Congressman Mike Coffman (CO-06) released the following statement on the House of Representatives’ vote to pass a new version of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 (NDAA).
“With Veterans Day approaching, I am excited to report that the House passed the NDAA. The NDAA is a vital bill that provides funding for our military including the pay and benefits for our Nation’s troops,” said Coffman, a Marine Corp combat veteran.
“I am equally as excited to announce that the NDAA includes language that benefits the Sixth District’s own Buckley Air Force Base, the largest employer in my district.”
Recently, President Obama called for another Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) round to reduce the costly surplus of underutilized military installations in the United States.
One critical factor in considering Air Force bases in a BRAC is whether the base has an active runway. When the runway closes the base automatically faces consideration for closure during a BRAC.
Currently, the Colorado Air National Guard maintains a fleet of aging F-16Cs at Buckley that will require replacement in about ten years. Without these aircraft Buckley’s runway could close. To keep its runway open, Buckley must be identified as a base to replace the F-16s with newer F-35As. Since the Air Force will not procure as many F-35As as it has F-16s the competition between bases for the F-35As is fierce.
“I proposed language, now included in the NDAA, that makes Buckley a viable Base for the F-35A,” said Coffman.
“The passage of the NDAA makes it more likely that Buckley will receive F-35s when its F-16s are retired and ultimately keep the runway at Buckley open for business. It is essential to takes measures to protect Buckley now before another BRAC round commences,” continued Coffman.
Coffman Has a combined 21 years of military service and is the only member of Congress to have served in both Iraq Wars. He currently serves on the Armed Services Committee and Veteran’s Affairs Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
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