BRAC folks to chop somewhere else. The current estimate is that 100 bases (all services combined) will be closed in this round of BRAC!!!
One of the USAF bases that was closed in mid 1990s was Chanute AFB at Rantoul, Illinois. Yes, they saved several milion dollars by shutting it down. The cost of operating the base is quite high. The problem is that the operations that went on there, firefighter training for ALL services as well as civilians, missile training and so forth are still going to be done somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be Sheppard AFB at Wichita Falls, Texas. The Air Force spent several hundred million $$$$$ to build new dormitories, classrooms, training aides, dining halls, roads, etc in order to move the training there. And you still have the ongoing, day to day expenses of utilities, instructor salaries, maintenance, etc. So where is the !@#$%^&*() savings???
Darwin, O.F. [alien]