Acting USecAF meets Iceman team, civic leaders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Yash Rojas
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
11/16/2012 --  EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Acting Under Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Jamie Morin visited Eielson Air Force Base Nov. 12 for the first time, taking an opportunity to learn more about the Iceman Team and the capabilities it provides to the Pacific theater of operations.

"Eielson Air Force Base as a whole has an important and enduring role for the Air Force. The strategic location and proximity to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex is critical and is certainly something we are going to want to maintain," Morin said. "[The Iceman team's] ability to carry out a wide range of operational missions and support deployments around the world and operate in a challenging environment is really impressive."

According to Morin, the JPARC and RED FLAG-Alaska are significant components of training U.S. forces and allies and will continue to be fundamental to the Iceman Team's training component.

"Our ability to train in an operationally-realistic space at the scale that Alaska and the JPARC offers us is immensely valuable," he said. "It will become more so as we move to fifth-generation aircraft in our fighter fleet. I fully expect we will continue to carry out RED FLAG-Alaska and see significant play in the exercises from our partners and from the full joint team."

Morin also explained that the Air Force continues to work with Congress on the proposal to relocate the 18th Aggressor Squadron. These activities, including the recent decision to produce a full environmental impact statement, aim at ensuring greater public involvement to inform the decision-making process, added Morin.

The EIS will allow more opportunity for public comment -- a 45-day formal comment period and public meetings to hear views of the local community. It will also include a wider range of environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and consider issues related to Joint-Base Elmendorf Richardson.

"This broader analysis will take [place within a year]," Morin said. "We view that as a sensible response to the concerns raised in the community and elsewhere and to the initial findings coming out of the environmental analysis that has been done so far."

During his visit, Morin also discussed the importance of focusing on the Department of Defense energy consumption goals, stating the importance of minimizing the facility footprint, or the measurable consumption of electricity, water and waste disposal.

"The Air Force is not as large as it was 50 years ago, but in the last 20 years, if anything, we have expanded our facility footprint," said Morin. "It's something we have to take seriously and work on."

In addition to visiting with the leadership and Airmen on the installation, Morin spoke with local civic leaders.

"It was a great opportunity to come up here to meet the Iceman team and to have a chance to thank community leaders for the tremendous support they provide to the base," said Morin. "It makes a real difference for our Airmen. It's not something we take for granted."