Base Summary Sheet - W. K. Kellogg Airport Air Guard Station Michigan Page: 3 of 3
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COMMUNITY CONCERNS/ISSUES
Taken from information presented at the regional hearing by the community.
* The Mission Capability Index which determines military value is flawed because it is based
on poorly designed questions.
* The cost savings for operating and manpower are based on an incomplete analysis which
ignores major costs including pilot training.
* While the Air Force calculates $167 million in savings over 20 years, analysis suggests that it
could cost the Air Force $76.5 million by closing W.K. Kellogg Airport.
* The recommendation did not account for the training and experience necessary to train
Selfridge personnel for the maintenance of A-10 Os. Nor did the recommendation account for
the intensive training necessary to convert an F-16 pilot to an A-10 pilot. The concept that
the A- 10 qualified pilots, maintenance, and munitions personnel will transfer to Selfridge
along with the aircraft is false. Full-time jobs and traditional military positions will be
assimilated by personnel from the retiring F- 16 unit, resulting in training costs of more than
$1 million per pilot, with a total cost of more than $60 million for retraining.
* Concurrently, mission capability, i.e., special operations, combat search air rescue, close air
support, and forward air control, will be utterly compromised for 3-5 years.
* The Army and Air Force did not coordinate their departure and expansions at Selfridge. In
addition to grossly miscalculated savings, the Air Force will accrue additional costs of more
than $89 million by assuming the operations and maintenance left by the Army. The result is
a net loss for the Air Force.
* The current recommendation fails to recognize that the services provided by the U.S. Army
Garrison at Selfridge benefit all branches of the service that maintain operations at Selfridge:
the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, plus the Michigan National Guard.
* Battle Creek's infrastructure was designed for A-I Os, with $44,296,100 in projects funded
since the arrival of the A-10s in 1991. It is the best reserve base for A-10 s in the United
States. Yet Battle Creek's Mission Capability Index evaluated Battle Creek as one of the
lowest for its capability to host A-10s. Despite the same criteria, Battle Creek ranked among
the highest for hosting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle squadron or space. Overall, Battle Creek
Air National Guard Base has an excellent composite rating in all mission areas. Real
statistical data does not argue in favor of the recommendation for closure. Such ratings
should be considered for expanding the base in the future.
ITEMS OF SPECIAL EMPHASIS
* N/A
Ken Small/Air Force/June 29, 2005wI
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United States. Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Base Summary Sheet - W. K. Kellogg Airport Air Guard Station Michigan, text, August 7, 2005; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc20050/m1/3/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.