Jets make sound of freedom
As a child raised on a military base, I have a special affection for our armed forces and the men and women who serve in them. As governor , that affection has deepened as I have toured Arizona's military installations, visited with soldiers and their families, and have spoken with nearby residents and homeowners.
Having a variety of perspectives is important in the discussion of where and how to base the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
I am an enthusiastic supporter of Luke Air Force Base and I am doing all I can to help secure the base's long-term future by encouraging the Department of Defense to select Luke as a training site for the F-35 Lightning II - Joint Strike Fighter.
Luke Air Force Base is in my backyard. I hear the roar from those jet engines on a regular basis, and I love it. I was a founding member of Luke's Fighter Country Partnership.
And, this past May, I was privileged to be able to turn the last bolt on the first Honeywell engine for the F-35. I have even flown the fighter - albeit in a simulator - real enough for me to issue a proclamation recognizing the F-35 as the premiere fighter aircraft in the world, guaranteeing our nation's defense and continuing the proud heritage of military aviation in the state of Arizona.
But, I am also a proud advocate for the F-35 also going to the 162nd Fighter Wing, an Air National Guard unit at the Tucson International Airport. In fact, both Luke and the 162nd Fighter Wing were recently selected by the Air Force as "short list" candidates to receive the new fighter. The Air Force will consider the bases on their "short list" for three squadron and one squadron sized tasks - for training or operational missions respectively.
What's more, I am also proud that the F-35, the first aircraft designed for three services will also likely be flying out of the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma as the F-35B model for short take-offs and landings, some time in 2010. This decision will be taken by the Navy-Marine Corps leadership while Luke and Tucson are evaluated by the Air Force for their missions.
It should be made clear to all Arizonans that the 162nd Fighter Wing, Yuma and Luke are not in competition for the F-35. Each location is being considered by the Pentagon independently based on prescribed, objective criteria.
Luke and Tucson are both in the training category with indications that Luke will be evaluated in this round of decision for a three squadron function while Tucson will be evaluated as a candidate for a one squadron function. In fact, the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport and Luke AFB are both currently F-16 training units, yet have different missions.
The 162nd Fighter Wing and Luke AFB bring sizable economic impact within their relative communities. Basing of the F-35 in these locations will ensure these missions for years to come as the F-16 is phased out of the inventory.
Luke Air Force Base has an annual economic impact of $2.1 billion. The 162nd Fighter Wing has approximately a $280 million annual economic impact.
In Yuma, construction projects for the fighter are estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, and the attendant jobs created are guaranteed to stimulate the economies in Glendale, Yuma and Tucson.
I do believe the issues of noise contours and all other environmental issues will be resolved in a fair, balanced and transparent process.
But, we must not be deterred by obstructionists, professional naysayers, and habitual grumpy skeptics.
The worthiness of Arizona bases speaks for itself.
The economic impact in the respective communities is enormous, and something that cannot be lost.
And, as for noise, whenever I hear the sound of a jet overhead, I stop and think about what I am listening to - the sound of freedom, certainly. But I compare those sounds with the imagined sound of other jets - from an enemy country - flying overhead, and somehow the jets defending Arizona and the United States don't sound so loud after all.
